Burma is wonderful!
Jan 9th, 2011, 08:21 PM
#23
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BAGAN: We opted to drive from Mandalay to Bagan to be able to take in a bit of the countryside. Santa Maria had arranged a car & driver for us. We left Mandalay at 7am & arrived at Bagan at 130pm.
Along the way the landscape was often very desertish. For those of you who have travelled through Rajasthan, India some of the landscape had a very similar feel. We stopped a couple of times to take photos & also just to walk for a while. He driver would let us wander off down the road & then drive closer & park again until we were ready to get back in the car. On one of our little walks we stopped because there were some lovely red brick pagodas set amongst some green fields & palm trees. We took some photos & wandered along. There were some school kids coming down the road & 3 girls timidly came over to us. They stopped & we said hello etc. They wanted to look at the photos on our camera of the pagodas. We showed them & then they were keen to have their own photos taken. Amid giggles we took some photos which they loved looking at. There was a lady walking along the road also & she was having a good laugh at the girls. It was fun.
In Bagan stayed at Tharabar Gate Hotel. We had a standard room which was US$85. They are very nice rooms. A good size & a nice little patio area with lounge chairs out the “back door”. The hotel staff were all lovely. We only ate a couple of lunches at the hotel which were OK.
I had been in touch with the famous horse cart driver Min Thu prior to arriving & about 1/2hour after checking in there was a call from reception that he was waiting to meet us. All reports that rave about Min Thu are spot on. He is a lovely person. Quiet. Excellent English & excellent temple knowledge. We don’t usually like to have guides as we feel cramped by them at times but we felt he was a perfect balance. He quickly understood that photography is big for us & we would rather not be where everyone else is. He did an excellent job at keeping us away from the crowds. We decided to just let him call the shots that first afternoon & then we would see how we felt & let him know if we wanted to do different things. Well it turned out that we let him call the shots for just about everything! We would chat about our options for the day he would give us some suggestions & then we would pick. We went from sunrise (left the hotel @515am) to sunset everyday so the cost was about US$20. We did have the needed break from the heat in the middle of the day, usually stopping about 1 & heading out again at 3 getting back after sunset. Luckily the horse carts in Bagan are a lot more comfortable than the one we travelled in in Ava. Min Thu has great cusions to relax on. My hubby usually sat up next to Min Thu & I relclined in the back. I was made great fun of for having such a stressful time on vacation! We loved seeing Bagan by horse cart. The relaxing rhythm of clip clopping along amongs all these ancient temples. Somehow in the horse cart you feel like you are more a part of that time gone by. We enjoyed it so much that we actually spent the whole 3 ½ days we had in Bagan touring this way. We were very content!
Along the way the landscape was often very desertish. For those of you who have travelled through Rajasthan, India some of the landscape had a very similar feel. We stopped a couple of times to take photos & also just to walk for a while. He driver would let us wander off down the road & then drive closer & park again until we were ready to get back in the car. On one of our little walks we stopped because there were some lovely red brick pagodas set amongst some green fields & palm trees. We took some photos & wandered along. There were some school kids coming down the road & 3 girls timidly came over to us. They stopped & we said hello etc. They wanted to look at the photos on our camera of the pagodas. We showed them & then they were keen to have their own photos taken. Amid giggles we took some photos which they loved looking at. There was a lady walking along the road also & she was having a good laugh at the girls. It was fun.
In Bagan stayed at Tharabar Gate Hotel. We had a standard room which was US$85. They are very nice rooms. A good size & a nice little patio area with lounge chairs out the “back door”. The hotel staff were all lovely. We only ate a couple of lunches at the hotel which were OK.
