Bagan

OK well it worked that we hooked up with a bus to Bagan but we soon have learned that getting around Burma is the hardest part about it and pretty much the most expensive. The bus back to Yangon was the very same bus we caught there so you can read the previous blog about that. The the bus to Bagan left from a different bus terminal so we had to catch a cab for the 30min ride over to that one. We secured 2 seats on the overnight bus to Bagan, got some food, snacks and water and were pretty much on our way. Well the ride went quite smoothly for the first bit, although the dinner stop was rather quick. But then at the time that everyone would normaly get to sleep, the road got pretty bad. I think that i slept maybe 5 mins the whole time. I would look up to see what the driver is seeing and it sure doesn't look like a road to me. There are trees that nearly cover it on both sides, and the road is barely large enough for our one bus, let alone the traffic coming the other way. And the road is very full of hole, maybe more holes than smoothness. Well 14 hours later we were sleepily in Bagan at 6:30am. We secured a room and went to sleep. By the time we woke up it was time to go check out the place a bit.

We got some food (breakfast, lunch, linner, whatever you want to call it) and then walked to other way to the restaurant district to get some info about leaving Bagan and such. We visited a mans painting shop where he sold many sand paintings that were really good and so we keep some of them in our mind as we were about to see many many more. The next day we awoke at a very reasonable hour, 7:30 i think, had out breakfast and was ready to get out horse cart ride to check out all the temples. So Bagan is not exactly a place but more a valley that is filled with thousands and thousands or temples. There was said to have 4400 built but maybe 2200 remain today. The time of Bagan was only a mere 120 years or so before that was ended by the invasion of the Mongols and Kublai Khan but in that time they were sure busy with thir temple building. It was trully remarkable to see the place that would take a week to explore in full but we did our best to see as much as we could. The first day we hired an horse-cart for the day to take us around the major sites and wherever he decided to take us. We soon named our horse Yukon, well Yukom in Burmese as they havce trouble with the n sound, much to the delight to our driver who began to use it extensively. We visited many beautifull temples, some small some big but all unique in their own way and interesting. I don't really get tired of them too much. I mean so many people say they are all the same and in many ways this is true with the buddhas and much of the architecture but after that, each temple has it's different feel to me. So i always am interested in seeing more because i like to find out how they are different as supposed to how they are similar. In some of them the paintings on the wall were still very preserved and in most the buddha statues were all restored to their previous glory. One even had pretty much the biggest buddha i have ever seen. And the views from tops of the largest ones were quite spectacular. We stoped for lunch at this place that was a friend of our divers and were treated so nice by the cute family there. The boy that served us knew his english pretty well and they just would serve us more dishes without us asking, just for free. So we gave them a balloon and a pencil for the kid. The little baby that was brought out as well who was just so cute and mesmorized by the balloon. The ladies even brought out the Tanaka, sort of a sunscreen/face lotion that all the women wear here that makes them so beautiful. Afterwards everywhere we went people commented on how beautiful Justina was and how lucky i was to be with her. I guess the stuff really does work. It was interesting that at most of the temples and especially the big ones, there were many of the same things, especially the sand paintings. And of course we always get the same deal. "This is a sand painting, see no problem rolling up." Thanks, about maybe the 150th sand painting i have seen today you really opened a door of understanding for me. But they are just using the english that they know that's all. That night after we viewed the sunset we returned to our room to rest and then went out for some Indian food that was actually quite good, i mean all you eat chappathis, can't go wrong with that.

The next morning was a little slower but this day were planned to take out some bikes and ride to the ones a little father out where none of the large tour comapnies go. Another thing that is quite strange here is the lack of we seem simple technology. I mean gears on bikes? how hard is that really? I know in India it was the same and it was the most painful when you would watch the cycle rickshaw guys struggle so much that with gears would be so easy and we felt a little bit of our pain that day with our no gear bikes. Oh yeah and Justinas didn't really have breaks either. But we managed as best we could and actually got to see some really neat temples including my favorite that a keymaster had to come and unlock for us. But the inside was all open and there were a large buddha on each of the four walls that made up the center. And the paintings inside were still in very good condition as well. There were stairs to the top which had a really good view of the entire valley and of course there was nobody around. We had the whole place to ourselves. That day was nice as that was the case in most of the temples and there wasn't even many vendors as they are never visited by the large tour buses. We had some trouble on the sand tracks that crissed crossed the the valley, to which gears and of course tread on our tires would have helped, but we perservered. At about 4:30pm we called it quits as we hadn't eaten lunch and weren't that interested in doing much more biking. so after stopping for some food, we continued back to our hotel. After giving another balloon to some kids beside the road we have decided on a few rules about giving out stuff now. First of all we only give out things to kids that don't ask for it and second of all we will blow up the balloong and demonstrate how to play with it by sharing. No more instant fighting that has been the norm. We then sat in the comfortable chairs back at the hotel and read a bit. I tried to talk some more to this couple from Quebec who were quite interesting (the dude hadn't spent a whole winter in Canada in 8 years) but when my french began to slur as my brain got tired, i went to take a shower and head to dinner.

The next morning we were cathching the boat to Mandalay as we had heard that the road to Mandalay was worse that the one from Yangon. But of course the boat still left at 5:30am so we awoke at 4:30am to get our horse cart to the jetty. But wow, how different that trip was. It was like night and day between the bus and the boat. We could walk around, they had really comfy chairs, the boat was empty as nearly everyone goes the other way (Mandalay-Bagan) and we just enjoyed to the river scenery and the sunshine. Oh yeah and we could drink ice cold beers too. It's amazing what that does to you when you arrive at your destination. You get there refreshed and in a good mood. The ride into Mandalay passed the town of Sagaing, which had a number of remarkable stupas atop many of the hills. Well, got some more no gear cycle rickshaw dudes to get us to a hotel, secured a room, and went out for dinner. Got back to some Friends on TV (on the chinese channel with chinese subtitles), and went to sleep. We awoke to have breakfast and have found internet that is actually decently speedy and able to upload photos at a decent rate as well. Amazing isn't it? So there ya go you are now pretty much up to date. We will be hanging out here for a few days before continuing on to either Hsipaw or Kalaw, yet to be decided. Hope all is well in the free world!