Breathtaking Bagan

This is the third and last part of our Myanmar trip last November 2016. Sorry for the long delay but here it goes.. 

After resting at the hotel, we decided to come out to explore the market in Bagan. Our hotel was a bit far but they didn't hesitate to arrange a car to take us to the market and explore it.

We went into the market and looked around. Very much like the markets back in the Philippines with tiny stalls and a lot of products for sale ranging from longyi, food and souvenirs. We then ate lunch and attempted to locate the riverside bar that was on the map but we got LOST. We ended up watching the sunset on the riverbanks.

We were afraid to be lost further so we retraced our steps and went back to where we can ride a taxi back to the hotel. 

The next day, we asked our helpful hotel staff to get us a taxi for a temple tour and to drop us to the bus station after. This was a good idea as we've checked out of the hotel by noon. The rate given was around 25,000 kyat (20 USD) for 1 car. Not bad.

First temple we visited was Shwezigon Pagoda. It was said that this was built to enshrine one of the four replicas of the Buddha tooth in Sri Lanka. It was also built to mark the northern edge of the city.

Traveling tip: some temples can allow you to bring your footwear if you put it into a plastic bag. It is best to have wet tissue ready. Some won't allow you to bring them but just don't leave them near souvenir shops otherwise you will be somehow forced to browse their products and later on buy at least one. 

Next up was Hitlominlo Temple. It's a large majestic temple 46 meters high and was restored after being affected in the 1975 earthquake. 

Small Buddha images are enshrined in the walls of the arched entrances.

The terraces are closed so it is no longer possible to climb to the top. I think they have been doing restoration at the time of our visit. 

As with other temples, there are souvenir stalls surrounding this Pagoda with sellers eager to offer souvenirs to visitors. 

We headed off to Ananda Phaya after.

This is one of Bagan's best known and most beautiful temples. It is well preserved and is one of the first great temples built in Bagan. This was also damaged during the 1975 earthquake.

The temple has 4 majestic Buddhas that are adorned with gold leaves. Each one is facing a specific direction. They each have their own name and are thought to represent each state of Nirvana. 

This entrance leads to a huge reclining Buddha in Manuha Phaya. I did not expect to see a huge Buddha from the very small path. It seems as if it was cramped. It is said that a captive King was allowed to build this temple and these represents the stress and lack of comfort he had to endure. 

Tired of walking, we rested in one of the benches outside the temple and took in the view of this small pagoda.

Actually, I lost my list of temples when we were about to start our temple tour. So, we had to rely at the kind driver's heart on what temples are worth our time. We wondered why he was driving through tiny and bushy roads. Then we saw this lovely view of Dhammayangyi temple. The driver asked us if we want to stop the car to take a photo. We were so happy to do that and ended up walking towards the temple instead of driving all the way. It is the largest temple on the plains of Bagan and from a distance resembles an Egyptian pyramid. 

On closer look in one of the entrances of the pagoda are hanging dolls which may seem eerie at first. It was not that bad as this is one livelihood of locals and they made use of hanging branches to display their goods. 

It is said that the king who built this temple killed his own father and brother to become the king. Because he was afraid of bad karma, he built this huge place to gain merit and compensate for the killings. It was believed that he was killed by invaders from Sri Lanka.

Sellers of sand paintings can also be seen in some entrances. 

I had a good time walking around the temple and its grounds. It was very picturesque. But some parts seem to be ruined or maybe unfinished since the temple was built. The brick work of the temple was nicely done. There is a story that the kind had the laborers killed or chopped off with hands if the work was not done perfectly. 

The last but not the least temple we went to was the Pyathadar Temple. This is a popular place to watch the sunset and quite near from the Dhammayangyi Temple. If one is hungry or thirsty or wanting to shop first before watching the sunset, they don't have to go far as stalls are right outside and in front of the temple.

Pyathadar or also called Pyathatgi Temple was built in the first half of the 13th century.  It enshrines several large sitting and standing images of the Buddha.

We were confused on how to get to the top terrace but thankfully found the stairs at the back of the Pagoda. 

People were already there way ahead than us and already chose the prime spots to watch the sunset. Some even positioned with their cameras ready. We chose to just walk around and see things from different directions. We met this nice Myanmar kid who speaks good English. He is here in the temple to sell post cards and sand paintings with his brother.

View from the top terrace before the sunset. 

A few minutes later, the sun began to go down and different lovely hues covered the sky. We can see country animals herded for home below and a small traffic for the tourists who are rushing to come up from where we are. Cameras flashing and clicking can be heard all around as people wanted to record the lovely moment. 

It was a perfect ending for the short trip. We then headed out to eat dinner and caught our bus back to Yangon.

This trip was short and so we didn't have time to explore Mandalay. Hopefully in the future I can get to visit the big city as well as Inle Lake. Thank you for reading and 'til next blog!

