Welcome to Bagon
Bagon, home to over 3 thousand Pagodas! From Yangon we took a prop plane with excellent service to Bagan, landing in a very small unique airport. We were met by our handsome guide Zaw and driver Mr. Oung. Since it was about 10:30 in the morning and our rooms were not ready, we began our first day of touring with a lesson in Bagan history and a walk through the local Nyaung-u market. This market, bustling with activity seems to go on for miles. Vendors, sitting on dirt floors compete for sales. Many seem to be selling similar fruits and vegetables. Food is sold by weight in a measurement called viss= 1.6 kg. I saw one woman using a scale with carrots in one side and rocks in the other, very interesting.
Next we were taken to the Shwe-Zi-Gone Pagoda. There are many temples (for worship) and Pagodas (often monuments to a famous monk) here. Stupas and zede (tiny monuments to the dead) have ashes of deceased a monks.
In the three lovely days in Bagon we viewed Pagodas and temples from hills, mountains and by foot. I call it "death by Pagoda" the fatigue visually is overwhelming. But as the last day came to a close we began to revere and even appreciate the different styles and significance of many.
Our trip also included visiting a lacquer factory and a palm sugar factory where we had tea. We toured a weaving village where we learned about the daily life of the locals. We attended the Novitiate ceremony where babies of 2-3 yrs of age (monks to be) are paraded through town ending with a pot luck like gathering. Lots of food and music played by a band is enjoyed by invitation of friends and family. Yes these are boys all dressed up on the horses. Makeup and clothing represent that of princes.
Many Bagan people live in palm fronds homes and sleep on woven beds that are very hard with only a cloth under and over them. They sleep in the open under their palm frond roofs. The weather has been cool for the past two to three months. I've worn a sweater morning and evening every day. It does warm up a bit by mid afternoon enough to perspire just a little. Zaw told us that since 2010 that the summer temps have gone from an average high in the mid 30 c range to 45 c. Global warming is evident here as well.
In the evening we have climbed a hill to view Pagodas at sunset, had dinner at a puppet show restaurant, and one night we just went to bed very early. We enjoyed our time in Bagan and the company of our wonderful guide Zaw very much. Next stop, Mandalay.
tea for three!!
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