I had been in touch with the famous horse cart driver Min Thu prior to arriving & about 1/2hour after checking in there was a call from reception that he was waiting to meet us. All reports that rave about Min Thu are spot on. He is a lovely person. Quiet. Excellent English & excellent temple knowledge. We don’t usually like to have guides as we feel cramped by them at times but we felt he was a perfect balance. He quickly understood that photography is big for us & we would rather not be where everyone else is. He did an excellent job at keeping us away from the crowds. We decided to just let him call the shots that first afternoon & then we would see how we felt & let him know if we wanted to do different things. Well it turned out that we let him call the shots for just about everything! We would chat about our options for the day he would give us some suggestions & then we would pick. We went from sunrise (left the hotel @515am) to sunset everyday so the cost was about US$20. We did have the needed break from the heat in the middle of the day, usually stopping about 1 & heading out again at 3 getting back after sunset. Luckily the horse carts in Bagan are a lot more comfortable than the one we travelled in in Ava. Min Thu has great cusions to relax on. My hubby usually sat up next to Min Thu & I relclined in the back. I was made great fun of for having such a stressful time on vacation! We loved seeing Bagan by horse cart. The relaxing rhythm of clip clopping along amongs all these ancient temples. Somehow in the horse cart you feel like you are more a part of that time gone by. We enjoyed it so much that we actually spent the whole 3 ½ days we had in Bagan touring this way. We were very content!
Jan 9th, 2011, 09:44 PM
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Loving your report, Jules! I am especially glad to hear that you can drive between some major stops as you did---since we still are wait-listed on three of our four flight segments! Reading your report is reassuring for ours in two weeks.
Jan 17th, 2011, 06:00 PM
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Kathie I am here & haven ot forgotten! I hate when work gets in the way of life! It has been a bit of a crazy week but I am going to try & write a bit more tonight.
b_b what particular question do you have about the bathroom setups?
b_b what particular question do you have about the bathroom setups?
Jan 17th, 2011, 06:25 PM
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Over the 3 ½ days in Bagan we toured a lot of temples. I do actually have all the names written down but I will only really name a couple here. There are so many temples that I think you can see many different ones & be equally delighted. As I mentioned we travelled by horse cart everywhere & I think this really helped us sink into the ancient atmosphere so easily as you trot down dusty deserted lanes. We were often the only or one of just a couple of tourists at any place at any time so it was usually very peaceful. The exception was sunrise & sunset but even at that we asked Min Thu not to take us to the popular sunrise & sunset spots but less visited places. So even then we were often only with another dozen people spread over a couple of terreces on the temple so you were basically alone in your views. Our sunset spots were May-Bon-Tha temple, Shwe-NanYin-Taw monastery complex, Bu Paya &Ta-Yoake-Daye Temple. All offered stunning sights. The only one that was less than spectacular was Bu Paya on the banks of the Ayeyarwaddy river & that was because of thick clouds.
For sunrise we went to the same place twice as we really liked the view & that was MI-Nyein Gon temple. Sunrise to us was more magical than sunset. We would leave the hotel at 530am in the dark. As we headed off the sound of Su Su clip clopping seemed to echo in the pre dawn light. There seemed that no one else was out just us! As we got to the temple there was not another soul to be seen. As we left our shoes at the door & headed into the pitch dark we could hear the bats high above inside the temple stir & fly. I hoped none would come too close!! As you walk along totally barefoot on the stone floor I remind myself to pick my feet up as I walk & clime the steps because a nasty stubbed bleeding toe would not be a good thing to have. You then find yourself climbing a steep small totally enclosed stairway. As we emerge on the first level you can feel that the first signs of dawn are here. We climbed higher & found ourselves a spot to sit & take it all in. As the dawn arrived you begin to see the smoke from fires in the villages arise as breakfast happens for the villagers. This smoke mingles with the morning mist & both rise just a little. The temples rise above the mist. At first the temples are just black. Then you begin to make out the details of their rooflines etc as the sky gets lighter. As the sun gets higher the temples glow golden orange & the mist adds a totally magical addition to the whole experience. It is truly beautiful. We sat for a while after the true photographic moment had passed & just let the whole thing just soak in.