Overnight Bus Trip and Sunrise in Bagan

After 2 days and 1 night in Yangon, we caught an overnight bus to Bagan. Among the bus companies, we chose the JJ Express bus because of the good reviews. Our bus tickets (from Yangon and back) were prebooked at around 19 USD per way per person so we had less worry. 

Taxi from down town to Mingalar Bus Station was about an hour and 30 minutes. Our jaws dropped when we heard this but we wanted to get to the bus station early anyway considering the traffic in Yangon. 

Arriving at the bus station, we were shocked at the number of buses parked and moving. It was a chaotic place but our driver was kind enough to drop us directly in front of the JJ office. After showing the staff our ticket, we sat down and waited. Their office had a lot of seats and coffee was offered almost every hour. We also took turns to go out from the office to buy interesting snacks from the outside stalls. 

At around 7:30pm, we were asked to board our bus. The seats were wide and there was an outlet for phone charging. We were given blankets, a wet tissue, one bottle of water and a snack box.

The driver drove quite fast but I didn't mind. We were busy talking and eating anyway. After 3 hours on the road, we stopped at a place where there were stores, restaurants and toilets for bus travelers like us. 

There was no loud music being played on the bus during our travel. The only annoying thing was that it was very cold, like I was punished and sent to the freezer. The blanket helped a lot so I was able to sleep amidst the temperature.

We arrived in Bagan at around 5:30 in the morning. A lot of taxi drivers greeted us when we came down from the bus. We managed to make a deal with one driver to take us to the hotel after seeing the sunrise in a pagoda. Makes sense to see the sunrise now so we won't wake up so early the next day. He drove fast and took us to Shwesandaw Pagoda.

Along the way, he stopped in front of a ticket booth wherein we were asked to pay 25,000 Kyats entrance fee for Bagan Archaeological Zone.

This was the first of the many pagodas we were to visit in Bagan. Shwesandaw Pagoda is one of the taller pagodas with its height of 328 feet. It is a white painted symmetrical structure consisting of a bell shaped stupa set on a base of five square receding terraces. It was built in 1057 by King Anawahta, founder of the Bagan Kingdom. 

We were asked to leave our shoes before climbing. It was quite steep so holding on to the railing was a must. 

I had to catch my breath at some point during the ascend. The sun is rising fast and I can see that at the top, people were ready with their tripods and cameras.

Being cute (read: short), I had to find a way to get a glimpse of the sunrise amidst the tall people in the crowd and of course take some good photos. I situated myself in a tiny space at the wall, just enough for my feet to fit so that I can stand and be quite elevated from the rest.

While waiting for the sunrise, one man (or local) was trying to persuade some visitors to come down from an area very near the stupa. He said that out of practice and respect for the place, people are not allowed to go beyond our area. They did not budge and was very rude to reply that they don't understand English (What the??). (Note: Dear readers, please don't be rude tourists/travelers.)

A few minutes later, the sun began to rise. It was so beautiful to see its rays slowly shedding light to the plains and showing silhouettes of the pagodas beyond. Then, the famous Bagan balloons began to appear. 

The balloons added to the romantic scene. I've read about Balloons over Bagan before but it was too expensive for me so I didn't try. Anyways, the scene unfolding before me was already priceless.

The crowd became less after that but we can't get enough of the sight yet so we stayed a bit. Tourists would politely ask us to take their photos and in return volunteer to take our photo as well. :)

Taking in the view, I realized there were so many pagodas to visit. But of course, being afraid of being templed-out, we already had specific pagodas to go to.

The air was cool and the sun was not that hot yet. It was a fun thing to observe how travelers attempted to strike beautiful poses while being at the top. It was really a good place for photo opportunities. 

After enjoying it all, we had to go down and back to our waiting taxi. The struggle to go down was so real. Locals selling souvenirs were waiting at the foot of the pagoda to offer their goods.

We were then taken to our hotel to rest and be ready for the day's activities.

Thank you for reading and 'til next blog!

7 Interesting Things during our Yangon Adventure

I've always always wanted to visit Myanmar (Burma). I've been bugging my friend, ever since we started to travel, to have time to visit this country. I even made an itinerary and budget proposal just to convince her. However, due to schedule constraints, we were destined to visit the country at different times. No biggie. It was an opportunity for her to start solo travelling and for me to do as well. However, with a stroke of luck, I found a friend to share the adventure which was not bad at all. 

During our trip, I found these interesting things in Yangon:

1. Largest City: Yangon

This is the former capital and is the largest city of the country. It has a population of nearly six million which makes it the most important commercial center. It was November when we visited the city, which is already considered winter season but the temperature is almost 33 degrees. 

At the airport, we caught a taxi towards our hotel. We paid around 12,000 MMK for the ride and enjoyed the views on the way. Its a busy and exciting city. 

Before our trip started, I knew that Yangon was known for its traffic. We decided that it would be best to stay in a central place so that some of the places can be reached by foot. Another friend shared this very helpful map of Yangon Downtown.

