Myanmar (Burma) - Bagan

As you travel around the country, you soon realize that the true beauty of Myanmar lies outside of Yangon.  To be honest, I had never heard of Bagan.  But I will also never forget it after having seen the thousands of scattered temples and pagodas covering a 26 square mile area right next to the Irrawaddy river.  Bagan is definitely on par with Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the main difference being that in Angkor Wat you have fewer but much bigger temples and in Bagan, they are all scattered over a larger area.  As you're landing on the planes of Bagan, you immediately notice the difference in landscape from Yangon.  Bagan is very dry, with scorched red earth extending into the horizon.  Gone is the green lush space of Yangon, and instead your mind is registering meandering dry river beds.

Bagan is located in a very strategic area, where two rivers join, and is seeped in history.  The pace of life here is very slow.  There are very few cars on the road, instead you see ox carts heading to the fields and horse carts transporting people.  The most striking realization I had here was that while being surrounded with immense beauty and culture, in a surreal landscape covered by the warm and diluted late afternoon sun, we were the only ones there.  No tourists!  No foreigners.  I don't think this will be for long … for as soon as Myanmar starts opening up, the influx of tourists will be tremendous.

Now, one thing to definitely remember is to wear your flip-flops, for you have to continuously take your shoes off when entering the temples.  And you simply have to shrug off all the sellers that will be following you around.  Remember, many of them live a subsistence life and are trying to make an extra buck.  And often, they just want to socialize with you, talk with you.  So smile, joke with them, tease them and play along.  I promise you, you will both walk away with a smile on your face.  And don't be surprised when you're sitting in your van being transported from pagoda to pagoda, when you suddenly look out your back window and see all the vendors following you on their mopeds :-)

Read intro to Myanmar ...

SIGHTS TO SEE:

> Temples, temples and more temples:  with over 4,000 temples in site, you can hardly see them all.  But some of the main ones that should be on your list are Tayokye Pyay (from where you have panoramic views of the plains of Bagan), Ananda Phaya temple (considered an architectural masterpiece due to its four buddhas which have expressions that change, depending on your distance from the statue), Shwesandaw pagoda (covered in gold and also with stunning views), Thatbyinnyu (the highest temple in Bagan, albeit the roof is chopped off), the massive Dhammayangyi temple and many, many more.  This is where you trust your guide and let him/her take you on a tour.

> Horse carriage ride:  this is a wonderful way to see the scattered pagodas, driving leisurely through the dusty plains, from pagoda to pagoda, traversing history.

> Sunset cruise down Irrawaddy river:  you cannot leave Bagan without having experienced a sunset cruise.  At dusk, the river comes to life in beautiful warm evening hues.  Observing life on the river was like watching a documentary.  Although, sometimes I felt like I was roaming through people's bathrooms for locals were involved in their late-afternoon bathing rituals while we were sailing through and blatantly taking photos of them.  Kind of intrusive I imagine!  At one point our guide told the captain to shut the engine off, so that we can listen to the natural sounds of the vast river while watching a wonderfully majestic sunset.  And then … he begins to sing … Road to Mandalay!  Wasn't the best rendition I've heard, but definitely the most memorable.

> Lacquer workshop:  Bagan is the centre for lacquer products so stop by one of the workshops and learn how the lacquered bowls are made.  It's a much more complicated process than I had envisioned and extremely labour intensive.

> Popa mountain:  located some 60 km from Bagan is the 2417 ft hight Mt. Popa volcano which is home to the Nat tribes, which are ancient Burmese animist spirits that have their shrine on top of a crater on the slopes of Mt. Popa.  To get to the top you have to climb up 777 steps, while avoiding monkey piss and shit.  On the summit you will find shrines from where you can worship the 37 nats and have a stupendous view of the fertile surrounding region.  For lunch or a coffee break, you must go to the nearby Popa Mountain Resort from where you will have a great view of the crater.  In the background, lush jungle for as far as you can see.  Completely opposite to the dry plains of Bagan.  The ride there and back is the most treacherous part of the journey, passing small villages that subside on palm farming, on roads that have a lot to be desired.  One pot hole after another.  The ox cart trail which is parallel to the road was in better condition!  BTW, Popa means flower, and you will see many beautiful fields of sunflowers as you approach the spiritual volcano.

> Ballooning over Bagan:  of course, we were in Bagan in the off-season, however, going on a hot-air balloon ride at sunrise or sunset is the best way to experience the Bagan marvel and to appreciate its sheer size.

> The Road to Mandalay cruise:  operated by the Orient Express group, this luxurious cruise takes you down the Irrawaddy river from Mandalay to Bagan.  Again, we missed it for we were there in the off-season, but heard from many that it's a worthwhile trip.  Albeit very expensive!  Remember, it's owner by the Orient Express Group.

RESTAURANTS:

> Sunset Garden:  located on the banks of the river, a wonderful place for lunch with delicious local food in a beautiful setting.

> Nanda restaurant:  for a cultural evening, come here for dinner and watch the marionette show.  What was different with the show here was that the stage was designed in such a way so that you could see the puppeteers and how they pull the strings.

> Queen House:  another dinner with a cultural show, this time involving local dance.  The most memorable part of the evening here was that the waiters were standing behind us and fanning us!  I've never experienced that before … very colonial!  And we were wondering why there were no fans!  I guess labour is cheeper than electricity.

HOTELS:

> Thiripyitsaya Sanctuary Resort:  a comfortable resort on the Irrawaddy river, involving clusters of bungalows with spacious rooms and a wonderful pool.  A great base to experience Bagan.  The resort faces west, thus you'll be privy to beautiful sunsets.