We met our guides again the following day at their office with 3 rickshaw riders waiting patiently outside for us. Keeping our stomach close to empty was a good idea as we were brought to many places to try their local food. My favourite was mohinga! It reminds me of what we have in Singapore known as mee siam.

I always believe that food brings people together. With the slower paced tour, we were able to talk a lot more. Nay, our main guide, knows his history and currently happening in his homeland. He was very willing to share what he knew and is passionate about what he does. The knowledge shared was very insightful and I really appreciate it. I am always interested about people’s lives and why they do what they do.

We were also brought to their local market where we get their snacks/desserts. My favourite was the fruit juice! As the small roadside stalls do not have machines, they hand chop their fruits. It took a while for them to make it but trust me, it was so worth the wait.

Very quickly, the half day tour ended and we bid goodbye to our guide who is now our friend. After a short rest back in the hotel, we met up with our new Singaporeans friends for dinner at a local restaurant, super 81. With the help of the manager, who could speak english, we place our order based on what he recommended with a couple of Mandalay beers to celebrate our new form friendship! Ending with a high note in Mandalay, we were ready to return to Yangon the following morning.