Right, a
day on a horse cart. The cart had only one axle, so the ride was doomed to be a
bit like riding on a camel. The horse was a bit small and thin but never the
less happy and agile. The start was early, 07:30 and the price: 17 000 Kyat.
We agreed
on the itenary yesterday, together with the licensed guide, and this was it:
- Ananda temple + Ananda
Ok Kyaung + Monastery
- Dhammayamgyi
- Sulammami
- Gubyaukkyi
- Mamuha
- Nat ta village monastery
- Nampaya
- Abeyadama
- Ngagayam
- Shwesamdaw
Quick
breakfast on the beautiful terrace with the river and the far river bank still
partly cover by the morning fog. The ride started slow. In fact, the horse
drawn carts were slower then a easy bicycle ride. Equipped with a lot of beers
and time we rode to some of the main temples we didn´t manage to see yesterday.
Since I was the photographer on this trip, the horsey had to endure me jumping
on/off all the time, on the far end of the cart. All 93-95kg of me :D. The cart
was comfortable, with cloth shades and soft pillows but the rocky ride needed
some time to adjust to.
A quick
look in the most beautiful and grand Ananda, than a visit to the amazing wall
paintings in the Ananda
Ok Kyaung before all
the busses with tourists come and off we went. We heard this strange laoud
musicso we asked the driver to follow the noise. On the back side of the Ananda
we had this amazing luck to see a massive procession of kids entering the monastery/nunnery.
Probably because of the Water Festival and the holidays there were plenty of
rich families in the procession to the Ananda temple. A HUGE cortege! All the
boys with make up on horses and all the girls in decorated ox carts. You could
clearly see that these families were not poor and the driver said they all came
from Yangon. Compared to the children processions we saw in Yangon and
Mandalay, this was the real deal. All bells and whistles! Amazing show! In
fact, it was my most exciting memory from Myanmar. I felt like we moved in time
about 600 years.
We continued
to the different temples on the itenary. As soon as we entered a large temple,
we sat down and enjoyed the shady, cool inside of every temple. We engaged in
many funny conversations with the locals, we had our picture taken with tens of
families and it was generally a very happy and tranquil ride. Riding around half
the day in slow horse phase and watching temples is the shit in Bagan. Except the
temples, there was however another jewel, the wooden monastery in the Nat ta village! An old wooden teak monastery more than
200 years old. Still serving as an active monastery. That day , some rich dude
was funding the main meal at 12:00 and the whole monastery was decorated with
red carpets and nice table cloths. We timed it, by chance, to see the monks
eat. The carved roof in parts still had the original colours. The whole monastery
was almost as beautiful as the royal temple in Mandalay. It felt at least as
impressive that day.
From the Nat
ta village, we had lunch at the same “all in Myanmar buffet meal” near the
Tharaba gate. Good! Starting to live like a Buddhist monk! A meal at 12:00 and
later just drinking (beer). Question, how come we paid 17 000 for the buffet yesterday
and 10 000 today? We compared the check, I took a photo and the difference was
one Coke, that´s it. Generally it´s much cheaper to eat then drink in Myanmar.
The prices are low. But it still sucks that these friendly people make this
kind of scams. Put 20 000 in the menu if you must and don´t give me
different prices for the same service/items every day.
And how
about the hawkers? I mean, c´mon! Even if I wanted to buy something I give up
since they attack you as soon as you arrive. Please, lte me look at the stuff
you sell and I´ll buy something for sure. But NO, not stopping there! They
follow you around inside the temple and even follow the horse cart on mopeds
and try to push the sand paintings and fake rubies & sapphires. Shite! It ruins
the whole experience. How I missed the friendly hawkers in Cambodia. They
seemed like angels in comparison. I´ve never seen so aggressive hawkers in Asia.
Not even at Pearl market in Beijing! They certainly know how to destroy an
experience. The hawkers in the Minkaba village were so aggressive that I got
really pissed. Another annoying thing when walking bare foot around the outside
of the temples....Acacia thorns. Ouch! PAIN!
We ended
the day on a overcrowded Shwesamdaw paya, looking at the sunset, Most of teh
tourist were photographying the govensment´s lookout tower :D suckers. The
biggest show was not the sunset itself, since it was quite hazy and the last 20
minutes the sun was hidden behind clouds. No,
in stead we looked at all the different tourists and how they
experienced Bagan in so many different ways. Laughing, seriously, religious,
commercial, “another tic on my list”, spontaneous, bored...all kinds of
experiences on one1000+ years old stone pyramid representing the greatness of the humans. How we all can join
forces and build something that great to honour a God we believe in. We don´t do much of those constructions nowadays.
I guess our modern god, the money, does not require that stable places to
worship. Show me a stock market building or a shopping mall that is 2000 years
old. Sun down, time to go. It felt a bit like the sun set in Angor Wat.
Everybody is talking about how great it is and everybody is just happy that
it´s over and they leave.
On the way back I noticed that every location with more than three houses was
preparing for the Water festival. It is starting tomorrow! I guess I better
protect my camera in some way. I use a bike messenger bag so the bas is OK but
it depends on the amount of water we get hit with. Being a foreigner, we will
be open pray in every village and for every kid equipped with a water gun. They
even built a stage just outside the hotel lobby. Prepare to get wet. Very wet!
In the evening,
after a refreshing swim, we had a nice dinner at the hotel. 47usd Ouch! A huge
bowl of shan noodles and teryaki butter fish with two beers. Very tasty, massive
potions but c´mon..the price was a little bit off. Sitting at the terrace,
overlooking the mighty, somewhat dry Aywarwady river, full stomach and waiting
for a long drink. FAKK the 50 dollars! Life is good!
