Bagan

Pagodas - Ayerwaddy River in Background

 We have been here a couple days and are totally impressed by this place.  The scope alone is difficult to fathom, let alone the incredible beauty.  The first day here, we climbed up a narrow staircase in one of the pagodas and watched the sunset.  It was inspiring!  Yesterday we rented bicycles for 1500 kyats (about 1.50) and spent the morning bicycling and looking at more pagodas.  Today we rented bicycles again and saw more pagodas, temples, stupas and Buddhas, climbing one very tall pagoda to catch the view at the top – amazing!  This afternoon we hired a horsecart and driver (Soe Win) and he took us to several more pagodas, including some on the Ayerwaddy River.  He also took us for a ride through his village and showed us his home.  He said he was born in this little village just outside of Old Bagan.  He talked about his family, politics, his horse, work, the village all while taking us the back, less traveled way to some incredible pagodas, the last being a great place to climb and watch the sunset.  It was a great day!  If you happen to visit Bagan, look for Cart #71.



Two Pagodas or Stupas

Two Buddhas



Amanda Temple (The Largest)

If you had a week, you couldn’t possibly visit all the pagodas here which total somewhere close to 3,000 with each containing at least one, and often several Buddha.  I have read that the pagodas started to be built in this area around 950, reaching a peak around 1200.  By 1287, it is thought they were beginning to be abandoned.  There are many theories as to what happened – the most accepted being that they were invaded by the Mongols, but no one is really sure and one expert says the people never really left. 

A Temple

They have withstood earthquakes including a major one in 1975 and the Burmese continue to restore and rebuild these amazing structures constantly but, unfortunately, not always correctly and some of she statues look almost cartoonish.  Still, they are amazing and impossible to describe.  The photos here do not even begin to capture the magnitude of this place, but it’s the best I can do.  This place, in my opinion, is the highlight of Myanmar and I am very happy that I was able to experience it.  Come here if you can – and soon! 

A Beautiful Sunset