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high and 9ft in circumference. The prayerhall’s soaring interior is cool and dark, feelinggenuinely ancient. Its stained timbers areinscribed with repeating peacock and lotusflowermotifs. Despite the constant flow ofvisitors, this remains a living monastery withglobes hung above the little school section toassist in the novices’ geography lessons.There are a few interesting stupas in thefields surrounding the monastery. Somehorse-cart drivers will get tetchy if you lingertoo long, but you could breeze throughBagaya and walk out to the stupas – no postcardvendors out there.NanmyinWATCHTOWERa='"vemYú;'c='The 90ft ‘leaning tower of Inwa’ is all thatremains of King Bagyidaw’s palace complex.The upper portion was shattered by the 1838earthquake and the rest has taken on a precarioustilt that is noticeable when you’reclimbing the steps. The tower is neither beautifulnor especially high, but wide views fromthe top are great for getting your bearingsamid the widely scattered sights. As it’s nota religious site, you can keep your shoes on.Maha Aungmye BonzanMONASTERYmh;ea;='e¨m.®uc®®Built, unusually, of stucco-covered brick,this 1822 royal monastery temple is a raresurvivor from the Ava era. The faded, lumpystructure looks attractive in cleverly takenphotographs, but in the harsh midday sunthe main attraction is the cool affordedby its ultrathick walls and the bats flittingthrough its empty undercroft. Sales folk atthe entrance can be especially persistent. Itis also known as the Ok Kyaung or the MeNu Ok Kyaung.Behind, the antique two-storey monks’residence is crumbling, and a footpath leadsto river gardens with views across to Sagaing.Beside the monastery is the more fancifulHtilaingshin Paya, an attractive array ofstupas, some dating back to the Bagan periodand recently part-gilded.OTHER SIGHTSShwedigon Paya &Nogatataphu PayaGIANT STUPASRising above the palm-speckled horizon, thetips of two enormous stupas are visible formiles around. Golden Shwedigon is tuckedinto the southwest corner of Inwa's moatedcentral ‘island’ while recently revamped Nogatataphulies around 200m beyond theBagaya monastery turning. There’s a tinytea-shop at its entrance.Yedanasini PayaSTUPA RUINSThis small but photogenic ensemble bringstogether a sitting Buddha and a handful ofold brick stupas shaded by a giant flametree. Horse carts go right past it en route toBagaya Kyaung.City WallsRUINSOld Inwa was protected by rivers to northand east, canals to south and west andringed by city walls. Much of the canal andseveral sections of wall remain, includingsome chunky rampart sections above thesouthern canal. By horse-cart tour the onlybit you’re likely to see is the heavily reconstructedGaung Say Daga (Hair-WashingGate).Le-htat-gyi PayaPAGODA RUINForgotten in fields around 1.3km south ofthe moat are a series of forgotten, decayingold stupas. Across the road from the largegilt bell-stupa of Sandamuni Paya is thefour-storey stub of the once huge Le-htatgyiPaya, which has been fissured by earthquakes,but retains a fair amount of stuccodetail. If you arrive by road from Tada-U,you’ll drive right by, but horse-cart tourswon’t come anywhere near this far south.8Getting ThereThere are three possible ways to access Inwa.MAIN RIVER FERRY Unless otherwise stated,any tour or taxi-hire that includes Inwa will assumeyou want to visit the site by horse-cart.They will therefore drop you at a small jetty about1km south of Ava Bridge, from which shuttleferries take just two minutes to get to the otherside, where cart drivers await. Ferries depart assoon as there are a few passengers (usually everyfew minutes). Pedestrians pay K1000 return,motorcyclists K1500. No one-way reductions.Cars can’t cross. Double fares apply after 6pm.In the rainy season, ferries start further northnear Thabyedan Fort beneath Ava Bridge.BY ROAD Take the new (dusty, unfi nished)airport highway 4.5km south of the Ava Bridgejunction. Around 200m beyond a major riverbridge, but before Tada U, turn right. Windthrough Inwa South Village taking a right at bothT-junctions (600m then another 600m). PassLe-htat-gyi and reach the moat 3.5km after leavingthe highway. Loop around the moat clockwisefor the easiest access to the main sights.FERRY FROM SAGAING A little passengerboat crosses from Sagaing, but it operates infrequentlyand might refuse to take foreigners.227MANDALAY AROUND MANDALAY & AROUND 8 INWA 8 (AVA)