Mandalay

The nightmarkets in mandalay - it's too bloody hot in the day

Our guide Thant Zen - a great guide who worked hard to ensure we had a great trip

The locals eating out in the street markets

The gang joining the locals eating out in the street markets

Me joining the locals eating out in the street markets with a bowl of vegetable noodles and quail eggs

The waterfront at the Ayeyarwady River

Life on the Ayeyarwady River on the way to Mingun

Life on the Ayeyarwady River on the way to Mingun - towing the family and their home behind

Life on the Ayeyarwady River on the way to Mingun

Life on the Ayeyarwady River on the way to Mingun - a transport barge

The Mingun Temple

The Mingun temple is a monumental uncompleted stupa began by King Bodawpaya in 1790. It was not completed, due to an astrologer claiming that, once the temple was finished, the king would die. The completed stupa would have been the largest in the world at 150 metres (490 ft). Huge cracks are visible on the structure from the earthquake of 23 March 1839. Like many large pagodas in Myanmar, a pondaw paya or working model of the stupa can be seen nearby.

The Mingun Temple's working model

The Mingun Temple

The Mingun Temple - a taxi service

The Dynamic Duo showing off their new face painting

The Mingun Bell

King Bodawpaya also had a gigantic bell cast to go with his huge stupa, the Mingun Bell weighing 90 tons, and is today the largest ringing bell in the world.

The Hsinbyume Pagoda

The beautiful white Hsinbyume Pagoda with a distinctive architectural style modelled after the mythical Mount Meru, built in 1816 by Bodawpaya's grandson and successor Bagyidaw and dedicated to the memory of his first consort Princess Hsinbyume (Lady of the White Elephant, granddaughter of Bodawpaya, 1789–1812) who died in childbirth.

The Hsinbyume Pagoda

The Hsinbyume Pagoda - the ever-photogenic Kylie

The Hsinbyume Pagoda

The Mingun Temple - an unfinished elephant

Gold leaf factory - the gold sheets are encased in this padding and then hit repeatedly with a hammer to flatten into a wafer of gold leaf

Gold leaf factory - the workers hammering the gold

Gold leaf factory - the gold leaf sheets are sorted and packed for shipping

Street where Buddhas are made

The process of Buddha carving

The process of Buddha making

The finished Buddhas

Lavishly painted

Unfinished Buddhas ready for final production steps

Carving the Buddhas hair

A finished Buddha having its transport crate built

Polishing the carved Buddha

Its white dirty work

Applying the finishing paint job to a Buddha

Silk weaving mill

Silk weaving mill - all by hand

Silk weaving mill - always interesting to watch their skill

Silk weaving mill

Silk weaving mill - the finished products

Monks in a monastry

Monastry

The U Bein wooden bridge

A crossing that spans the Taungthaman Lake near Amarapura in Myanmar. The 1.2-kilometre (0.75 mi) bridge was built around 1850 and is believed to be the oldest and longest teakwood bridge in the world

At the U Bein wooden bridge

At the U Bein wooden bridge - enjoying a fresh coconut juice

The U Bein wooden bridge - we take a photo of the monks; they take a photo of the tourists

The U Bein wooden bridge - sunset