Bagan Beauty - Myanmar part two

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I'm lucky enough to have travelled extensively in Asia, and Myanmar has been on my wishlist for many years, in particular Bagan. All I can say is it was well worth the wait...




A one hour propeller plane flight from Yangon took us to Bagan, a very flat, green landscape with the most wonderful skyline. Within half an hour of landing, I was driving to the hotel and already seeing hundreds of pagodas peeking up above the trees. I would liken it to being in a National Park, where you are surrounded by a particular type of scenery - in this case, pagodas. I knew there were lots of them, but the number astounded me, along with how close to them I was. After checking in at the gorgeous Tharabar Gate Hotel, named after an ancient gate to the city, we went out exploring by bike.



The flat landscape makes it an easy, pleasant cycle (aside from night-time, which I shall explain later!). There are a few main 'roads,' the main two connecting the three main accomodation areas in a triangle, making Bagan very easy to navigate. On our first morning we visited a giant golden pagoda, and it was at the end of a 15 minute flat cycle in gorgeous sunshine, with little pagodas dotted along the way. I can honestly say that I felt truly happy that I had arrived here finally and it had exceeded my expectations. I was that girl cycling along with a grin on my face!!



One of my favourite things to do was to find a smaller lane to cycle off and explore. This took us away from the road, and the motorbikes (although roads were not busy anyway) but more importantly it took us to beautiful green landscapes and temples..and quiet. We rarely used the guide book, and just enjoyed following the paths, turning back if need be but not caring because the cycling was so nice. The only tricky part was the sandy paths which were difficult to cycle on, but not impossible.



Of course, there were other ways to explore, with horse and carts being offered, motorised bikes, and even drivers, but I loved the freedom of cycling, and stopping whenever I wanted, taking a turn whenever I felt the need to explore further. It's also possible to have guides to take you around all the temples and pagodas, describing them in detail. For me, the beauty and the environment were enough. Rather than remembering the names of every temple, we began to name them by the particular activities or events that occurred there, ie the temple where David bought a Coke, the temple where we saw the female monks etc.



Take a flat piece of land, build a few thousand pagodas, and you've got a recipe for an amazing sunrise and sunset. For the first time in my life I got up two days in a row to watch the sunrise, and watched it set as well. Sunrise was a lovely peaceful time of day to cycle, with monks walking along the streets, and the town not quite awake. Sunrise, with the ‘Balloons over Bagan’ experience, provided that textbook Myanmar photo opportunity!



Some pagodas have stairs, and perching up just one level will give you a stunning vista. I remember the first time we realised there was a discreet, narrow staircase and scrambled up - the view was thrilling, leading to a mission to find all the 'climbing pagodas.' At one temple we found four steps that were six foot tall! At the top...an open window and a big drop to the floor of a temple!



As I mentioned earlier, there was one nerve-wracking cycle home. With the joy of sunset comes the lack of natural light and evident lack of street lighting in Bagan. Thus I cycled home wishing I'd eaten more carrots! The roads were a little busier at this time, as everyone returned from watching the same sun go down. Car lights definitely helped, and there was the odd flash of lightning from the storm ahead - all in all creating an exciting journey home!



The pagodas and temples vary in age, but are generally considered to have been built between the 11th and 13th Centuries. There are questions over how authentically some of these have been restored, and this is visible from the very clean cut red brick pagodas, but then there are a couple of dusty, uniquely scented temples with frescos on the walls and resident bats who may not be as old as the temple, but had certainly settled in.



The food in Myanmar has the geographical influences of Thailand and India, resulting in delicious curries. There is a national beer that can be served in hotels, but as Bagan is a religious site, alcohol is not permitted elsewhere ... the tourism trade certainly bends this rule. I saw a waitress pull out a discreet black bag from the fridge, and remove a bottle of beer for her customer.



Temperatures were high in Bagan, but thankfully everything was so close, and we did not feel rushed in getting around to see everything. We cycled in the morning, then rested by the pool in the midday heat before another afternoon cycle. A perfectly balanced holiday in my opinion! A nice lunch-stop was called "Be kind to the animals - the Moon!" in Old Bagan, near to where we were staying. A vegetarian place, of which there are many.



All in all Bagan comes highly recommended. Two and a half days was plenty, and I wouldn’t be averse to returning!



JHG



Note: You must cover your legs in temples and pagodas, and you must remove your footwear - socks and shoes.

Tharabar Gate Hotel: http://www.tharabargate.com/ highly recommend - and a lovely spa.

Visitors must pay an entrance fee to visit. We purchased our entrance ticket upon arrival at Bagan airport.

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Photos

Sunrise pondering
I wish I knew who this man was.
If this were me, I'd like to own this photo of myself!

What a spot for cycling!
The land is flat so it provides for easy pleasant cycling

Comments

[taracloud]

A dream get-away!
What a lovely holiday--leisurely cycling in the countryside, discovering hidden stairways in pagodas and staying in that gorgeous hotel. I clicked on the link to the hotel--so beautiful; how wise to hang out by its pool in the heat of the day. How great also to not bother with a book, but just wander and explore-yummy!