(^52) Pyay - Bagan (By car)
The unthinkable was done, and I arranged a ride to Bagan. In
hindsight, taking the ride was stupid, as little did I know this was the
last day of the water festival. I was under the impression the festival
lasted four more days. I was annoyed that the owner of the Myat was
dishonest and gave me the wrong information, as he wanted to drive
me to Bagan at quite a hefty fee.
The water festival made for a slow ride to Bagan, where
accommodation was at the View Point Inn, a convenient place with
many options and even a dorm.
Bagan turned out most intriguing and (to me, at least) fell in the
same jaw-dropping category as Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Petra in
Jordon. Between the ninth and 13th centuries, Bagan's kings
commissioned more than 4,000 Buddhist temples, of which around
2,000 remain. This temple-studded plain stretched 40 square
kilometres across central Myanmar.
The following day was New Year's Day, and all the madness of the
previous days was forgotten. Everything was quiet and back to
normal, apart from everything being closed. I set out by bicycle in the
morning to explore the temple area. Still, the weather soon became
unbearable and it was best to retreat to the coolness of a room. The
sunset over Bagan didn't quite meet expectations or come with any
of the anticipated beautiful colours.
leana
(Leana)
#1