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| Sand paintings |
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| Tharbar Gate Bagan |
We had a very rough idea of the couple of temples we wanted to see, we wanted to go to the market and would like to get high to view the plain of ruined stupas from the 11 and 12 th centuries. Trouble is a plain is fairly flat and the sites we went to barred access to the higher levels. We'd already decided to accept the consensus from tripadvisor to skip the recently added observation tower because it was a military government rip-off etc.
Anyway you've got to go with the flow in these circumstances .... We didn't spell out what should be one two and three stops so it should have been no surprise to find the first stop was a lacquerware factory/shop where we were entertained for half an hour or so and made a couple of strategic purchases.
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| Young salesman |
Back on the cart it was obvious we were going to the market before the temples ah well not to matter. Once there we were entertained and did some entertaining of the crowd .... Just buying an apple was cause for great mirth. Probably because paying twenty cents for it I was hugely taken down, but it was research out of a not very big pile of nondescript apples more choice didnt look to bad and flavor wasn't too bad either but texture was awful don't know about flavour of some of the other rarer vegetables on display (though pineapples and mangoes are magnificent) and the climate would not be conducive but the spuds and especially carrots look like they could do with some hybrid vigour.
While I conducted this research Mrs S was conducting a serious assault on her budget target... Kitting up with a new local fashion skirt top, a few other knickknacks, even a t shirt all with some old fashioned haggling so you can only imagine the amount saved from the original asking price.
Finally back to the cart and away to the Anandar temple... Very interesting cool and calming despite the burning hot tiles between the main gate and the temple proper which had to be negotiated with bare feet. Not quite so bad if you stick to central white marble squares. Interesting old old frescoes with extraordinary detail.
The open area around this and many of the other 3000 stupas temples pagodas the place is famous for having been ploughed by oxen is today being planted by hand with seed for peanuts! A group of what looked to mainly older women sat around wisely in the shade planting the seeds in the crumbly dirt... At least they don't have to contend with mud like the ride paddy planters.
What leading up to here is that while it is a world heritage site and a thorough testament to human engenuity of the time it is also evidence of complete excess ... Much as naypyitaw is now ..... I don't know that the generals of recent times have been that much nastier to the people than kings xxxxx where to their subjects at that time either. Like many countries Myanmar might not have learned too much from its history.
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| Ananda Temple |
So much for the moral musing. ... Back to hedonism. The cart had us back at the Thande before three pm so we repaired to poolside and pool-in. A pleasant afternoon was while away in this manner including a couple of gin and tonics which at $1 for the local gin and another $2 for the tonic to go on top of it were still very reasonable and quenching.
Another horse cart and a visit to a another couple of close by temples including a climb up through a dark passage of a ruin to get a pic of murky sunset and the famous Bo xxx temple of the ayarawaddy bank then dinner and the also nearby Tharabund #2 restaurant was pleasant days end dunno about the budget tho.
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| Traditional Myanmar curries |
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| Typical Bagan Scene |
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