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Published: February 28th 2013
Bagan, 21-25 January The next morning, we decided to take the other mode of transport in Bagan that seems to be very popular - the bicycle. I haven't ridden a bike since I was about ten and C since he was 15 (which, weirdly, was at the same time) but, consistent with popular saying, it turned out to be easy. The only time I have attempted to ride in the past few years was when I went to visit my friend in Copenhagen and on a very hungover January morning, we decided it would be a great idea to cycle to the beach. Turns out hangover plus freezing temperatures and a bicycle do not mix so that was that.
Bagan, on the other hand, may be the most perfect place in the world to cycle. On our first day, we had booked a sunset boat trip, so the hotel staff gave us a map that showed where we were and where we had to catch the boat. We spent the morning by the pool and so we had about four hours to get to the boat. Off we set and within ten minutes we were through New Bagan and
out onto a very long tarmac road that would stretch and wind its way all the way to the boat pier. It was absolutely perfect, the roads were so quiet and it was just me and C, entirely free in one of the most beautiful, majestic places in the world. It was 35 degrees with hot, hot sunshine out on the open road but it didn't feel too overwhelming. When you are entirely surrounded by stunning pagodas and the remnants of a Burmese kingdom, it's difficult to care about anything else. As we rode, we would call out to one another if we saw something we wanted to stop and look at; with so many temples, it was not difficult to find ones that were completely deserted. The ride itself was fun as it was really steep at some stages to the point where we had to almost stand up on the bike to keep momentum, then we would be greeted by big downhills which we coasted down. With so many temples and stupas, every single viewpoint was stunning and it was difficult sometimes to keep an eye on the road although, with horses and oxen passing by, it was
probably advisable.
A few miles into the ride, we stopped at a tiny temple which was very old, entirely unmarked and surrounded by rough grassland. We walked under the arched entrance at the side of the road and into the tiny structure where we came face to face with a grinning, colourful Buddha. Just me, C and a very old Buddha representation in this tiny little building. We carried on cycling, passing the odd car, many horses and carts and ladies with huge baskets of food balanced on their heads. We cycled further and reached a cluster of temples that stretched out over the plains where there were absolutely no tourists. We parked up the bikes and wandered over the grass. It was absolutely silent. We looked inside one of the smaller structures which had a surprisingly large Buddha and then walked further into the plains where we found a larger temple with a padlock on the mesh door. We had heard stories of some lesser-known temples that were locked and if you were lucky the caretaker would open them up for you but at this one there were just a few builders doing restoration work. Behind the temple
was a long wall bisected by an archway through which there were stupas and pagodas scattered for as far as the eye could see.
Further down the road, we explored a much bigger temple which had smaller stupas around the main courtyard with Buddhas in each one. We climbed to the top of the main temple up very steep, narrow, exterior steps, the stone burning hot against our feet. From the top we had unbroken 360 degree views of Bagan. We stayed up there for awhile, entranced by the views of the plains from all sides and the Ayeyarwady river in the distance. The Burmese guy who had been trying to give us a 'guided tour' of the temple proceeded to use this time to lay out his paintings across the entire enclosure and we had to make a pretty quick escape to avoid his sales tactics.
After a couple more miles cycling, we reached a bit of civilisation in the shape of Mykinaba Village, with its open-air restaurants selling some much-needed cold drinks. The village was also home to the Manuha Temple, a popular one on the tourist trail. To escape the crowds, we wandered around to
the back of the temple. It was here that we walked under whitewashed stone archways and encountered an absolutely gigantic gold Buddha crammed into a tiny room. It must have been about 45 foot high. C stood next to it and looked pretty small, which says something. Under the next archway was a huge reclining Buddha. This one was very large and very ornate, painted in gold and red with ten-foot-high feet. This just summed up the temples of Bagan, it was as if you didn't turn a corner or explore the alleyway that may or may not go somewhere then you may miss something. Granted, that something may be the thirtieth Buddha you've seen that day but it was still amazing. We found out later that the Buddha being crammed into the small space was symbolic of his having gone through hard times and not just a sign of a lack of foresight from the architects.
After a bit of refreshment and bit of Buddhism, we carried on cycling and were joined by two Burmese boys on a scooter who insisted on taking us to see a 'hidden temple.' When we told them we had a boat to
catch, they asked where we were from and, on hearing England, excitedly started telling us how much they loved Manchester United. I pointed at C, "If you want to get on his good side," I said, "try supporting Arsenal." At this, they started jabbering away excitedly and gave a detailed rundown of Arsenal's entire season so far. C looked at me. "These kids know more than me!" he said. It just reinforced our impression that every male in Burma is absolutely obsessed with football.