2. Men wearing longyi

One of the first interesting things I noticed when I arrived in Myanmar is of men wearing longyi. A longyi is a sheet of cloth about 2 meters long and wrapped around the waist. Growing up and living in countries where men wore jeans or shorts, this was a very new thing. The longyi certainly suits the climate as it allows air to circulate and can keep women (and men) cool in the humid weather. 

2. Gold almost everywhere

The country stands by its recognition of being the Golden Land. Gold as the most precious metal can be seen in pagodas and accessories. Most pagodas are covered in gold leaves. The following places were where we saw the glistening gold.

a. Shwedagon Pagoda

Entrance Fee: 8,000 MMK (9 USD)

(Optional) Longyi Rental: 3,000 MMK

(Optional) Tour Guide: 10,000MMK

The visit would be incomplete if we did not set foot at this place. It is said to be 2,500 years old and enshrines strands of Buddha's hair and other sacred relics. From 8.2 meters, it now stands to about 100 meters and is covered with hundreds of goldplates. At the top of the stupa is where diamonds are located.

It also consists of other temples, statues and stupas and there were a lot of people praying and walking around. I would've sat around the grounds and stare in awe longer if I was just wasn't very hungry :)

One thing to remember is to leave your shoes at either of the entrances of this pagoda. I saw some visitors were allowed to bring their shoes in a plastic bag. Since we didn't know, we were allowed to leave our footwear with a local watching over it. Afterwards, she gave us some wet tissues to wipe our soles and in return of her labor, we gave her a donation.

b. Sule Pagoda

Entrance Fee: 3,000 MMK (2 USD)

This pagoda was very near to our hotel and we opted to just stare at it from a distance. It is 48 meters high and was decided as the center piece of Yangon  because of its strategic location, religious significance and artistic beauty.

c. Botataung Pagoda

Entrance Fee; 6,000 MMK

The name of this pagoda means 1,000 military leaders. When eight hair relics of Buddha arrived to Yangon from India, a guard of honour of 1,0000 military leaders was formed to pay respect to the relics.

I was particularly amazed with the golden walls of the main stupa. The stupa was hollow and visitors can walk through it while seeing several chambers that contain ancient artifacts protected by glass containers.

The main stupa from the outside. We were able to walk around and saw a pond filled with turtles.

3. Currency: Kyat (pronounced as chat)

I've read ahead that crisp USDs are the only notes accepted by money exchange stalls in Yangon. I have not tried this as I came from Thailand. I had no problem changing Baht to Kyat in the airport. Although, I have seen a number of money exchange down town as well.

As per google, 1 USD is around 1,200 MMK.

I'm thankful that my friend is good in Math and money. I was confused at the first sight of currency. Though Vietnam and Indonesian currency is also with a lot of zeroes in them, I'm still not used to it but later on got the hang of it :)

4. Heritage Walk

Our hotel was down town and with the use of the map (photo above), we tried to discover the places that we can reach by foot. This is the Mahabandoola Garden which is just a stones throw from the Sule Pagoda. I guess it is nice to hang out here and do people watching. There were also a number of stalls that sell food and drinks outside this park which means that one can never go hungry.

We wanted to do some heritage walk as the map suggested but the heat was so intense. There were nice old buildings in this part of town. I particularly liked this clock tower at the background. 

I almost forgot to write down that before we entered the park, 1 young boy in monk clothes came to us for donation. When we gave him some, another came to ask for the same thing. Although amused, we politely refused to give again. Later down the street, we found them. This time they were eagerly watching a man counting down the money they amassed. 

5. Food

I'm lucky to have an office acquaintance/ Facebook friend who lives in the city. Dr Chaw Su saw my Facebook post notifying that I was in Yangon. I truly appreciate her time to see me amidst her busy schedule. We were brought to a popular Myanmar Restaurant called Feel Myanmar Food. 

I've read blogs recommending this place and I could not have found it without Dr. Chaw inviting us. This long running place is where a big choice of freshly made dishes on display and all we had to do was point what we'd like to try. It was lunch time and the place was so full and busy. 

We were so full by the time I was done with my meal. The Myanmar food we ordered were so delicious though a bit oily. Then dessert was served. This was plate was delicious as well as the one after it. I was really very full I did not finish all. 

6. Friendly people

Aside from Dr Chaw, I observed that Myanmar people are very friendly. The staff in our hotel was very helpful and happy to answer our questions. While walking in the park, these men approached us. They were students and they came to us to practice their English through a conversation with us. They also tried to invite us to come to another island just near the city and reachable by ferry. However, we had a bus to Bagan to catch so we refused.

7.Bookshops

I love reading and I love books. While studying the city map, I found that there were a lot of book shops. True enough, during our short walk, I saw book shops along the street. Some were books in their language and some were in English. It's great to see them everywhere though I was not able to find one book that I liked, I enjoyed browsing through some interesting titles.

It was such a short and sweet stay in Yangon. We barely had enough time to see other interesting places such as the Reclining Buddha, Karaweik Palace and others. In the future, I may come back and see more. Thank you for reading and 'til next blog! :)