Mandalay Morning Bike Ride

On Boris's birthday we did a half day bike tour with a guide. He took us to a small relaxed market away from the intensity of the big downtown market.

Lots of birds are thrown into the pot. The guide pointed out there are 2 types of chicken...the lean Burmese kind and the fat and juicy looking Chinese kind. He says the Burmese type are tastier. Fish is often dried.

The pasty looking stuff is thanaka.It's made from ground tree bark and used by most women and children and many men as well. It provides some sun protection, but is also a make up applied in different designs of your choice...a sort of personal style. The Burmese find it very attractive and it also makes the skin feel very soft. 

The eggs in the photo are encased in lime. Some sort of chemical reaction happens that cooks the eggs and then the lime acts to preserve them.

Sticky rice is mixed with sesame and sugar and sometimes banana ( looks red) to make dessert.

Boris has photos to follow.