Bagan...we've got the place to ourselves!

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Bagan is a short flight from Mandalay, but also a complete different world. It would have been nice to take a boat between the two places, but water levels are too low on the river to allow the local boats. And we are way too young to use the "Road to Mandalay"...which is by the way also in another price category. You can also rent a car (with driver) or take a bus between the 2 cities, but this is around 8 hours drive for less than 200km...I let you figure it out!

Bagan is more rural...or should I say, the place is a big touristic plain. The authorities have removed all the inhabitants from Old Bagan to New Bagan...I know, pretty shocking. We are actually staying in Nyuang U. The reason is pretty simple, a lot more choice for medium range accomodation...but better...a lot more restaurants. I did also try to stay connected to the outside world....not really easy...they have internet cafes, but no connections...sometimes for a full day!

We were originally planing to rent a horse carriage for the first day and bicycle the second day. Well...couldn't find any "junior" bicycle for Leslie, so did enjoy two days of horse carriage....and some appreciated lazziness I must admit under easily 40 degres at lunch time!

Bagan is actually a huge plain with around 3000 temples. Some you can visit inside, some you cannot...and we could climb on the roof of few of them. The best part is actually the sunset...we moved from one place to another one each day.

The area is amazing....you go from Patho (aka temple) to temples....in between stopping to enjoy the views. It's the very dry season...so a lot less tourists...a lot of "dust"....but a great experience.

Great place for shopping also! Lacquerware....this is the place...basic 7 layers, 14 layers....up to 20 layers. We have our sight on a made-to-order piece...not cheap...and completion time will be around 6 months...if we do decide to go for it. We just have to decide if we want to spend that kind of money....we saw two places where they produce amazing quality and craftmanshift...wow!

And at one point, we even found the little stone elephants we looking for a long while. We did not find them in a shop, but along a restaurant...so not for sale. We had to use a little convincing...little patience, but now both of these cute elephants are in our room....cute!

Our next stop was back to Yangon, and the first day of the Water Festival....most shops are closed...same thing for restaurants...so a lazzy day enjoying a long lunch and our hotel. 25 hours after we left, a bomb sadly killed 9 people in Yangon. After seeing some pics, I think this is exactly the place we passed by on the way to the airport!

The best to enjoy Bagan is to take your time, let yourself drive by horse carriage around...take long lunches....drink a lot of water (during day time)...and simply enjoy. For me it will not rival the experience of Angkor, but it is still a truly amazing experience. If only the authorities could have a little more sense in the way they try to "renovate" the plains. A lot of the "new" buildings simply don't have their place here....you need to apply some "cautious" in the way you interprete some of the renovated temples here. For info, the area is pretty often strike by earthquake, the last major dating back to 1975.

We are now out of Burma. The country has an amazing population, we can only wish one day they will be able to chose freely their own destiny...even if this day is not tomorrow...but the sooner the better. The people have suffered for too long, and it has to stop.

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Comments

[himynameis]

Kudos on the writing and pics
Love your blogs so far but I have to express concern over the West's over dramatization of the political situation in Myanmar - a stance I believe carries political rather than humanistic overtones. Yes, Myanmar has a dictatorship. Yes, I've witnessed first-hand a local getting caught and (so they told us) sent to do 10-15 years hard labour for stealing a tourist's camera. But let's be honest, there isn't a single country in the area or perhaps the world that fits the western ideal of democracy and yet people seem to only voice their opinion when it concerns Myanmar or those other rogues, N. Korea and Iran (been there, done that) or whichever other country may be in fashion. I fear that once the current regime is gone (and history teaches us that no such regime can last), Myanmar could turn into a mini version of its eastern neighbour, a country favoured by pedophiles and junkies, run by the military and yet no one seems to blink an eye and the plane loads of tourist keep on going there. But let the people decide what works best for them. If they remain as open and friendly as I remember them, I shall be glad to return, no matter who runs the country and in what manner. If not, then I will avoid it like the plague as I do Thailand and prefer to take my meager tourist dollars elsewhere. Here's to many more travels and keep those blogs coming!

[LivingTheDream]

I love Bagan
I loved Bagan when I was there 2 years ago or so - and it's not difficult at all to find your own private sunset temple at all. I also love the Burmese-style make-up that you show in the pictures!

[the2moons]

Good on you
I liked your 'travelblog', but I must respond to the comment by himynameis. Not every country has democracy (whatever that is). Some are 'ruled' by democratic tyrants, some are 'ruled' by well meaning people. Interestly for western people who advocate 'democracy', they tend to overlook that their minds are manipulated by what the media produce (meaning that the media uses its 'powers' to brainwash citizens to think what the media wants them to think). For me, the biggest problem in Myanmar is that the military appear to be pursuing a course of action to... 1/ eradicate dissent (making the remaining population compliant to the wishes of the military), and 2/ making as much profit for themselves by selling Myanmar's resources to China. No one criticises the role of China in supporting the Myanmar military. No one criticises ASEAN for turning a blind eye to the activities of the Myanmar military. But, if China had the guts to say NO to Myanmar, I doubt the rest of the wold would stay (largely) silent. And, I suggest local politics (not military politics) may again prevail. While the military are the real 'culprits', change will only occur when China changes its position from a self-serving, self-interested position to one of morality. Cheers

[Maisondubonheur]

Thanks for your comments
Dear Bruce, I do agree with you and I think I've made my point of view on Burma pretty clear. I have taken the habit to publish comments, even if I do not agree with them. As long as a comment is polite and not insulting, I will publish it. no to make it clear. I live in Bangkok, have been living in Asia for 15 years. Prostitution and child explotation do exist because some people let it exist, it has nothing to do with democracy/dictatorship, it has sadly more to do with corruption and abuse of power of people I'd rather see in jail. Abuse of children and prostitution does also exist because of people ready to buy these services...most of them coming from democratic states. My next point, "western democracy" is a non-sens...I mean trying to call a system "western-democacy". India is the biggest democarcy on earth...do we call them western? People should be able to chose those who run them, this is call democarcy. If a party in power try to explain that they have legitimacy without the vote of the people, they are simply not legitimate. We can all agree that order is better than chaos...Russia has gone through some experiences in this field...but democracy and order can go hand in hand...just cut the corruption!

[Two Canadians Eh]

A few thoughts re: himynameis
I just wanted to add that it is simply foolish to think that the child sex industry is isolated to Thailand and a few of it's neighbouring countries. I thought that too (and was extremely disturbed by it while travelling the country), but upon doing some research, I have learned that child sexual exploitation and slavery/prostitution is RAMPANT in North America. We're all kidding ourselves to think otherwise. Wherever you can buy drugs, you can buy children. Thailand certainly has it's problems with controlling this awful epidemic, but let's not forget that the disgusting industry is fuelled, in the most part, by western foreigners. It is an awful, horrifying industry, but please don't kid yourself by thinking that it isn't happening in Canada or the United States or Europe.