Up at 5:30 to the sounds of voices, but not out of bed like a lazy girl until 6 am. Shower and gather my stuff, then head to the riverfront outdoor restaurant (yes, I have a picture). I smile as I head down, realizing that I have been here for about 16 hours and have seen nothing other than reception and my room.
Lovely view and gardens and I enjoy a hearty bowl of monhinga (no, not as good as in the market) and sticky forbidden rice, as I shamefully judge all the Germans who are eating white toast, fruit and omelets. Still, I wash it all down with my daily vitamins and coffee. We are who we are no matter the landscape.
I try to upload photos in the reception computers, but those things are so damn old that they have no slots for chips. I guess I should have brought my cable that would obviate that issue. So sorry, because I know the photos are priceless at sharing my experience. Hopefully things will be different at my next stop and I can catch-up. Or maybe Valerie will bring something I can plug into computer and insert chip!
I sit after breakfast and catch up on the captain’s log. It feels good to keep it up to date, and especially to share early in the morning when I am fresh. A bit before 9, I head to my room to gather my things because the guide and driver will be here at 9. Same guide, new driver ((old driver’s car was sold by its owner and new car hasn’t come in). I feel so much better today about the Temple visits ahead. Catching up on sleep is a beautiful thing.
First we go to Ananda Pahto, with a 170-foot high, shimmering gold corn-cob thing. This is one of the finest, largest , best-preserved and most revered of all the Bagan Temples., thought to have been built between 1090 and 1105 by King Kyanzittha. Inside are over 570 glazed tiles that depict life in Jataka as well as 4 91-foot golden Buddhas, each facing in a cardinal direction.
Right next door we enter Ananda Ok Kyaung, which is a small square brick building that served as monastery. The walls feature 18th century murals depicting details of everyday life in Bagan from the 12th century, when the area was at its height of power and influence. As you can imagine, there is ongoing work to restore this and many of the Temples to their original beauty:
And workmen everywhere stop for lunch break!
Next stop is the Lacquerware factory, where I learn the steps in this family-run handicraft. There are quite a few “factories” in the street. The process for making these items – all by hand – is anywhere from 6 months to two years, depending upon the intricacy of design.We listen to a talk on the process, then go upstairs, where all the work is done and the pieces dried:
Quite impressive and beautiful. Then over to the Myinkaba Area to see Gubyaukgyi, filled with well-preserved paintings. Constructed around 1153, the inside uses only perforated walls for light, so we have to walk around with a strong torch to see all of the paintings. No pictures possible here! Next, Nan Paya, is the first Temple structure that I have seen with Hindu influence, and Shiva is painted/carved into several walls within.
Sandstone rock facings are over a brick core and carved into lovely pictorials. And the final Temple has 3 seated Buddhas in the front of the temple, and a 90-foot reclining one in the back, in the act of entering parinibbana, or final passing away. They say that when a reclining Buddha has a smile on his face, this is why. This particular temple was also used by King Anawrahta to imprison Manuha, the Mon king from Thaton.
It’s lunch time, and he suggests we go to King Tuin, which overlooks the river. Sounds nice. But along the way, I see it serves mostly Chinese and Thai, and once there, I see it is all white tourists and prices are about 3 x what they were yesterday. I request a quick getaway and he takes me to one of the places he has pointed out to me is mostly locals. I sit at a table and the dishes start coming out. I guess it’s no ordering here – just whatever they’ve made for the day. About 8 or so smaller bowls with salads and pastes, then out come 4 bowls with mutton curry, chicken curry, pork curry and a couple of pieces each of fried chicken and fish. As you can see from a picture, I have a big smile on my face and happy to be eating “local”.
Def some weird and fishy flavors, but for the most part, I really enjoy it – especially the bean curd salad, the boiled cabbage, the red bean paste and tomato and aubergine curries. So full! and then for dessert they bring out sliced watermelon (which I don’t touch), and a 3-compartment lacquer bowl filled with (1) fried peanuts and sesame seeds, (2) shredded ginger, and (3) pickled tea leaves. With a small spoon, I sample them individually, and then all together, as is intended. I polish this off wiith a few bites from the brown sugar/tamarind square. Hard to move! Not eating like this again (we’ll see about that).
We’re really done the touring for the day. I say that I will go on my own to check out some more temples, and he shows me how to walk to the second highest temple around 5 and climb up the steep steps along with all the other tourists, to see the view and check out the sunset from on high. For the moment, though, I stumble back to my room in a food coma, and watch “Flight”, with Denzel. A bit anxiety-provoking, but well done. Then it’s up and out with my camera and about 25,000 kyot (about 75 dollars). I hit the highway by foot and it feels so great – such a different way to experience the town than being locked inside a refrigerated box everywhere. I smile at people going by, stop randomly to snap pictures of Temples and stupas (more than 4,000 in the area – some restored and some just crumbling and many damaged in huge earthquake in 1975. After that, UNESCO donated funds to help restore many).
I can see motorbikes, pedal-bikes, horse-carts
and tourist buses heading into the street where I’m going. Evidently I’m not the only person who knows about this! But I have my music in my ear, and kind of swaying as I walk down the street and it’s all good. At the base of the Temple, everyone has left their shoes behind and climbed up 4 levels of very vertical stairs to the top level. Thankfully, there is a metal stair-rail, and I hold on with two hands as I make my way up, up, up and up the fading white-washed tower crowned in gold. I take all the requisite panorama pictures, but take time to be awestruck by the 360 degree view of a land filled with temple towers and stupa domes of all sizes. I knew there were a lot here, but this puts it all into perspective.
After a while, it is obvious the sun will be setting behind clouds (like waiting for the green flash) and I sit and enjoy watching all the visitors – nationalities, age, dress, camera equipment, language, etc. The place gets really packed, as more tour buses spit out their passengers and horse carts continue to deliver their fares. The view from below up:
I gingerly climb back down and slowly meander off not down the street I arrive on, but across the field and by some crumbling stupas (saw the path when I was on high). Back to the highway and around the bend to my hotel. It’s so friggin dusty I head immediately to my room to throw on my bathing suit and dive into the pool before I change my mind (and as I come up squealing from the cold, I don’t know if I’ll take this leap again!). I swim 10 laps, then head back to the room. Throw on a light dress, run a brush through my hair, and then head down to some chairs in the garden overlooking the river to do some reading. A lot of tour groups are eating dinner, but I pay them no never mind. No plans to eat dinner for the third night in a row. A trend, I see. I read contentedly until a marionette show begins – I’ve seen them for sale everywhere, but no actual performance. A delicate art, and reminds me of seeing water puppets in Vietnam. watch for a while, but they eyes are refusing to stay open. I head back to my room, watch the Good Wife, and then turn off the lights. I know the kitchen crew will wake me up early tomorrow!