October 30, 2019
Chid Bank in Mandalay
October 30, 2019
Chid Bank in Mandalay
Dear little friends,
We’ve had fun in Mandalay. Before I talk about the fun we’ve been having I want to point something new and important that has happened in Mandalay in the five years since we were last here: the roads have been paved. Like, paved the way the big-boy cities pave streets, with smooth asphalt put down by machines designed to pave smooth asphalt streets. When we first arrived we were too hot and tired to put our finger on what was different but after riding around for a few days we really, REALLY noticed it.
Not only had these roads been mettled, they had been burnished to a creamy smooth sheen. This matters to us because the first time I was in Mandalay in 2005 there were sandy potholes around the corner from our guesthouse so big that dinosaurs were jettisoned from Noah’s Ark in order for it to float across these potholes safely. These potholes could swallow the small blue trucks that served as taxis in those days (which have disappeared as thoroughly as the dinosaurs). Mandalay has had a reputation for being a dusty, grubby city but the dust is now mostly gone which is a huge improvement in quality of life.
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It’s really hot. The end of the rainy season looms and it should be cooling down for what they call “winter” here but the heat is atrocious. It’s also really humid. Five years ago we met some kids up in the public gardens in Pyin Oo Lwin who attend a private boarding school in Mandalay and I videotaped one of them telling us that “Mandalay is like a volcano!” And he’s right, it’s pretty hot. But the blessing of Mandalay is that most of the neighborhoods, even in the heart of downtown right off of the main streets, are full of old trees that reach across the street and create beautiful shade and a leafy, humane atmosphere. Even on the hot days we can walk the streets comfortably.
We seem to find things to keep us busy. Since I am a sweat virtuoso I seem to be constantly washing clothes and hanging them off of improbable protuberances in our room. We have a list of places that Frank Roettgen visited last time he was here, Frankie’s List, and when we’re not overcome by heat we go visit some of them, mostly some of the old wooden temples that ain’t gonna last forever. Frankie, we sucked at following your list as much as it deserved, but it was too hot to do a lot of sight-seeing.
There have been some troublesome doings up in Pyin Oo Lwin where our friend Haymar Soe lives. She has a 4.5-year-old little boy that we last saw when she was pregnant with him, so it has been with a lot of sadness and regret on all sides that we will not be able to see her family on this trip. It’s a long complicated story from a person who has had a complicated life. However we did have some toys and books for the little guy, including the thing he most wanted from America, a Spiderman costume. As it happens, we got it sent by courier just in time for his class’ Halloween party (this is an English-Myanmar language school, but I had not foreseen that they would actually celebrate Halloween so this was fortuitous timing). It is reported that he checks on his costume in his cupboard every hour or so to make sure it is still there. We were hoping to meet up with them in Bagan and I had an entry already titled “Spiderman in Bagan” in my head but Spiderman has his hands full settling differences up in Pyin Oo Lwin so we hope he uses his spidey powers for the good that is sorely needed there. He’s a sharp, funny little kid and we expect great things from him.
| Heart | 12 | Comment | 1 | Link |
5 years ago
Diwali was in full swing in the neighborhood for several days which meant that in amongst all the other ecumenical noise we were treated to Bollywood music until fairly late at night, which is not the worst thing to hear as you’re falling asleep insulated by nine stories up and a block’s distance. Any closer and I might have a different opinion. We toured the festivities one evening and were struck by all the people attending who did not appear to be Hindu, in fact there were lots of Muslim families out with their kids. The charming tiny homemade merry-go-rounds that are set up in Burmese streets during festivals were there, each with their guy that pushes them to get them going and grabs and runs to make them stop. A new update on those is that they now have zany lights and music and apparently “Gangnam Style” is still a big hit at Diwali in Mandalay.
It only takes a day or so to get a “local routine” when we stop someplace for a bit of time. We ate at “Chapati Corner” every single night. The milk store down the street has the most incredible yogurt and we stopped by there every evening to get our morning yogurt. We were falling asleep at 7 pm and waking at 3 am, true to a 15-hour jet lag. Money had to be changed and a SIM card procured and a hat replaced from a market so full and energetic that I nearly had a panic attack. And on our very block was a bank called “Chid Bank” so we had to take photos of that for Jeff and Kristen Arnim, who coined the term “chid” for the crap snack food that you only eat when you’re touring. I, for one, have overdrawn my account at Chid Bank.
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5 years ago
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5 years ago
But eventually it was time to hit the road, and head off toward Bagan and parts south. The heat was not abating. The first town with a hotel licensed for foreigners (this is a huge problem with distance cycling in Myanmar, you HAVE to stay in licensed accommodations and those are certainly not everywhere, especially where tourism is sparse) was 67 miles from Mandalay, a distance most Cycleblaze tourers can do before brunch but not these two wimps from Portland. Also, it’s hot, if I haven’t mentioned it quite enough. I had noticed a guesthouse in Tada-u that seemed to appear and disappear on Google maps like an apparition, that would give us a 16-mile jumping-off spot out of Mandalay. 51 miles to Myingyan is still a formidable challenge so early in this tour but seemed doable. Calls were made and they said, yes, they were licensed for foreigners. So Tada-u, here we come.
| Heart | 10 | Comment | 4 | Link |
5 years ago
Not sure about the grudge part but the rest sounds OK.
5 years ago
5 years ago
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| Comment on this entry | Comment | 3 |
Careful out in that heat and humidity!
And , 1 question - what type of chid do you consume on a bike tour in Myanmar? I'm imagining that there's not much processed/packaged crap food, but maybe a fair amount of fried street food?
5 years ago
5 years ago
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