So we reached our boat and had the lovely surprise of it being a private boat trip, just us two and a lovely Burmese driver who laid out cups of tea and (random) a bowl of crisps, as if we were at a kid's party. Our boat sailed right out to the end of the lake where the guy switched the engine off and we sat, in complete tranquillity, waiting for the sun to set. The sunset had a lot to live up to after Inle Lake but it didn't disappoint. It was absolutely magical, setting over the distant mountains and illuminating a lone pagoda. It was made even better by the fact that our
driver had taken us to a quieter part of the lake away from the other boats. By this point, we had both fallen in love with Bagan nearly as much as we had fallen in love with Inle Lake, which is saying something. When we got off the boat and climbed back on the bikes we saw some Burmese nuns, dressed in their pink robes, who had stopped for a rest on the wall of one of the temples. They were absolutely ecstatic to see us and happily posed for pictures. One of them handed me something I have never seen and gestured for me to eat it; it was a sweet fruit and delicious.
It was at this point that we realised we were going to be cycling home in the dark, along roads that did not favour streetlights. So after C made makeshift headlights for my bike out of a torch, off we went. It was so much fun to cycle by night. We could ride side by side in the quieter parts as you could hear anyone coming from miles off. As we rode, temples rose up out of the darkness around us and we were
all wrapped up in the peacefulness of the desert at night. When we finally reached New Bagan, we were more than ready for a bit of food and sat down in a restaurant called Green Elephant. It was really busy and it wasn't difficult to see why, if the intricate decor (all greens and browns, fountains, high ceilings and bamboo decoration) didn't tempt you in, the food would. It was gorgeous. We ordered an array of Burmese tasting dishes, with tiny curries, some mild and some very spicy, aubergine, chicken and beef, sauteed pineapple, chickpea and lentil dishes.
The next day after breakfast we were back on the bikes and back out to explore. Today we had more of a purpose as we wanted to go and see the Ananda Paya festival, which takes place for a month every year in Bagan to mark the full moon. It also helps to support the Ananda Pahto temple, which was the first of Bagan's great temples and a very important landmark. We cycled back along the road we had taken yesterday all the way to Old Bagan, which is where a lot of Bagan's bigger hotels are located and much busier
than where we were staying. We stopped on the way to have some lunch in a canopied restaurant in Mykinaba Village and then stopped again at Tharabar Gate, which is located right next to the old city and the only gate that survives from the old times.
As we had not seen Old Bagan on a non-festival day, it was impossible to tell how different it might have been but on this day there were many, many people around, dressed in very colourful clothes with most crowded around an open marquee just off the main road. We joined the crowd and were greeted with a dancing ladyboy dressed in a bright green sari and dripping in jewellery with her face covered by a lacy veil. The atmosphere was very joyous and people were absolutely entranced by the dancing. Around the tent were many food stalls and a bigger stall with banners that said "Support Aung Suu Kyi." The festival had a distinctly Indian feel with the outfits and colours, and the Burmese people in this part of Bagan looked more Indian too. We talked to a few people and asked if it was ok to take photos. One of
the men responded immediately, "Of course!" he boomed. "Burma is a free country. My country is a free country!" He looked very proud at this and said it loudly for everybody to hear and I wondered for a second just what the Burmese people must think of foreigners visiting their land and whether they are all as determined as we are lead to believe to change and improve the world's impression of the country.
We stayed at the festival for a little while and longer than we had planned as we were headed for the Shwesandaw Pagoda. It is rumoured to be the best place in Bagan to watch the sunset and we didn't have a lot of time to get there so what followed was a major childhood-flashback as we pedalled as fast as we possibly could, dust flying around us and our bikes flying up in the air as we went over bumps. We reached the temple and climbed up some
very steep steps to the top. There were a fair few people there but still more than enough space for us and we managed to find the perfect spot to watch the sunset. The sunset over
the Bagan plains was an image that C and I had found on the internet and one of the reasons we had been so excited to see Burma. At the time, it was difficult to believe that it had not been Photoshopped as it was just that beautiful but as the sun set over the hundreds of temples scattered in front of us, dust in the air and a view that had not changed for 1000 years, it was plain to see that this was a place where no touch-ups were necessary.
As we cycled home, the wave of tiredness finally hit us from riding all day in the intense heat so we hailed a passing van, one of those open-backed ones where people jump on and off, and loaded ourselves and our bikes into it. As we settled down for the journey back through the desert roads, we turned to smile at the people sat in the van with us and were greeted by three orange-robed monks, a Burmese woman and her tiny toddler, all smiling at us and sitting peacefully, reflecting as their day, too, started to come to an end.
It's moments like that which
make Burma such an incredible place.
Additional photos below...
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Kim
non-member comment
Amazingly inspirational, thank you!