Out and about

The prospect of a moped and Ul is alive. Visual treats all round - and heat and dust. . .

An immense teak bridge over a lake, over a kilometre long and built over a hundred years ago. Great teak poles over ducks herded by boat, ox carts and fishermen, and past tourist grot, beggars and baby owls in cages, waiting to be released and recaptured.

Along avenues of wisteria and past horses and carts with frilly canopies: suddenly round the corner a vast bridge across the river and hill after hill of autumnal forests and golden stuppas. Somehow we find the one at the top. Flashing neon lights, green glass walls, a great white Buddha, and views across miles of covered walk ways to golden hilltops. Stunning and unexpected.

Mandalay hill for fabled sunset viewing. Romantic at last in picture, but we miss sunset and the top, collared by a student practising his English. Seems like a deal to us. He doesn't go to university because it's too far and doesn't seem to have read much for his course; he does assiduously climb the hill every evening to make conversation. His English is pretty good.