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Published: January 28th 2013
Well we got the wakeup call and made our way to the airport with a near miss into the taxi on a roundabout but as I said it was a near miss. The domestic terminal was a step back or two in time. The check in was all manual – the departure hall full to the brim with tourists -Oh No! Were they all making their way to Bagan? There turned out to be 4 flights waiting there and we were the last one called with the fewest amount of people- yippee! When I say called I really mean called- This was done by a steward holding the flight number up on a board and walking around. We seemed to accompany our luggage to the plane as it was wheeled out on trolleys by ground staff – a small 50 seater plane awaited us but it was not full. We were up and away in no time me thinking all the way about the plane that had landed on the road a couple of weeks before - it was the same as flight we were now on. We were brought a sweet for our ears and then served drinks and a
Our baggage
well we always hoped and it always was there!croissant with cheese the flight was pleasant and only 90 minutes compared to a 10 to 12 hour bus ride that other tourists had said was quite hair raising and only left at night so you didn’t see anything anyway. As we came in to land you could see the terrain had became dry and dusty. My view out the window revealed a very dry landscape, rivers were wadi’s only full in the rainy season. Bump, bump and we had landed safely. The tarmac full of small planes the baggage loaded and unloaded manually we got a lift to the arrival hall. We were in a time warp here but at least it creates jobs and that’s good. Our shuttle was not there but we had a cell phone and called – no worry take a taxi and we pay you back. You get a good rate at the airport to change your money and it’s a quick painless business so we did that. After a 10 minute ride through dust lots of dust we arrived at our hotel Thante in Nyaung U which was lovely. Bungalows with beautiful verandahs set in a garden all surrounding a big clean swimming
Bagan market
I love all the household goodies especially the woven baskets pool. We decided to explore the town and see where that took us. We walked past lots of bicycle shops I loved the bikes with an extra back seat for a passenger, tea shops, and guest houses and then before we knew it we were at the market. Everything was so clean and no one hassled you even though they wanted you to buy they did not pester you. Besides the food and local goods at the top end there was lots local craft, lacquer ware, lunigs, sandals, brass and wooden carvings. I made a concerted effort this holiday to pack a very small bag so there was not much room to buy anything and had to be very careful with my choices. Besides I have too much stuff and don’t need any more.
We left the market and tried to fine our way to the Ayeyarwady River on walking past a new hotel we spotted Jamie whom we had met in Yangon at the Motherland Inn and stopped and had a chat with him and looked at his hotel – it was brand new but the room they showed us on the ground floor did not have a
window to the outside –(apparently the rooms upstairs did have) and it was so small you could not fit two people and their baggage in it. Our room which was palatial in size, had a huge bathroom and was in quite good nick was US 55 per night and we were very happy with that = about R228 per person per night including breakfast. Jamie gave us some direction towards the river and we passed on through village life, reed and wood houses, pigs tied up in the dusty dry yards shaded by big dusty trees. Some with huge leaves that I don’t know the name of. We emerged from the shade on to the river bank which was more fertile and planted with corn, peanuts and other herbs and vegetables. We scrambled along the side until we saw some pots nearby and a huge building that turned out to be the place we were looking for called The Beach – a lovely restaurant overlooking the river but not the entrance we imagined as we had come the back way as it were. It is now the dry season the river was much smaller large banks of sand stretching for
miles till it reached the main river with smaller rivulets where we saw the women doing their washing and bathing. We could only imagine how much rain fell in the monsoon that would fill this mighty river to full. We sat on the verandah sipping lassi’s – a yoghurt drink very popular in India ordered veggies and steamed rice. All was beautifully presented as this was a top place but still very reasonable for foreigners. The food in Myanmar was tasty but not hot or spicy like Thai more like Chinese. We left by the front entrance through lush gardens well cared for, ponds with fish and lilies hanging lights that must look like fairyland at night.
The pool was inviting and I had an afternoon swim to wash away the dust and cool off. We had a sunset appointment at the Swezigon Paya. On our way we went down Restaurant Street the Koh San Road of the future we decided and were happy for the chance to see it now before it changes to hectic and awful. It turned out that we were the only foreigners at the Paya and we relished in the colours of the setting
Tule and our chariot
Our faithful stead for the day sun on the golden roof and only locals going about their prayers. Temples are such havens away from the dust of the streets.
