Say its name out loud – let it roll around in your mouth and savor it: Mandalay. It feels like it ought to be one of the world’s most exotic destinations, right?

The reality is that today’s Mandalay is pretty dusty.  By Myanmar standards it is a modern city of 1.5 million people. Its main feature is the colossal palace grounds that sit in the middle of the city center, making navigation here more about ‘getting around the palace moat’ than getting from place to place.

Like any city, Mandalay has several layers to it. While we won’t stay here long enough to scrape just below the superficial veneer, we have been taken in by the charming gentleness of its people and the hassle free way they go about their daily lives.

There’s history here for sure, even though it was founded only 150 years ago. It is the place where the last Burmese kings made their stand against the British. In 1945, British Gurkha soldiers took Mandalay Hill back from the Japanese in a fierce battle. There are plenty of Buddhist monuments in the city and around it, and tourist agencies tout many intriguing day trip options in the area.

I guess if we had more time we would stay here longer, but we are booked on a train that will take us further north.

’til we meet again, Mandalay.

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