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Published: July 27th 2013
Arrived back into sweltering Bangkok from Siem Reap, having negotiated the time-consuming land border between Cambodia and Thailand and the seemingly omnipresent freeway jams. Met up with an old university friend for the weekend - visiting Wat Arun by the river for impressive views over the city, before trying Durian fruit (horrible !) and a Pad Thai (pretty tasty) from a street market. A quick swim in our upmarket hotel swimming pool preceded a few beers out on the town, watching the Lions rugby in a local Irish pub. The following evening returned to the same lively bar to catch more British sporting success with a posse of expats, as the Wimbledon final stretched late into the evening.
Next flew further west to Yangon, the capital of Myanmar (or Burma depending on who you listen to !). Explored the grimy streets, the pavements crowded with street stalls, and stopped by Botataung Pagoda near the Yangon river - its shining gold-plated corridors surrounding a shrine with strands of Buddha's hair, contrasting with the rundown city elsewhere. Met up with our sociable tour group (mix of Aussies, Kiwis and US with a local leader) and took a walking tour, passing decaying colonial
relics intermingled with exclusive old hotels. Later headed out to the city's stand-out attraction, the golden Schwedagon Paya with its myriad stupas and devotees praying at the Buddha statues and anointing different animal statues with water based on Hindhu astrological beliefs.
Took my first propeller plane of the trip, buzzing our way up to Bagan via a slightly antiquated 60s style airport. Cycled around the many temples in the baking heat, stopping to climb one of the crumbling brick edifices for stupa-dotted views over the plain, before returning for some birthday beers and a fine meal followed by cake at the laid-back Black Bamboo restaurant. Next day explored more of the hundreds of temples, with their towering Buddha statues, vast arched corridors and bat-infested roofs - ending with a sunset view from the top of Shwesandaw Paya, bustling with tourists.
Headed over to Mt Popa to climb the extinct volcano towering over the surrounding plains, climbing through forests up to the slightly chilly, cloud-shrouded peak, before returning passing hordes of butterflies and colourful hairy caterpillars, while admiring the hilltop shrine far below us. Later back in Bagan enjoyed a final and best sunset, perching on Buledi temple roof
as the sky gradually turned from blue to pink to red, and the distant temples lit up gold against the horizon as night fell. Unintentionally picked up a personal police escort on our way back to the hotel, a little confused by the strange foreign tourists pushing their bikes through the darkness...
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View from Wat Arun
