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Power had us on a route march. First off - chartered a boat up the Ayeyarwady river to climb up what must be the biggest pile of bricks ever. The Mingun pagoda only 1/3 built standing at 240' high & 400 feet or so wide before building stopped due to lack of funds, Kings death & earthquakes. We climbed to the top of that before ringing the 2nd biggest bell in the world by bashing it with a bamboo cane, then visited a statue of a guy who memorised the biggest book in the world ever (record holder Guinness Book of Records 1985). The biggest book in the world is actually 729 stone tablets engraved with the entire text of the Buddhist canon. If you spent 8 hours a day reading it - it would take you one and a half years to finish it.
After an amazinly good value Indian platter lunch (less than 40p each), we drove for a couple of hours up to the British colonial hill station of POL. Our hotel is converted from the building where Dad was based with the British Military Intelligence 1945-47 & the lovely manager was delighted to show us the old photo & receive the history we brought with us. No rest for us - Power took us across to the botanical gardens which were built to imitate Kew gardens, they were lovely, more akin to Enland than Myanmar, but a welcome break from the traffic & noise.
We were there until closing then went for another great & cheap local meal with Power & our driver Nye before going back to the hotel, chatting to people, sorting out rucksacks, showering & falling into bed. We couildn't believe it when we checked the time to find it was only 7.30pm! This travelling is a hard business.
Much cooler here, last night we slept with air con on all night, tonight we need blankets!
After another
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