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Published: March 25th 2012
Part Two
To visit Burma without visiting Bagan is like going to Italy and not seeing Rome. One of the greatest archeological and religious sites in all of Asia, the over 2000 temples, make for a daunting, awe-inspiring, dusty, tiring and in the end ultimately satisfying travel experience. Located in the dry central plains about 200 miles from Mandalay,getting to Bagan meant waking up super early and enduring a 7 hour bus ride. As far as marathon bus rides go, the trip was surprisingly pleasant. It provided me with ample reading, journaling time and a glimpse life in this seemingly vast, arid part of the country. To break us such a long travel day we stopped for lunch at the home of the gods (or in this case the Nats).
Mount Popa
Known as the Mt. Olympus of Burma this extinct volcano stands like a green sentinel over the flat plain. This verdant mountain is revered as home of some powerful Nats. Unique to Burma, Nats are the guardian spirits that are both worshipped and feared in Burmese religious life. Nat worship coexists with Buddhism and in temples it is not uncommon to see shrines for both. In
fact the Burmese have a saying "love the Buddha but fear the Nat". In a way they are similar to the saints in the Catholic faith in that they were once human and there are specific Nats for different favors. There's one for childbirth, for blacksmiths, for gambler, for children, etc.
Lunch was halfway up the summit, at the
Popa Mountain Resort , a plush hotel complete with infinity pool, where the view was spectacular and made up for the otherwise mediocre food (cardboard chicken and salad). The setting, with views of the arid plain, the Irrewady in the distance and temples, made for one of my most memorable meal in Burma. However, the main attraction at Mt. Popa is the monastery complex at the very top of a rocky outcrop. Like a something straight out of the Lord of the Rings, this group of temples/shrines make for a stunning view from afar. To get up close it was a short drive from the resort and up 700 steps in the company of monkeys. It may be a place of worship but for these critters this is home. They were actually less pesky than I expected and did not approach unless you offer
them food (which is not a great idea).
At the base of the complex was the shrine for the Nats, all 37 of them were here. To me they were just mannequins dressed in colorful rather garish outfits but to the people worshipping they represented a good harvest, an easy childbirth, a safe passage, countless hopes and fears. The way to the summit is lined with vendors and shops selling the usual souvenirs as well as everything you would need to worship at the temples. Upon reaching the top I was again struck by the throng of activity and genuine sense of reverence that I witnessed in the other holy sites we visited. The view was of course beautiful, with the sun setting, casting a golden glow on the plain below and the hills in the distance.
It was dark and late by the time we reached Bagan. The smell of wood smoke permeated the cool evening air. Although we were exhausted, a sense of anticipation filled the conversations of the group. I slept very well that night, my head heavy with the wonderful visions of the past few days.
Bagan
Bagan was capital of an
empire that was the first to unify the people who comprise present day Burma. It's peak was from the 10-13th century and most of the structures date from that time. Like Angkor in Cambodia, religion dominated the lives of these people and as a result we have this monumental testament to their faith. From one of the many viewpoints it is indeed a stunning sight: temples of varying size and architectural styles dot the landscape as far as the eye can see ,with the bend of the Irrewady river and the scrubby, dry plain as backdrop.
The temples are spread over a large area and there are several modes of transport available: bicycles, horse drawn carts, motorbike taxis, actual taxis and tour buses. With so many temples, which ones to see is limited by time, interest and stamina. We must have visited over a dozen during our 3 day stay. Not only was it a great place to learn about Buddhism, architecture and history but also to interact with the locals. Most appear to live a hard life but they were friendly and very keen on talking to visitors.
Admittedly after a while temple fatigue sets in and
things start to blur. It's important to keep in mind that the goal when visiting is not to see as many temples as you can but to pick a few and savor the experience. There are of course the must sees, major temples that due to their large size and religious or architectural significance, most tourist visit. One of these is Ananda, set apart by its graceful Greek cross lay out and fanciful ornamentation(lions and flames of stone decorating the roofline). Inside there are four 30 ft. Buddhas, two of which are orginal from the 11th century. It is said that if viewed from up close the image looks sad but from afar it seems to be smilling. Another important temple is Shwezigon, our guide described it as the holiest in Bagan (housing a replica of the Buddha tooth) and architecturally significant for its bell shaped golden stupa, considered a model for many temples that followed. Other larger temples we visited were Thatbinnyu, Gadawpalin, Shwesandaw and Tayokepay. Climbing the last two have become popular to get a spectacular panoramic view of the area.