On our return to the outside world we came out a different entrance and instead of finding our way back to Restaurant Street as we planned we were headed back to town and found a delightful place to stop and eat dinner. It even had wifi! And I could connect my phone and whats app the family.
The next day was a big one. You could rent a taxi, hire a bicycle or horse and cart. We chose the latter and so spent our day in the company of Eina and his horse Tule. He had given us a lesson to help us pronounce his name A 9 (they don’t say the last letters of the words so it sounds like nigh) to me as a South African it sounded like our word for painful and I told him – we had a good laugh about it. We trundled through the dust and could not believe what was unfolding temple after temple. We knew there were over 4,000 of them but in reality that is
Buddha within Buddha
This Buddha was very unusual from all the other Buddhas we have seen an awesome amount. The first one we got to was an old monastery which you could climb up –carefully for me as I don’t like them heights but the struggle was well worth it. The plains are literally littered with temples and pagodas it was incredible you are not really ready for the sight that unfolds. Most were built between the 11
th – 13
th century every brick made and stone brought in. We saw a brick factory right there and could imagine this was how they were made. Some of the roofs covered in gold glinting in the sunlight. The paintings on the inside of the temples had mostly faded but one could just imagine how they looked when pristine and new. Each with at least one Buddha many with what seemed like hundreds in rows, in nooks and crannies some high up set in the wall others behind cages. Some of the temples we went in were quiet and no one but us and the keeper where there other main ones were busy with tourists and pilgrims alike. Even in some of the quieter temples we found merchants selling their wares. Sand painting (and there is lots of fine
sand about) that were irresistible the work so fine and the patterns so intricate. Often they would have the artists sitting there so you could see how they were made. Brass gongs that are found everywhere in the temples – all sizes and pitches – jade jewelry, puppets,lungis,t-shirts bangles and necklaces made from seeds that look like watermelon seeds but they come from a tree that looks like the acacia tree. Oh and not to forget the sweet smelling jasmine and honeysuckle flowers that you could buy as offerings to Buddha in the temples. We also went to a village in Old Bagan to see how they make lacquer ware. Quite a long an intricate business starting off with the bamboo and making the shape then it gets covered with the gummy lacquer and left to dry this process is repeated many times – I think he said something like 9 times and each time you need a week to dry. We were taken out the back to see the male family members working on products and then down under the house where they are stored for drying. Out the front of the shop the girls of the family were
my postcard entrepeneur
Myanmar people all cover their faces with a yellow chalk made into a paste from the bark of a tree to protect their skins scratching designs onto the pieces. All the people working there were part of the extended family to keep the secrets of that company safe.
At one of the temples a young boy approached with his home made postcards to sell. Well even though some of them were not incredible others were cute and of course you had to buy the whole range but who could resist this young entrepaneur???
We had a local Myanmar feast for lunch – there were about 10 bowls arranged on the table with things we had never tried tea leaf salad, curries, soya bean paste like a gravy (very yummy) veggies and of course rice. Far too much for the two of us. There was a large table of locals behind us also enjoying their lunch when I saw a young girl pointing to them – she was on the outside of the restaurant – it was all open sided, she was one of the vendors from the outside shops children and soon the crowd got larger and larger with more pointing– we were in the company of some special famous people who turned out to be Myanmar movie stars. The
Myanmar hill tribe women
showing their weaving skills at a Temple market stall local population soon blocked out the sunshine standing around looking at them. As we know the price you pay for fame! We watched the sunset from the top of a pagoda that I climbed up with great difficulty – it was just like an Ankor Wat temple and as I had had a dinky back when we were there I decided I had to do it this time and then thought as I was doing it that I would never again have to do this as now I had done it!!!! Going up was bad the view unbelievable and so worth it, coming down was seriously scary – it was backwards all the way and hanging on to the railings for dear life. I hope my pictures will do it justice.
We trundled home on our chariot to wash away the dust that coated us on the outside and from the taste in my mouth the inside too. Would I ever be clean again?
Its amazing what a bit of hot water and soap can do and then it was out to Restaurant Street and when we where almost at the end I spotted Monica and Randy whom
next to a Buddha
you dont always get to see from a photo how big these Buddhas are we met in Yangon and joined them swopping travel stories and getting and giving all the good information. The beer was going down well and dinner was great then Jamie walked past and joined the fun. We had a brilliant evening filled with laughter and tales, closed the restaurant and even got a taxi home.
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