It is somewhat of a relief to leave bustling Mandalay behind. It has not quite lived up to it's exotic sounding name of Kipling mystique. Instead of an Orient full of tropical splendour, we find a grimy, congested place full of camera-ready tourists in search of the said delights. Mandalay Hill at Chinese New Year is not a place of calm! So today we set off in search of what the guide books promises as the 'enchantingly beautiful parts of the wider Mandalay area.' A small noisy wooden boat packed with a mixed bag of tourists takes us across the romantically sounding Ayeyarwady (the Irrawady of old) river straight into a hustle of exuberant pony and cart drivers. They've not got the memo that our adult kids are traveling with their parents AND a tour guide. Assuming them to be part of the 'gappy' university brigade, they are hustled elsewhere and initially find themselves on the wrong horse and carriage. Our tour guide rushes off to retrieve them and eve
Bangkok Blogger's birds eye view of the world