Mandalay is only one and half hour flight from Bangkok. It is worth going Premium Flux for front seats and luggage first off the plane. Our driver was waiting to whisk us through a pleasant landscape of fields of corn and peanut bushes. Golden stuppas abound. A few years ago the government decided to switch from driving on the left to the right. However all the cars are still with the steering wheel on the right so everyone is inconvenienced as they haven't started importing left hand drive cars! We arrived at the Mandalay Hill Resort hotel, probably the best hotel in Mandalay at the moment. The rooms are spacious but the bathroom is surprisingly small. Initially we thought it was very cheap until we realised all the prices are in dollars. We sat by the pleasant pool area and relaxed before dinner. If you are hungry the 35$ buffet is excellent.The following day we took a taxi down town and went in the central market. We were the only westerners in there and it was packed. Stefan caused some hilarlty amongst the ladies with his tall frame. We then went to the central Fort which is 2kms square and surrounded by the original wall. Inside there are mostly soldiers barracks but there is a replica of the original palace which was burnt down during the 2nd world war.After we had lunch in the Unique Myanmar restaurant which has Burmese and Chinese food and is very good but the portions are huge. The afternoon was spent relaxing and I went to the hairdressers in the spa and ended up having shoulder massage, manicure and pedicure. Being the only one in there I was literally waited on hand and foot.The next day we were taken to the boat the Princess Padhwar, which has only 3 floors as there are only 70 people on it. Lovely cabin with plenty of room. Friendly staff who introduced us to the language. We have to put our outdoor walking shoes in a basket in order to keep the ship clean. Food on board is very good. Our first tour was to one of the many Pagodas and monasteries which we shall be visiting. The Shwendaw Kyaung monastery is a beautiful carved wooden building with Buddha. At he Kuthodaw Pagoda we saw the world's largest book, which are huge tablets of stone carved with all the Buddhist discourses stored in separate stone houses. Everywhere was packed because it was a special Full Moon holiday. We were also taken to a gold smiths where strong young men hammer the gold leaf into very thin sheets and also to a lovely wood and tapestry workshop. Finally we went to a silk workshop but it was empty because everyone was on holiday but we saw the looms. Then it was onto a gondola on the river and a boat ride under a very long wooden bridge which was also packed with people. We bobbed about on the river and saw the sunset before getting off and walking along the bridge . As it was a full moon day there were fireworks in the evening and also candles were floated down the river which was very pretty.