Foot and Fire

             After fininshing the 900 plus steps, the first 300 with shoes and the rest is the way to the temple consisitng of 777 steps in barefoot, I realised that it is not the grandeur of the golden temple atop the hill formation that should be the goal. There is nothing spectacular in the temple perched on top of this formation. I decided that the goal should be feeling one's feet on the ground with all the dirtiness in it, breathing in the warm crisp air, enjoying the view from the top and observing the Myanmarese doing their religious ritual on various temples stationed along the way.  ***                   Southwest of Mount Popa is Taung Kalat (pedestal hill), sheer-sided volcanic plug, which rises 737 metres (2,417 ft) above the sea level. A Buddhist monastery is located at the summit of Taung Kalat. At one time, the Buddhist hermit U Khandi maintained the stairway of 777 ste...

This is the five-color vegetables we ordered. We got a beautiful line up of stir-fried sweet peas, napa cabbage, young corn, cauliflower and carrots. We had this in Mandalay, but as in anywhere in Myanmar, vegetables are a side dish or a complimentary dish aside from the soup and mango chutney and fermented fish/prawns. *** This is one tasty fish which is first wrapped with chopped leaves which preserved the fish fat (see bottom layer) and spices before the banana leaves. This must be steamed and the fish meat (see the second layer) is very tasty while the skin is delicately smooth. I want to replicate this cooking. We had this in a Shan Restaurant in Mandalay near our hotel. *** Fish hot clay pot. Chunks of fried fish with vegetables and spices and visibly garnished with onion rings and pineapple slices. This is one nice rice partner. It is served in a small wok with a burner underneath. We had this in Bagan. *** Speaking of snacks, I like this deep-fried potato chips at 500 to 1000 k...

Strawberries. *** Grapes. *** Grapes, Banana, Guavas. *** Bananas, strawberries, Guavas. *** Banana *** Not a pomelo, I'm sure. *** Jackfruit crossbred with Marang. The peelings look like jackfruit but it peels like marang. The smooth texture in the mouth is marang while the smell is jackfruit. Awesome best of both world. ***  Papaya and Guavas *** Papayas. *** Must be sugarcane wrapped in some dry leaves? ***