Blogs from Bagan, Mandalay Region, Burma, Asia - page 19

Time is flying by. I've been in this country for more than three weeks. It feels like just yesterday I was back in Thailand trying to figure out how to navigate Burma. I'm back to calling it Burma becaause the Military regime renamed the country Myanmar and well that's just not OK with me. I hoped on my local bus at 9am. Luckily I was early and got a good seat in the front row next to a monk. No one spoke English on the bus so I put on some music and just watched the scenery pass by. We arrived in Bagan 8 hours later. Every time I thought we couldn't pack anymore people onto the bus I was proven wrong. We stopped for every single person that wanted a ride, even when there was ... read more

Burma Introduction Travelling to Burma (or Myanmar official name) is rather controversial these days. The country is run by a military regime (the Slorc or junta) which took power over 40 years ago after ethnic struggles had caused chaos in the post independence years. After years of mismanagement and corruption the economic situation got really bad in the late 80's. 8-8-88 is one of the milestones in the recent history of Burma. This was when large peaceful demonstrations were organised all over the country. The regime reacted by firing into the crowds. In a couple of weeks more than 2000 people (mostly students and monks) were killed. In the early 90's elections were held. These were won with a majority of over 80 pct by the opposition party of Aung San Suu Kyi. The regime never ... read more

Whilst in Chang Mai we had to go to Burma for the day to extend our Visa's. Fairly boring but needed to be done. The trip was a standard tour trip which enabled us to cross the border and back again. We took in the usual hot springs, although here locals were cooking eggs in them, some ruined (old, not broken) temples and a token trip to the "Golden Triangle". This is the border point between Laos, Thailand and Burma - marked by the Mekong River. So although it was a long and uneventful day, on the positive side we now have a Burma passport stamp, have been to the northern most point in Thailand and can stay in Thailand for longer - yeah!!!!! ... read more

The overnight bus from Yangon to Bagan rattled and shook, heads banging against windows, my Burmese neighbour digging in elbows and knees, why was so much space needed for such a little man? The bus itself wasn't actually that bad, reasonably modern and the company had tried to cater for the passengers comfort, supplying pillows and water for the journey. But the battle was fated to be lost, in Myanmar the roads steal any possible comforts. Sleep for most is impossible. The Burmese driving style which involves using the horn almost continuously, a symptom of right hand drive vehicles driving on the right hand side of the road - being in the passenger seat is terrifying, head on collisions loom every few seconds. A torrential rain storm flooded the floor, soaked certain seats, legs died and ... read more

To say it straightforward: we absolutely loved the area of Bagan and stayed there for nine days! Whatever other sites in Myanmar you visit, Bagan is undoubtedly the cultural climax that no visitor should miss, no matter how little time they have at their disposal. The numerous religious monuments (over 2,000 still standing) near the eastern bank of the Ayeyarwaddy River (better known as Irrawaddy River), in a plain crossed by few major roads but many paths, in the middle of fields and trees constitute one of the most fabulous archaeological sites in the world. King Anawratha (1044-1077) was the true unifier of the Burmese kingdom by stopping the Khmer invasion; he brought forth numerous Buddha relics from the military campaigns for which a suitable setting had to be built, considering their holy status. This is ... read more