Bagan, Myanmar
Steph, Poul, and myself took advantage of the noon check out time and wandered into the Ban Cherry Guesthouse and booked rooms. It is by far better to call ahead to make a reservation to any guesthouse anywhere in Myanmar because Internet connections are sketchy or periodically turned off by you know who along with frequent power outages. Cherry Guest House; No. 278/3000, Maha Bandoole Garden Street (Barr Lan), Upper Block, Kyauklada. Mobile Ph. # 095340623, 098526399. Bagan is somewhat spread out along the banks of the Irrawaddy and there are a lot of foreigners of every expense level. When it comes to a bed and a bathroom I’ll pay down. Bagan is broken into two, old Bagan and new Bagan. We wandered around looking for a place to eat and wash the daily dust out of my mouths. At dusk one can see particulates in the air and headlights.
The following morning I rented a bike from Cherry and took off about 6 am for the sunrise and to catch the morning light on the red brick pagodas. Other pagodas have been painted gold for your touring enjoyment and they light up like candles in the morning light.
I wandered through the sand back roads where I searched out the tallest Pagoda with stairs before the sun crested the horizon. Once up the stairs with a few other spectators I noticed a viewing tower in the foreground that was considerably higher than where I was in the scheme of things but photos turn out better the closer to the pagodas rather than afar.
To the west pagoda spires speckle the land sticking out of the mist with only a few massive pagodas catching early light.
Beyond the horizon hot air balloons rise with the light and heat and fly over-head close to the spires.
The land in between the pagodas is farmland of hay and dry rice bracketed by dirt roads and Tamarind trees. Locals drive their oxcarts down the dirt roads with a few straggling bikers such as myself saying hello and sliding around in the sand. Most of the pagodas I went to in the morning, I was the only person there. Solitude and peace and quiet can be found.
I stayed for a few days taking in some of the local artists works and enjoying the local food. An artist I enjoyed spoke English and showed me about his gallery. His information is as follows: Address, Bagan Nyaung Oo (Main Rd.) Ngar Myet Hnar Qtr. Nuang Oo. Tel: 0925620885. E-mail: shwemudra@gmail.com.
I booked a bus to Pyay, home of a 4th century walled city and palace of the Pyu people (Pre-Burmese). Very interesting city, museum and archeological site; the Sri Ksetra, Pyu Cultural Heritage Region.
In the foreground is a water tank that the monks used to bath in.
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