Myanmar: Slow boat to Mandalay

Cutting through mountains and across the plains, the mighty Irrawaddy River is the lifeblood of Myanmar. Join us on a boat journey on one of Indochina's greatest rivers

There is something about long blue lines on maps that have always captured my imagination - mighty rivers, great arteries to places unknown, beckoning with the promise of new horizons.

Ancient pagodas rise along the banks of the Irrawaddyat Bagan
On a world map, one of those lines is the Irrawaddy, the greatest of all rivers in Indochina. Cutting a swathe through an ancient landscape of eroded mountains and flood plains, the Irrawaddy runs more than 2,000km across Burma, now known as Myanmar. Ancient and exotic cities stand on its banks with evocative names such a Pyay, Mingun, Bagan and Mandalay.
In bygone colonial times, the Irrawaddy was an immensely important artery, and the British-owned Irrawaddy Flotilla Company operated countless cargo barges and brass-trimmed luxury paddle-wheelers, transporting up to nine million passengers.
Today, river travel still plays an important role. For those who have only a few weeks to explore this amazing country that sees relatively few tourists, there are numerous day and overnight trips that can be taken in the small ferries that ply the river from village to village. The colourful local boats offer a marvellous opportunity to experience river life first hand.

The mighty Irrawaddy
It was from the Bayinnaung terminal in Mandalay that we first observed the mighty Irrawaddy. Local ferries painted with umpteen dozen colours and loaded with all manner of produce jostled for mooring space alongside double-decker, long distance cargo boats that looked like grand old Mississippi paddle-steamers.
Villagers carrying huge loads on their heads boarded boats via narrow gangplanks with the agility of tightrope walkers and bare-chested youths loaded sacks of vegetables to completely cover the cabin tops.
We had decided to take a day trip from Mandalay to the abandoned ruins of Mingun, an ancient city 11km upstream. With our 10-kyat fares at hand, we were somewhat shocked when the ticket man tried to make us pay 2,000 kyat.
"You pay (for the) whole boat," he said. "The local boats have very heavy loads on top, they are very dangerous." He flipped his hand over to emphasise the gravity of the situation. I wondered how many unsuspecting tourists had fallen for that one.
Half an hour later we were both happily seated on board with a full quota of passengers. There are no scheduled departures for these smaller ferries, they leave when they're full, which generally doesn't take long.
The wait, however, is all part of the experience and we settled down to watch the fun. Hawkers boarded carrying woven platters of pineapple slices, boiled eggs and rice cakes to sell. Then followed a lively haggling session, the first buyer knowing she would set the price for the entire boat, so everyone took part in the bidding with lots of 'oohs' and 'ahs'.
In June, at the end of the dry season, the shores of the Irrawaddy looked desiccated. Huddled shanties of makeshift houses; flimsy lean-tos made of bamboo and woven matting looked as if they had been blown there on the wind and at any moment could blow back.
Villagers were busy quarrying the sand that had built up along the banks in deep drifts. A small and graceful sailing boat kept pace with us despite our engine, and a double-decker ferry thundered past, throwing up a foaming bow wave. There was no lack of interest along the route; fishing villages, bullock carts, villagers laundering clothing - we were enthralled with the dynamism of life along the Irrawaddy.
Half way into the journey we could already make out Mingun Paya. Rising against the mountainous backdrop, its great square mass towered over the river plains. In 1790, King Bodawpaya had set out to build Mingun Paya, the world's largest Zedi (Buddhist monument) that was to reach a height of 150m. Thousands of slaves laboured to complete it, but in 1819 when the king died, the work was abandoned. Only the base of the zedi had been completed measuring 140sqm and reaching 50m above the surrounding plains and river. Its only claim to fame today could be that it is the world's largest piles of bricks!
Nonetheless, as we stepped down the gangplank and onto the bank at Mingun, we were filled with admiration. In 1838, an earthquake badly damaged the monument, but the resulting cracks and rubble only added to its beauty.
With the intention of leaving the best till last, we set off to explore the township that spreads out around Mingun Paya. Following a procession of saffron robed Buddhist monks, we found ourselves entering a small shrine filled by a single immense bell. Weighing 90 tonnes, it is the world's largest 'uncracked' bell, and when struck with a length of wood, rings with an incredible resonance.
At last, we climbed the ragged steps that scaled one corner of Mingun Paya and were rewarded with magnificent views of the nearby Hsinbyume Paya with its blazing white terraces and zedis, and of the hillsides dotted with pagodas on every peak. But it was the great Irrawaddy that demanded our attention, drawing our gaze through shimmering bands of dusty blue haze to follow its snaking path across the plains to the far horizon.
There are numerous other possibilities for river travel. Travellers with more time on their hands can make weeklong journey between Mandalay and Pye, 'sleeping rough' on the decks. More popular is the day-long run between Mandalay and the ancient ruins of Bagan (formerly known as Pagan). The slow boat stops overnight in the town of Pakokku where you can either find hotel accommodation or you can pull up some deck space on board and settle in for a night under the stars. The alternative and our choice, was the day boat, a ten-hour jaunt to Bagan. When the river is low, groundings on sand banks are not uncommon.
Of the numerous historical and archaeological sites in Myanmar - Bagan is the most amazing. Perhaps nowhere else in Asia has the architectural imprint of Buddhism been so well preserved over the centuries. In a frenetic burst of religious expression, a golden age of temple construction took place in a 230-year period from 1057. As a result, thousands of temples, zedis and stupas stand in all shapes, sizes and importance, spread across 40sqkm along the banks of the Irrawaddy.
Why the city was abandoned by the end of the twelfth century is a mystery. It is thought that the occupants may have fled when faced with the armies of Kublai Khan. What is known, is that for centuries after it stood derelict, with its treasures plundered, it became the hideout for bandits and spirit nats.
Hiring the services of a horse buggy and driver for the day is one of the more enjoyable ways of exploring Bagan. Many of the shrines have once again become places of worship, with Buddhists from all over Myanmar coming to view the nine and a half metre-high gold standing Buddhas in the great Ananda Pahto, or to touch the stone that encloses a Buddha hair relic in Shwesandaw Paya.
Our favourite was the smaller less ostentatious Ananda Ok Kyaung with its wonderful wall murals offering a remarkable view of life in a royal city in the 13^th century. In the late afternoon, we climbed Mingalazedi for a sunset view over old Bagan; the spires of countless pagodas rising before me like a fleet of sailing ships in the desert. Our eyes were once again drawn to the Irrawaddy. Touched by the last rays of a dying sun and burning with molten gold, its life-giving waters have enabled great cities such as Bagan, Mingun and Mandalay to exist.
As V C Scott O'Conner said in The Silken East (1904)
"...the beauty of its waters, of its hills and forest, of its vast spaces, of the sunsets that wrap it in mysteries of colour - these are the things for which words are greatly inadequate."
Text by Leanne Walker
PHOTOS by Andrew Marshall