............Minglabar.........Minglabar ...........
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Flew AirAsia from Kuala Lumpur to Mandalay, transit in Bangkok.
From previous travellers to Myanmar, it was recommended that the best time to visit this country is between November to March, after which the hot summer season sets in and it can be extremely unbearable in the heat. Not so comfortable to walk or cycle around.
In fact, it is already extremely dry and uncomfortable . A hat or cap is a MUST HAVE to all visitors.
From Mandalay International airport, take the shared bus to hotel in city. 4000kyats per person. Thats about US3. The journey approx 21km from airport to city , is about 45 min. It's not that far but bcos of the condition of the road, the bus/van could not go fast.
Checked in to our Hotel Unity in Mandalay, which is just round the corner to the famous local Zegyo Market.
Almost 4 pm by the time we walked out to meet the challenge of the day's heat and the hustle bustle of the streets, we found out that the Imperial Palace we planned to visit is almost near to their closing time . So we decided to do that the next day ie visit Mandalay Palace and Mandalay Hill.
We walked around Zegyo market... found that it is a wholesale market.
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| selling Tanaka |
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| inside Zegyo mkt |
There are only 2 types of buses that runs between Mandalay and Bagan. The red and white. We took the red from Mandalay to Bagan. Was very unhappy with the ride as they stopped many times to pick up people and parcels. On our way back from Bagan to Mandalay, we took the OK Express (white) and much better drive- fresh aircon, non stop and more comfortable. Both types of buses cost the same 9000Kyat per person. 
Burmese not only regard Thanaka powder as a beauty method but also help the avoid the evil and bad luck. This powder is believed to bring good luck to those who wears it. The tree is found in the middle of Myanmar and has to be 2 years old before can extract the powder. And to get the best quality extract, the tree has to be 35 years old.Myanmar people use thanaka as a multi purpose cream, sun screen, make up, day and night care. Moreover , it is also anti fungal, with active ingredients of coumarin and marmesin.
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| THANAKA |
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| beautiful lotus flowers at temple gates... |