The land of gold.. A trip to the old Burma, now Myanmar

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- Our trip lasted 16 days. We purchased a flight offer of Singapore Airlines, as an extraordinary service, and we have chosen for the tour to Tin Aung Soe, said Sonny, a talented Burmese guide we contacted via the internet, who is fluent in Italian and that we recommend to all. We traveled in a van with 9 to 20 seats: comfortable!
We arrive to the hotel Saturday, 29/01 Summit View, just outside the Golden Pagoda, which we visited in the hours of sunset and evening: charming to the max!
Sunday, 30/01 LasciamoYangon with a backpack for the hike 2gg.nell 'plateau Mon: just outside the city the view is very nice, you pass through rice paddies and fields. In Bago visit a pagoda with a huge gold Buddha, another temple with 4 seated Buddha and a 50m long reclining Buddha. Once in Kinpun we get on one of the trucks of pilgrims to the Golden Rock 40-minute thrill of steep, narrow road through the forest at breakneck speed! We arrive at the base of the mountain, let the trucks and do an hour of steep uphill walk to the summit of the mountain, the view is wonderful, is the slice of life that we meet! We sleep in Kyaik-Tho hotel, 5 minutes walk from the rock, very easy to reach the temple at night and at dawn (about not staying at the Golden Rock Hotel, so praised by tour operators, because it's almost a ' hour walk from the Golden Rock, which thus becomes inaccessible at night and dawn, times of visits missed!)
LUNDEDI '31/01 Back in Yangon, stopping in villages and wonderful places and interesting. In the evening we visit Chinatown, chaotic and full of crowd, in truth not much.
TUESDAY '01/02 morning flight to Heho propeller plane with Air Bagan. A Nyaungshwe we board the canoes to the hotel Inle Resort, run by the French, wonderful. We lay our bags and go to the center of the lake to see the fishermen rowing with one leg, the Monastery of jumping cats, in a unique position in the world, right in the middle of the floating gardens, full of vegetables and flowers: an unreal environment, absolutely amazing. The day ends with a spectacular sunset.
WEDNESDAY 02/02 Navigation on the lake: visit the villages of weavers, blacksmiths, boat builders, the cigar makers, a visit to the great pagoda OR Daw Paya and the relevant market, where people of different ethnic groups are to buy and trade their goods. We go up the channel Inthein to arrive at an unforgettable place: a series of pagodas in ruins in the jungle for the charms of
THURSDAY '03/02 Back to the port of Nyaungshwe and depart by bus to
Shan mountains: we visit a beautiful monastery of teak, a typical market, an orange grove, we see the wheat harvest, reach and visit Pindaya Caves of 8,000 Buddhas: an absolute wonder! After a few stops of Serbia amazing that Sonny has for us and that we reveal to you, we come to Kalaw (pronounced Kalo): it is cold, to sleep with the duvet Dream Villa hotel.
FRIDAY '04/02 We begin the long descent towards the plain in the midst of lush vegetation, stopping in places unforgettable. We arrive before sunset to-U Bein teak bridge in Amarapura, take a boat and seeing the most beautiful sunset of our vita.Pernottiamo to Mandalay (pronounced Mandala) Swan hotel, Mid (being near the royal palace moat , there are many mosquitoes!)
Saturday, 05/02 at the port for boarding Mingun. Visit the Settawya paya, the unfinished pagoda, from the top of which offers a splendid panorama sull'Ayeyawaddy, the Mingun Bell and the beautiful Sinbyume paya. Return to town and visit a laboratory in gold leaf, a monastery of teak, the biggest book in the world and climb Mandalay Hill for the view and sunset.
Sunday, 06/02 We visit the Mahamuni Paya, one of the most sacred temples of Burma, then laboratories statues and tapestries; to Amarapura monks witness the meal of 2000 (the only time and a little too touristy 'embarrassing!). In the afternoon
Sagaing hills to climb to see the Buddha and the pagoda of the 60 meetings that do not reveal, but only knows that Sonny will always remain in our hearts
MONDAY '07/02 We stay at the temple of snakes, we come to Mount Popa, where we climb a long staircase hard to enjoy the wonderful view from the top. We arrive at Bagan in time to watch the first sunset on the plains of the 4000 pagodas. We stay at Thande Hotel, beautiful, with extraordinary views over the river, eat outside under acacia trees.
TUESDAY '08/02 We visit the bus Swezidagon, second in beauty only to the pagoda in Yangon, the patho Ananda, other beautiful pagodas, a lacquer workshop. We are fortunate to attend a costume party for the entry of a child in a monastery.
MERCOLEDI'09 / 02 Day unforgettable morning biking among the pagodas, and in the afternoon browsing dell'Ayeyawady up to a village of fishermen friends of Sonny with whom we spend magic moments, as with sunset finale.
THURSDAY '10/02 In the morning flight to Yangon, visit the Reclining Buddha, the Buddha of the Golden Pagoda, Bogyoke Market, then well-deserved rest in the hotel pool.
FRIDAY 'Swedagon 11/02 to return to the morning and find that it is fantastic in every hour of the day. In the afternoon, unfortunately we leave this wonderful land: flight to Singapore and connecting flight to Italy.
USEFUL
CHANGE: 1000 kyat worth about 1 euro, should bring dollars to euros are welcome but are exchanged 1dollaro = 1euro !!!!.
MEALS: We ate at places other refined and very poor: on average for a meal ranging from 2 euros to about 14euro, including drinks.
ROADS: they are rough, especially in the mountains, some sections are paved only in the center, but the Burmese are cautious and little traffic. As media have tried everything: buggies, trucks, trishaw, bicycles, pick-up etc. ...
CLIMATE: Cold in Kalaw, Inle Lake in the morning and the Golden Rock, Bagan day touching 30 degrees.
COMMUNICATIONS: The Internet operates in a discontinuous and sometimes the connection is very slow. Call the hotels are expensive.
GIFTS: Bring notebooks, pencils, small toys and clothes as a child, do not miss the opportunity to donate.
IN CONCLUSION: please go to Myanmar! The Burmese need to tourism, but not that of tour operators who take tourists in hotels that fatten only the general government: you buy a flight and then guides the skilled Burmese in
particular, we still recommend Sonny, who is honest, reliable, great knowledge of his land, which has given us every day of surprises that have made this trip unforgettable experiences: perhaps the most beautiful journey of our life!