Bagon Day 1

Today, we ate our boxed breakfasts at 5 a.m. in the lobby of our Yangon hotel, then drove to the airport to check in and to wait for our plane to Bagan to depart. As soon as we arrived in Bagan, we started to sightsee.

The first thing you see in Bagan are the very many temples, stupas, and pavilions.  There are over 2,200 of them left from over 10,000 of them built between the 9th and 13th centuries AD by kings and wealthy people. The Bagan Archeological Zone covers 40 square miles (104 sq. km.) and, traveling through it, you see one temple, stupa, and pavilion after another and another and another. Quite an incredible sight.

Nyaung-U Market

Our first stop was at the Nyaung–U morning market.

Shwezigon Pagoda

Our next stop was at the Shwezigon Pagoda, built in 1102 AD during the Pagan Dynasty. It is covered in gold leaf.

Shwezigon Pagoda

In a room at the pagoda complex were statues of “nats.” There are 37 great nats, which are spirits, and other lesser nats, most of the which were human beings who met violent deaths.

Ananda Temple

We next visited the Ananda Temple, built in 1105 AD.

Ananda Temple

There are four large Buddha statues in the temple, one facing east, one west, one north, and one south.

Thiripyitsaya Sanctuary Resort

Manuha Temple

Manuha Temple

A reclining Buddha is in the temple squeezed in a very narrow enclosure, representing Manuha”s displeasure with his captivity and his lack of comfort.

Horse and Cart Ride

Our next adventure was taking horse and cart rides to the Shwe Daw Pagoda, where we would view the sunset.

Shew San Daw Pagoda

The Shew San Daw Pagoda was built in 1057 AD by King Anawrahta at the center of his kingdom.  It has five terraces and you climb up its stairs, barefoot, to view the sunset.

Sunset at the Shew San Daw Pagoda

The sunset over the Bagan temples viewed from the Shew San Daw Pagoda.

Dinner and Puppet Show

We next had dinner with a puppet show at a restaurant.

Dinner and Puppet Show

We had to wait for a long time for our dinner of rice, curry, and some other dishes. Some I liked.

Puppet Show–MOVIE

We would call the Myanmar puppets “marionettes.” The Burmese term for them is yoke the and it is the local from of string puppetry. Each puppet has 18–19 wires and is controlled by only one puppeteer. They were enjoyable but I didn’t have a good seat from which to take movies, but here is one.

This was the end of our very long first day in Bagan. I have put my photos of this day on a slideshow:

http://www.peggysphotos.com/bagan–day–1/

(Slide Shows, Asia–2, Myanmar, “Bagan: Day 1”).

Bagan Day 2

We started the day walking around the temples and shrines.

Thatbyinnyu Temple

We walked around the Thatbyinnyu Temple, built in the 12th century.

Palm Tree Workshop

We next drove out to the countryside to visit a palm tree workshop. Peanuts are also grown here. This Brahman cow walks around to grind the peanuts.

Palm Tree Workshop

A palm tree climber who will collect toddy (palm tree juice) from the tree. Palm tree juice is used liquor, molasses, oils, and other products.

Gubyaukgyi Temple

We drove back to Bagan and visited the Gubyaukgyi Temple, built in the early 13th century AD.

Gubyaukgyi Temple

The walls of the temple were covered with frescoes of the Jataka tales, which is a very large body of literature native to India that tells about the previous births of Buddha in both human and animal forms.

Home-Hosted Lunch

We had lunch at a private house, where we sat on the floor under low tables. Lunch included curry, rice, and some other dishes.

Sunset Cruise

We went back to our hotel for a short period of time, then were off again to take a sunset cruise. This was the end of day 2. I have put my photos of day 2 on two slideshows:

http://www.peggysphotos.com/bagan–day–2a/

http://www.peggysphotos.com/bagan–day–2b/

(Slide Shows, Asia–2, Myanmar, “Bagan: Day 2A and 2B”).