Jumping way ahead to Hsipaw in the north

Internet speeds have been sooooo slow, that adding any blogs with images has been impossible....till now, in our last stop up north at Inle Lake.  Thankfully it's fast enough at the Golden Empress Hotel.
Anyway, here are shots from Hsipaw.
Click on an image to embiggen.

First, a few shots from our trip from Mandalay to Hsipaw:

Passed through a town that was formerly a British Hill Station, now a military school and tourist centre.  They use these 'stagecoaches' to take tourists around.

Just some of the dishes offered at the roadside lunch stop,

Just because.

Typical sight

Small part of the switchbacks we had to cover on the way.  Lots of hills to go up & down & lots of trucks etc.

 ....and now to Hsipaw

Lots of these tractors in various sizes doing work all around town.

Heading into the market

In the day market

Mmmmm...dried scary looking fish....

Pigeon's eggs, I believe.  Very popular all over

Nicely arranged stall

I believe this was dried meat of some sort in bags...

Lots of cats around, many in good shape and affectionate.

A hat guy, retired civil servant.

Lots of hats for sale all over

Big hats too!

"Coffee"

Taxi

All vehicles have their engines exposed

These fish at a temple pool tried to hypnotize us

At a temple gate

...at the same gate

An afternoon snooze at the templ

The big guy with halo