For sunrise we went to the same place twice as we really liked the view & that was MI-Nyein Gon temple. Sunrise to us was more magical than sunset. We would leave the hotel at 530am in the dark. As we headed off the sound of Su Su clip clopping seemed to echo in the pre dawn light. There seemed that no one else was out just us! As we got to the temple there was not another soul to be seen. As we left our shoes at the door & headed into the pitch dark we could hear the bats high above inside the temple stir & fly. I hoped none would come too close!! As you walk along totally barefoot on the stone floor I remind myself to pick my feet up as I walk & clime the steps because a nasty stubbed bleeding toe would not be a good thing to have. You then find yourself climbing a steep small totally enclosed stairway. As we emerge on the first level you can feel that the first signs of dawn are here. We climbed higher & found ourselves a spot to sit & take it all in. As the dawn arrived you begin to see the smoke from fires in the villages arise as breakfast happens for the villagers. This smoke mingles with the morning mist & both rise just a little. The temples rise above the mist. At first the temples are just black. Then you begin to make out the details of their rooflines etc as the sky gets lighter. As the sun gets higher the temples glow golden orange & the mist adds a totally magical addition to the whole experience. It is truly beautiful. We sat for a while after the true photographic moment had passed & just let the whole thing just soak in.
Jan 17th, 2011, 06:45 PM
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The temples are dark inside. Some have some great natural light shafts that will perfectly light the face or statue of a Buddha in a way so much softer & more beautiful that any artificial light can. Some of the bigger more popular temples do have lights. If you look inside the door of all the little temple you go past you will sometime see Buddha temples just catching some light & “smiling” out as you as you pass by. There are so many temples & so many Buddhas you can never see them all. Pahto-tha-mya temple is one temple I remember that has some lovely mural paintings inside & a statue that was perfectly lit with a shaft of light when we visited in the late afternoon. There was another time when we were in a temple with large Buddha statues but it was not a “popular” temple I guess as we were the only tourists there. There were however a couple of locals. Three of which were young children. They were playing with candles in front of one of the large Buddha’s as their (?) grandmother sat to one side. As they played with the candles this was the only source of light in the area. The children laughed & their faces glowed in the light. The Buddha too seemed to smile & bask in the glow.
Besides temples other things we saw whilst in Bagan included a teak wood monastery with lovely carvings. A 17th century brick monastery. We spent an afternoon wandering in a village taking in village life, collecting water etc etc. Great to be able to see. Spent a morning at Nyaung Oo Market. This was a great bustling market where no one really gave us a second glance. We seemed to arrive as a few groups of tourists left & then only saw one or tow after that. We wandered the whole market & then had to do it all over again because we really didn’t want to leave! As we sat at the corner of the tea house in the market watching life happen I became aware of the song playing in the tea shop. It took me a second to convert the music & lyrics in my head from Burmese to the English version….”Material Girl” by Madonna. How totally sureal!
From the fruit, veg & fish section of the market we walked through the town to the meat section. As always this can be an education as you watch the bargaining & then the selection process as the customer seems to handle every piece of meat available for sale before actually choosing a piece or two!
Besides temples other things we saw whilst in Bagan included a teak wood monastery with lovely carvings. A 17th century brick monastery. We spent an afternoon wandering in a village taking in village life, collecting water etc etc. Great to be able to see. Spent a morning at Nyaung Oo Market. This was a great bustling market where no one really gave us a second glance. We seemed to arrive as a few groups of tourists left & then only saw one or tow after that. We wandered the whole market & then had to do it all over again because we really didn’t want to leave! As we sat at the corner of the tea house in the market watching life happen I became aware of the song playing in the tea shop. It took me a second to convert the music & lyrics in my head from Burmese to the English version….”Material Girl” by Madonna. How totally sureal!
From the fruit, veg & fish section of the market we walked through the town to the meat section. As always this can be an education as you watch the bargaining & then the selection process as the customer seems to handle every piece of meat available for sale before actually choosing a piece or two!
Jan 17th, 2011, 06:59 PM
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Ballons over Bagan. We were lucky enough to take the balloon ride on our first morning in Bagan. The morning was a beautiful one. On that mornign 4 balloons flew. We were in the air for about an hour. It was a great flight. I really liked the perspective you get of the temples. This is the only way you really really get a feel for just how many temples there are & how they are located on the planes. It is a great & very memorable experience. Loved it. When you are low a local will often wave up to you. Our balloon ended up landing in a plowed field as it was the only cleared spot around. The pilot said they have been forced a couple of times to land in an unplowed field & then they will compensate the farmer. After our first touch down it was realised that there was a dry sandy river bed between us & where the pick up vehicles could get to so they put us airborn again just high enough to get over the steep river bank & land on the other side. The champange was waiting. Meanwhile the farmer had appeared & just stood watching us for the whole time. Joined by a couple of young boys. This company is definitely well run & as well as a good group of foreign pilots they have a fantastic group of locals working for them Watching these guys pack up the baloon & get it & basket on the truck was a seamless operation. Definitely recommend it if you have the time & don’t mind the expense. You will get a cheaper rate if you book through an agent.
