January 20 - Bagan (2)

This morning began with a trip to an extinct volcano (Mt.  Poto?) which of course looks just a small mountain.  En route we stopped at a small family run palm sugar and liquor making operation.  They showed us how they harvest the sap, boil it forever until it becomes solid sugar.  The liquor is made by adding yeast to the sap and letting it ferment for a period of time.  Using an ox walking in circles they also grind peanuts to make peanut oil.  Interesting things to observe but not to do.

They group climbed 700+ steps to the pagoda on top of the mountain.  I remained below and took photos of the monkeys running wild around the place and eating bananas contributed by the tourists.  One of the group told me later that when she was in the washroom she looked up and found two monkeys staring at her through the window!  Part of the group also encountered a rather aggressive monkey while descending the stairs and they were almost afraid to walk around it as it sat in the middle of the walk way.

This afternoon was free so I had a leisurely lunch, read for a while, napped for a short while and then worked on my photos.  I thought about going with the people on bikes or in horse carts but decided I preferred to be alone and just take it easy.  At 7:00 we went for dinner and a puppet show.  I didn't want supper but that wasn't an option there so I had two bowls of soup but only one bite of each of the components of the main course.  The puppet show was interesting and colourful if not spectacular.

Breakfast was lentil soup and fried rice. Lunch was watery cream of potato soup with rock hard bacon lurking in the bottom of the bowl and then a prawn risotto that wasn't really risotto but regular rice in some sort of a semi creamy sauce.  Not all all good.  Dinner was lentil soup, fried fish, fried chicken, cauliflower, coleslaw, greens and boiled potatoes.

Definitely not the most interesting of days.

Tomorrow we fly back to Mandalay early and then drive about two hours to Inle Lake.  I think the rest of the day is free but that can always change.