Myanmar – Bagan – wondrous, ancient capital

Bagan is located on the banks of the mighty Ayeyarwady  (Irawaddy) river in central Myanmar.  It is one of the world’s finest sites archaeologically speaking. It is ranked with Angkor Wat and Machu Picchu and rightly so.  In keeping with the Buddhist philosophy where your good deeds on earth count towards merit for your future, various kings built thousands of temples in a 68 square kilometre area between AD1050 and AD1290.  The estimates of the number of pagodas, temples and monasteries built varies depending on what you read but the numbers are between 5000 and 10000.  Around 2200 of them still exist today.  The landscape is flat and populated with tamarind trees. It is amazing to stand and just look around, you cannot look in any direction without seeing many temples rising out of the greenery of the forest.  The empire that lasted over 540 years was brought down through invasions by Kublai Khan and the Mongols.  Earthquakes also contributed to the demolition of many of these shrines.  The most recent earthquake was in 2014, damage to many of the bigger temples was fairly extensive and a repair and renovation programme is in place.

Earthquake damage

Anyone following my journey closely will realise that there a few days of cycling missing between Yangon and Bagan.  This is because the monsoon season has set in, the rain in the South is extensive and cycling is difficult and unpleasant.  In keeping with my philosophy of cycle_food_fun, I decided that it would not be fun to cycle days in the rain to Bagan and folk were telling me that the weather would be better up North.  So I put Bobbie and me on an overnight bus and we arrived in Bagan to warm sultry weather.  Good decision!  It also had an unexpected and fun outcome.  I had cycled the 45 kms from Thabarwa to the bus station in rain and drizzle and arrived there a couple of hours early for the bus.  As I checked in, so did a young lady, Francien, from the Netherlands.  With all that time to spare, I asked her if she would join me for a beer while we wait.  We got on well and had a long chat.  As it happened, Francien was staying at the same hostel as me.  Subsequently we spent the next 4 days exploring Bagan together, literally from sunrise to sunset.  We met at 04:30 in the morning, hired e-bikes and had a marvellous time riding around the vast area on little sand tracks through the trees, discovering temples and pagodas and taking endless pics, not stopping until well after sunset.

In the tourist season you can take a balloon ride early in the morning to view the extensive area.  Unfortunately I could not as it is too windy for balloons in June.
This photo of Balloons over Bagan is courtesy of TripAdvisor

I have hundreds of pictures as it is so easy to be snap-happy here.  Funny though, we’d visit a temple and then hours or days later, approach from a different angle and take a whole load more pics before realising we’d been there before.

We had two magic experiences that made the whole trip so delightful and unique.

We arrived at a large temple and strolled in to take a look around.  As we came around a corner inside the temple we saw an impressive display of food as an offering for one of the Buddha images.  There was loud music playing outside and a blue carpet leading from one of the entrances to the  temple. Curious as ever, I asked what’s going on and I was told it is a festival organised by the local community for this specific temple.  It will be an annual event but this was the first.  It was about 09:00 in the morning and breakfast was being served.  We were requested (read required!) to join them.  Food in Myanmar is really important and to share it is part of the national ethos so it would be disappointing for the hosts and possibly rude of us to decline.  The ladies were dressed beautifully and we were served mohinga with noodles, green leafy stuff and chili.  The bowls get refilled constantly so you’re stuffed by the time you manage to convince the generous hosts that you really have had enough to eat.

It was an honour to be invited and everyone was so welcoming and kind that I did not feel we were intruding at all.

Boys more interested in the game on the phone than the festival

The second experience, also typical of Myanmar people, leaves a lasting impression and new friends for life.  Late afternoon on the second day, Francien and I went to a pagoda that we knew we were allowed to enter and go to the rooftop to watch the sunset.  We parked the e-bikes and were walking past a monastery when a man came out and insisted that he show us the way.  The locals never take no for an answer so we followed him.  He escorted us up the internal stairs, lighting the way and constantly warning us to take care and not bump our heads.

Pagoda internal stairs

As he left us he insisted that we go to his home after sunset for mangoes and tea. We agreed and sure enough as we left the pagoda, there he was to take us to his home. We met his lovely wife and daughter and had great conversation, albeit somewhat repetitive and stilted due to the language barrier.  However, the lasting impression is one of sheer joy that you have come to their home to share what they have to offer.  We had such a good time that we happily accepted an invitation for lunch the next day.  It was cooked in our honour by Coco Oo himself.  All of the food was tasty and prepared with such care and love.  We had to strongly resist an invitation to dinner the evening after the second lunch despite promises by Coco Oo that he would cook an entirely different meal.  However as a trade-off we did accept an invitation for a third lunch.  I don’t know why but I do not have a picture of their son, Zaw Zaw, who manfully tried to teach me simple Burmese phrases and how to count.  What an amazing family, I finally said my fond farewells along with promises that I will visit again and next time I must bring my wife.  Pack your bags, Mo, and start practicing your Burmese, you’re going to need it!

To truly portray the magnificence and atmosphere of Bagan is difficult.  I believe that everyone has their own perspective based on the things they do, their attitude and how they participate and interact.  Here are some pics to try to let you see the place from my point pf view.