Visiting the smaller temples offer a more intimate experience. The two that stand out in my
memory Lokatheikpan with its murals of the Jataka (Buddhist parables) and Nanpaya with exquisite wall carvings or Hindu figures and floral motifs.
With so much cultural, historical and architectural treasure you would think that Bagan would be without a doubt a
UNESCO World Heritage Site , but, surprise, it is not.UNESCO was here but they left a long time ago. Supposedly (according to our guide) Unesco is not happy with the state of reconstruction/ repair of some temples which they consider haphazardly done and the ongoing construction of new temples within the site. Another theory is that the Burmese government has not signed on to the World Heritage Convention which stipulates that governments pledge to protect their cultural heritage. Whatever the reasons, it is certain that the recent political changes/openness will affect this impasse.
Sunset in Bagan is a magical time. My favorite snap shots (mental and photographic) were of watching the day fade into night. Our hotel was along the river bank and the view of the sun setting and turning the sky from golden, to red, to purple, to black was a pleasure that seems so rare back home. On our last day I wandered off to a small temple
and with one of the postcard kids as a guide, climbed to the top to watch the sunset. This kid told me about his family, how he's never been to a big city but has seen Mandalay on TV and how he's not really interested in leaving Bagan. At that moment, neither was I.
Inle Lake
Our final two days in Burma were spent in picturesque and relaxing Inle lake,located in the mountainous northern part of the country. This is part of the Shan region, an area populated by ethnic groups (including the Shans) that are distinct from the majority Burmese. This was the leg of the trip that really felt like a holiday. Our day, lazily floating on the calm waters of Inle, enjoying the views of the surrounding villages with the Shan hills in the distance, was so laid back and a contrast to the seemingly non stop pace of the past week.
The lake is about 10 miles long and 5 miles wide, the waters though not clear were calm and clean. All along the shores are villages on stilts where the Intha people eek out a living fishing and farming. Intha means son of
the lake and it is believed these people migrated here hundreds of years ago to escape the wars between the Burmese and Thais. They are famous for being very hardworking and for a very distinct way of rowing. On their wooden boats they stand on one leg, wrap the other leg on an oar and row, often times whilst trying to fish with their nets. They seem to enjoy showing off this display of skill and coordination to the tourists as if saying "try doing this next time you want fish and chips". Aside from fishing, we witnessed them manually dredging the lake and piling up the debris to build up their floating gardens where they grow vegetables. We saw people of all ages and both genders rowing as it seems that motor powered boats are still mostly just for tourist use.
I enjoyed our stop at the very colorful Nampan village market. While there are many stalls selling every trinket that the souvenir hunting tourist could want, I found most of the market still catered to the needs of the locals. Especially the stalls in the interior of the market where spices, vegetables, fruits, flowers and prepared food
were being sold. It's a colorful,lively and, for the most part, traditional market experience. One of the best ways to help out the Burmese people directly is to shop at markets like these where your money go directly to the locals. My advice to visitors would be to dive in, wander around and never forget to bargain.
The most curious stop in Inle is the "jumping cat" monastery. As the name suggest, be sure to expect some feline frolicking at this wooden monastery where monks have taught the virtue of obedience to the furry creatures. Every now and then, a show is put on where a woman coaxes the cats to jump through hoops for treats, cameras flash and everyone is smiling. Nearby a collection of Buddha images in different styles are on display, mostly ignored.
Even though Inle is an often visited and very popular attraction it still seemed very peaceful and serene. It is easy to see scenes that could have played out the same way hundreds of years ago. A mother and daughter paddling their boat on the way home from market. Fishermen on out at dawn in the middle of the misty lake. The
sunrise breaking over the distant hills ever so slowly. And at night, the countless stars twinkling in the pitch dark sky. For me, it is this timeless quality that made me fall in love with Burma. I have a feeling that no matter what the next few years bring, it will always be possible to glimpse forever here.
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Laura Reed
non-member comment
lovely Burma...
Your pictures give me the most terrible case of wanderlust, they are so lovely. I think the saturated colors are perfect. Thanks for the update!