Mandalay After the Earthquake

(Originally written as a WeChat post on May 15, 2025) On March 28, a 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck Mandalay, Myanmar.🚶 I arrived in Mandalay at 5 AM. With few hotels available online, I had to search in person. The city still bears scars—collapsed buildings half-repaired, some left abandoned. Red Cross aid tents lined the streets. Most hotels, damaged by the quake, were closed for renovations, including the popular hostel recommended in all travel guides.🚗 After two hours of searching, options were slim: either fully booked, refusing foreigners, or offering filthy, hot-water-less rooms at outrageous prices. Post-quake Mandalay is devoid of tourists. Pre-earthquake guides mentioned motorbike rentals, but all shops are now shuttered. I hired a random tuktuk driver for a day tour. Originally planning to visit Inwa Ancient City (already ruined by the quake), I learned the road was destroyed—detours would take hours. With U Bein Bridge as the only intact attraction left, I let the driver take me wherever.💰 First, we visited two temples: At Sandamuni Pagoda, the once-enclosed, ornate Buddha statue now sits exposed and damaged, its surrounding structure gone. The pagoda behind it is equally broken. Then, Mandalay Hill: No shoes/socks allowed in temples, and reaching the summit requires barefoot climbing up hundreds of steps under scorching heat. After an hour, my feet were blistered and burning—a brutal reminder of humanity’s need for footwear. At the top, I prayed first, then viewed the mediocre scenery (only the distant Irrawaddy River stood out). Driving along the river revealed squalor: trash-strewn banks, foul smells, and makeshift homes—wooden shacks with tarp roofs, where whole families squeeze into single-bed spaces. Men hid under trucks to escape the sun.💰 By dusk, U Bein Bridge offered solace. Walking across, the lake and endless fields washed away the day’s exhaustion. As the sun sank, I boarded a boat, drank a beer, and watched the bridge glow—a quiet end to a heavy day.🌺 #UnforgottenDusk #Myanmar #Mandalay