Moomba

Today we had a lie in and met at 08:30 for a short drive to the local jade markets.

The street was lined with people selling large blocks of jade and smaller pieces that had been cut. They draw circles on the blocks to indicate how many bangles could be made from each slab.


Jade Market


Jade Market


Jade Market


Jade Market

We could see local workmen using pedal powered machines to polish pieces of jade using bamboo as the abrasive and more modern sand blocks.


Jade Market – polishing the jade


Jade Market – polishing the jade


Jade Market – polishing the jade

We then went inside the complex where the wholesalers and retailers traded the jade. There are reported to be 40000 people working in the jade market and it was quite mad wandering around watching the goings on.


Jade Market


Jade Market


Jade Market

The car park on the way out was just a sea of scooters.


Jade Market – car park


A bit of repair work?


Busker Mandalay style

Back on the bus we headed back out to the Sagaing Hills where many monasteries and pagodas dotted the area. We visited one of the local nunneries where we donated the meal for some of the nuns.


Nunnery


Nunnery


Nunnery


Nunnery


Nunnery


Nunnery


Nunnery

After they ate we were able to ask them some questions and they in turn asked us some in return. We were then provided lunch as well before saying goodbye to our lovely hosts.


Nunnery - farewell

Next up was the 200 year old 1.2 kilometre long teak bridge of U Bein. This bridge is used daily by the people who live on the other side to commute to work on the mainland. There were many fishermen standing in the water either side with either rod and hook or others who dived down to catch the fish by hand.


U Bein Bridge


U Bein Bridge


U Bein Bridge


U Bein Bridge


U Bein Bridge


U Bein Bridge


U Bein Bridge


U Bein Bridge


U Bein Bridge


U Bein Bridge


U Bein Bridge


U Bein Bridge

On the way back into Mandalay we stopped a local workshop where the workers pounded gold into the gold leaf people buy to attach to sacred items in the temples and pagodas.

The gold is pounded by hand in three stages between sheets of bamboo paper for over 6 hours in total before it is thin enough.


The steps in making gold leaf


Pounding gold leaf


Pounding gold leaf


Pouding gold leaf – time for a breather

During their break one of the guys brought over the bundle he was pounding and we could feel how hot it had become.

A few of us were dropped off at the local flower market by the river before making our way back up to the hotel. One of the local monks wanted to practice his English so he walked along with us for part of the way back.


Flower market


Flower market


Flower market


Flower market


Flower market

Tomorrow another plane journey to Heho and is that giant spider going to eat me?

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