Tourism has not yet spoiled their genuine welcome. Life unfolded as we walked through the streets. Across the river, in Sagaing Hills, there are 500 monasteries and 300 nunneries. One evening, we entered a nunnery where pink-robed nuns with shaven heads knelt on a wooden floor in front of an altar. Their solemn chanting of Buddhist scriptures remains a cherished memory to this day.
Woman gains merit by filling monk's alms bowl with rice.
A van brought us up to one temple filled with 45 sitting Buddha images and to another, which overlooked the Ayeyarwady River. The latter brings passengers to Bhamo, near the Chinese border, and through scenic gorges to elephant camps and gold-panning regions. For us, Road to Mandalay was more than a luxury cruise. It was a cultural awakening to a way of life that few people have seen. We felt privileged to have experienced it.