lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

134

BAGAN & CENTRAL MYANMAR

AROUND BAGAN

Paya, which has lovely views from its upper

rim (climbed via an inner passageway).

Carry your sandals to save your feet from

gravel dents on connecting roads.

NORTH OF MON Y WA

Wizened old neem trees and many an attrac-

tive stupa enliven the busy, well-paved road

leading north from Monywa. After 19 miles,

Budalin is a small junction settlement with

a basic noodle-shop, from which it’s still

rather a slog to reach the area’s minor at-

tractions. But you’ll certainly be getting far,

far off the tourist radar.

Twin Daung CRATER LAKE

Twin Daung is one of four volcanic crater

lakes in Myanmar, from whose swirling green

waters Spirulina is cultivated (see p 134 ). You

can visit the lakeside Spirulina factory (ad-

mission free, h8am-4.30pm Mon-Sat) to see the

concrete cultivation tanks, peer through a

microscope at the algae’s incredible spiral

form and see a range of packaged Spirulina-

based products (manufactured elsewhere

and not for sale here). The palm-fronted

lakeside has a certain south-sea charm and

views from the crater rim are very wide with-

out being enormously spectacular.

Access is by a 13km unpaved lane that

doubles back to the southwest, starting just

a few yards after the toll gate as you arrive in

Budalin from the south.

Payagyi BUDDHIST MONASTERY

The large Payagyi stupa and its oversized

chinthe face an abrupt twin-peaked hill,

topped with a stupa and castle-like rocky out-

crop and said to have an indelible footprint

of Bagan-era King Kyanzittha at its base. Now

boxed within concrete walls and tin roof, the

empty front prayer hall retains its 170-year-

old teak pillars. Its carved-stone fl oor tiles,

telling Ramayana tales, have been moved for

safe keeping to a museum shed: notice num-

ber 274 featuring Hanuman (the monkey god)

riding a sheep and smoking a cheroot. The

lovable wooden monastery building seems

oversized for fi ve novices, one monk and the

young abbot (who speaks a little English).

It’s 30km from the central junction in Bu-

dalin (marked by a golden horseback Ban-

dula statue, 500m north of the Twin Daung

turning), where you veer left. Keep left again

after 3km then continue 22km to Ta Kook Ta

Nel. Turn right after the little row of teahous-

es then follow the track 5km to Payagyi. It’s

a long way to come for one monastery, but

the rural scenes en route are very attractive,

especially along the asphalted fi rst 9km af-

ter Budalin through cottonfi elds, sunfl owers

and Palmyra palms to Nyaung Kai/Ywathar,

which has a massive Shwezigon pagoda in a

fi eld at its southeast edge.

WEST OF MONYWA

Hpo Win Daung BUDDHA CAVE-NICHE COMPLEX

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(admission $2) Monywa’s biggest draw for

antiquity-hunters, this rural complex of 492

buddha chambers was carved into a lime-

stone hillside between the 14th and 18th

centuries. None of the ‘caves’ are more than a

few yards deep, and many are just big enough

for a single image but a few of the best (no-

tably caves 478 and 480) have retained some

colourful, well-executed murals. The area

is fairly large and there’s no map so some

visitors prefer to engage an informal guide

(around K4000) who is likely to be friendly

but not especially informative. Without a

guide, just head up and left from the start-

ing point and don’t worry – you don’t need to

climb nearly as high as the hilltop stupas that

loom high on the ridge above. Around the

complex, cheeky monkeys are all too keen to

let you gain merit by donating to them food.

Some 700m beyond the restaurants and

souvenir stands of Hpo Win ‘village’ lies

Shwe Ba Taung (admission $2), a smaller,

contrastingly diff erent set of 46 cave cham-

SPIRULINA

An algae that grows in alkaline, subtropical lakes, Spirulina is named for its coiled spiral

(or more accurately helix) shape, which you’ll only notice when looking through a micro-

scope. Harvested and dried, Spirulina was once a food-source for Aztec people. Today

it’s a popular dietary supplement said to help reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure

and counter hay fever. In Myanmar, Spirulina is best known as an ingredient of Mandalay

Brewery’s popular ‘anti-aging’ beer. You can visit a government Spirulina ‘farm’ at Twin

Daung and buy a few Spirulina products at the government emporium (see p 21 ), upstairs

within a dowdy Monywa shopping centre.