Greetings from Mandalay, Myanmar

While still in Bangkok and puzzling over the continuing gum infections after a consultation with my dentist, I decided to manage the chronic gingivitis with aggressive hygiene and antiseptic mouthwashes until the scheduled appointment with their gum specialist in a few weeks. That settled for the immediate future and with my current Thai visa set to expire soon, I decided to run over to Myanmar for a short visit.

Mosquitoes here there are aplenty. I've been nibbled several times. Fortunately, the Zika virus has not established a hold in this part of the world so far. The hotel housekeeping sends someone around every afternoon to spray likely hiding places in my room here at the Hotel Marvel, but that doesn't get them all. Burmese mosquitoes must be a hardy breed.

Learning the Burmese phrase for "thank you" has been complicated by the variety of ways people pronounce it... or the way my degraded hearing receives it. I've finally settled on "CHEE DU BUY" which most people do apparently recognize as their polite "thank you" pleasantry.

The use of traffic circles seems to impose no rules on drivers, other than be careful and get through fast without hitting anything. From my vantage point in the hotel dining room I have watched for hours as drivers manage without anyone obviously having the right-away like in the US where those trying to enter one of the circular lanes yields to vehicles already in it! I witnessed a couple near collisions, but no actual accidents.

The two hour flight from Bangkok arrived in Mandalay shortly after noon for one of the easiest immigration & customs processing I've ever enjoyed in a foreign country. Smiles and signs all shouted "welcome." In the arrival lobby a tiny tot munching on a cookie, her face smeared with the yellow "cosmetic" worn by most females in the country, looked up at the gawking foreigner beaming a bright "welcome" smile. I paused to snap a picture before rushing on to locate my airport shuttle bus into the city some hour distant.

Persistent taxi touts swarmed around me and the other arriving passengers despite the obvious shuttle bus counters and bright signs. Each had his own pitch showing how much more practical his service was than the alternatives. All taxis seem to offer private rides into the city for 12K Kyat ($10) or 4K Kyat ($3.50) shared. The bigger, more comfortable shuttle bus fare is a flat 4K Kyat. All claim to drop passengers at their hotel.

As the bus left the airport parking lot I noticed the unusual architectural embellishments on the terminal building itself screaming: "This is Burma. Welcome!" The leisurely bus trip offered a chance to enjoy the unusual rural countryside. Farms, fields, and animals all expected so far from the city mingled with a surprisingly large number of gleaming Buddhist temples and shrines. Sparkling golden pagodas popped up every mile or so, making it obvious Buddhism remains the principle religion of this country, though Christianity and Islam each represent a few percentage of the population.

The best choice of hotels in Mandalay listed by the Agoda booking agent seemed to be the colorful Bagan King at $58. Fortunately, our 4000 kyat airport shuttle bus dropped each passenger right at the door to their hotel. The facade of the Bagan King Hotel looked nothing like what I imagined from the photos presented in the booking website! But, a team of colorfully clad hotel staff jumped out of the entryway doors for an enthusiastic welcome and the historically themed lobby decorations made it clear I'd enjoy a unique lodging experience in this house.

The room itself continued the exotic emphasis on cultural identity, but I soon discovered most comfort aspects of the room compromised for the sake of esthetic impressions: a rattan stool for a desk chair, cramped bathroom with no counter surface near the sink and an open shower stall without a splatter barrier so that the bathroom floor remained wet after a shower, no storage space anywhere in the room at all. The Internet access did work fairly well and the view from the seventh floor dining room at breakfast provided 360 degree vistas intermittently obstructed by the wide frames around narrow slit windows.

The manager demonstrated a "hands on" approach to keeping the place running smoothly and staff showed the results of his emphasis on treating guests like royalty... starting with the fresh fruit welcome drink, ice cold wet washcloth and a group of staff providing enthusiastic attention for every new arrival... and a similar farewell.

After checking into the Bagan King and taking notice of the deficiencies I immediately went hotel shopping as is my habit. Of the half dozen places investigated, none seemed like an improvement over the compromises required at the Bagan King. On that first walk I did notice the unusual Hotel Marvel situated in the upper stories of the old central railroad station. The exterior gave me the impression it had been an afterthought and I declined to even do an inspection. Back at the Bagan King I checked for information on the Internet and found more encouraging descriptions at Agoda, but also uncomfortably high room rates reflecting its deluxe four star category.

The next morning after breakfast I walked over to it again and did a proper inspection. Opened only six months ago, it is first class in every respect and Angela, the resident manager informed me they currently had a special promotional offer for the $76 deluxe rooms at only $45 net including breakfast (Superior @ $35!). I would have booked a room that very minute except I had already told the Bagan King manager to extend my stay there at least one more night. Standing there talking with Angela I made a snap decision: I'd go back, swallow my pride and cancel that additional night at the Bagan King... which I did with some regret, though the Bagan King receptionist displayed no unusual concern over my cancellation.

My first night in the Hotel Marvel I fell asleep not long after dusk and awoke about 1AM to find no way to turn off the bright overhead lights. Search as I might, no light switch could be found. So, down to the reception desk I staggered. When the sleepy hotel maintenance guys arrived I watched for them to perform some magic trick I'd overlooked. But no, the switch bank had been installed right at the head of the bed... but below the top of the king-sized bed mattress and out of sight. The room had been designed for a pair of twin beds so the switches would be located between the two beds as expected with that configuration.

Breakfast has been delightful during my entire stay in the Hotel Marvel, but the set-menu lunches have been extraordinary beyond belief! Chef, Myat Thu is a food preparation genius as well as a presentation artist! The dishes set before me looked so beautiful I felt they deserved to be displayed as art on a prominent wall somewhere, not devoured. However, when finally relenting and digging into each dish I discovered the true virtues of the chef's culinary art. From selecting fresh, premium ingredients to perfectly cooking each item, I have never enjoyed gourmet meals anywhere more than in this obscure, recently opened hotel restaurant. His accompanying sauces especially deserve mention. This is one of the reasons I now think of this house as my Hotel Hidden Gem in Mandalay!

The hotel's location is unusual; the old remodeled apartment building sits on top of the three story central railway station. The sounds (noise) of railroad traffic at all hours clearly is a detractor for some guests, but I found the occasional muffled whistles and bumping a pleasant audio ambiance and enjoyed it immensely... even in the early morning hours. (My railroad buff friend, Ed Arbuckle will understand this.)

Everyone on the staff in this hotel goes out of their way to be helpful and polite, from the resident manager, Angela to the waiters and housekeepers. Truly, guest relations training of the staff has been superb. Not everyone on the staff speaks perfect, understandable English, but many do and I've been able to get whatever information I needed throughout my stay.

Internet access in the Hotel Marvel has been strong and reliable, but requires a login renewal every time the machine is turned on, an irritation, but worth the increased security and reliability.

Peace,