Mandalay Hill and the Royal Palace Moat

This morning we decide to do some sightseeing.  A taxi driver yesterday told us that it was 3,000 Kyat to get into the Royal Palace so we head there on foot.  The Royal Palace is surrounded by a moat and its huge.  Tourists are only allowed entry  through the East Gate and we begin right at the opposite side on the West Gate.

We could have taken a taxi but decide to walk as its shady round most of the moat.  Over an hour later we reach the East Gate to find the price is actually 10,000 Kyat - not just to enter the Palace but to see other archeological sites in Mandalay too.  We decide we’re not going to have time to do loads while we’re here so decline and continue to walk the rest of the way round the moat back where we started.  A bit of a waste of time but a nice walk nevertheless.

We have been told about a Myanmar Travel Centre so head towards that, hoping to get some information on why we can’t travel by road all the way to the border town of Tachilek.  We find the Centre but all they can say is that it is the government putting the restriction on and they don’t know why so we’re definitely going to have to fly, either taking a domestic flight to Tachilek or an International one to Chiang Mai in Thailand which we don’t want to do.  We head back to the travel agent to get some information on flights.  

We’ve decided we’re taking the bus to Hsipaw tomorrow rather than have a 3am start for the train.  We’ll take the train either back some of the way or further north, depending on where we go next.