Mandalay part 2

The afternoons pony trek visited a local island across the Irwawaddy. The island has few cars but 100 or so pony carts each owned by the families on the island and for £5 you get a trip around to visit the local sites - read temples, stuphas....

But the real fascination is always to see the local life .in many areas here you get plagued by street sellers. These are usually the young women who try to sell you hats t-shirts bracelets paintings you name it. And there are WAY too many of them for the number of tourists so once they get the sniff of blood they hunt you down.

We got approached by the girl in the photos below when we landed on the island trying to sell us bracelets. She was pleasant but persistent. Phrases such as ' lucky money' 'how much you pay' ' you come back' ' I remember you' . Anyway we smiled and said no thank you. She then preceded to cycle after us around on her bike. Ang felt sorry fo her so we gave her 1500 Kkyets - £1.25 rather than the 3,000 she wanted for the bracelet. AND we didn't take the bracelet as we didn't want it. It didn't make her happy.

They can be a real pain but they do it because they REALLY need the money for food and shelter so it's hard to be to hard faced.

It's now Thursday 3rd 6:50 am and we are now off to Kalaw 2 days, Lake Inle 2 days and hill tribes for 3 days so not much chance of any blogs as we expect no Internet.

Happy New Year from me and Ang!

 

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