Jan 17th, 2011, 07:07 PM
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I think that is a summary of our time in Bagan. We loved it there. 3 1/2 days was not too long at all. So often we felt like we could have pulled out a deck chair on the upper level of a deserted temple & just sat there for hours soaking it all in. Amazing place & atmosphere. Time to move on to our next stop!
Jan 17th, 2011, 07:57 PM
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The day we left Bagan was a driving day as we had chosen to drive between Bagan & Inle Lake. This we did not do in one whole day but broke into 2 days spending a night in Kalaw on the way to Inle.
We left Bagan at 700am & arrived in Kalaw at 430pm. A full day for sure. We had Santa Maria arrange a driver for us & he was waiting for us right on time. Interestingly it seemed the further we got from Yangon a little older the vehicles got but we had not problems with them. We were forwarned my Santa Maria that it would be very likely that the air con would not work on any hills so we were not surprised when this was the case!
The drive started off in the dry low area of Bagan & then we started to climb the mountains. The trees became much more dense & you could imagine that in the rainy season it would be very tropical. The roads were in pretty good condition & there were areas where there was active road work happening. At one point my hubby asked if we could stop & take a photo in the road work area & our driver said no. A couple of minutes later he explained that it was not allowed to take photos of the road works. He seemed a little embarrassed so we just brushed the whole thing off.
Kalaw is a former hill station where the British would go to cool off. It appears set along a mountain ridge & almost has a feeling like you are in the foothills of the himalaya even though you are very far from there!! It was definitely cool in the evening & I felt cold at night walking back from dinner. Arriving at 430pm we did not have any time to explore & we knew that would be the case. We stayed at Hill Top Villas. These are a way out from the centre of the town but have a fantastic view across the town & valley. Each room is an individual cabin which has some feel like you are staying at someones Grandmas house! The rooms are decorated like a guest room in an eldery ladies house but with Shan state crafts etc. They are comfortable & the staff are lovely but the place is not fancy by any stretch if that is what you are looking for. We spent the rest of the afternoon sitting on our porch overlooking the valley as the sun set.
We left Bagan at 700am & arrived in Kalaw at 430pm. A full day for sure. We had Santa Maria arrange a driver for us & he was waiting for us right on time. Interestingly it seemed the further we got from Yangon a little older the vehicles got but we had not problems with them. We were forwarned my Santa Maria that it would be very likely that the air con would not work on any hills so we were not surprised when this was the case!
The drive started off in the dry low area of Bagan & then we started to climb the mountains. The trees became much more dense & you could imagine that in the rainy season it would be very tropical. The roads were in pretty good condition & there were areas where there was active road work happening. At one point my hubby asked if we could stop & take a photo in the road work area & our driver said no. A couple of minutes later he explained that it was not allowed to take photos of the road works. He seemed a little embarrassed so we just brushed the whole thing off.
Kalaw is a former hill station where the British would go to cool off. It appears set along a mountain ridge & almost has a feeling like you are in the foothills of the himalaya even though you are very far from there!! It was definitely cool in the evening & I felt cold at night walking back from dinner. Arriving at 430pm we did not have any time to explore & we knew that would be the case. We stayed at Hill Top Villas. These are a way out from the centre of the town but have a fantastic view across the town & valley. Each room is an individual cabin which has some feel like you are staying at someones Grandmas house! The rooms are decorated like a guest room in an eldery ladies house but with Shan state crafts etc. They are comfortable & the staff are lovely but the place is not fancy by any stretch if that is what you are looking for. We spent the rest of the afternoon sitting on our porch overlooking the valley as the sun set.
