“Mandalay” is a name I have heard through the years, and it always had an exotic, Eastern feel. The reality, though, was much more brilliant and alive than I had imagined. Mandalay is the acknowledged cultural, educational, and economic center of Burma. I only have time here for two of the magnificent sites I visited in this colorful and stimulating city.

The most famous view is the view of the city at sunset from the top of Mandalay Hill. This is an enormously high hill with monasteries and pagodas lining the way up, and crowned with the Sutaungpyei (literally, wish-fulfilling) Pagoda at the very top.

The view of the city from Sutaungpyei Pagoda makes the long, steep climb worth it. This has been a major pilgrimage site for Buddhists for the last two centuries. In recent years, the construction of a narrow, dizzying windy road and a series of escalators at the very top makes the approach (especially when carrying a load of camera equipment!) much more doable.

Many monks walk the long distance to the top. It is a holy site for them, but many of the young monks, such as this one, also come here to practice their English skills on tourists.

Another famous Mandalay view is the sunset from U Bain Bridge. This is a wooden footbridge, considered the longest teak bridge in the world. (The teak was taken from the teak columns of an old palace when it was dismantled.) The bridge is just under a mile long (or 1.2 km) and runs over Taungthaman Lake. People, including monks, locals, and tourists, often walk over the bridge at sunset.

(note: One thing that got my attention for this shot was the conversation between the two similarly-aged boys, one a novice and one who is not.)

Other people hire small boats to get the sunset view from the water. Yes, that’s what my group did.

– and it was an amazing view!

The bridge against the setting sun was stark and brilliantly rich, but not the only subject. Everywhere I turned the camera were more gorgeous views, including water reflections and fishermen in the swiftly-changing light.

This was all at sunset on our last day in this city – goodbye, Mandalay!