The Plains of Bagan

 

Just a few of the many, many temples that scatter the plains of Bagan

There is perhaps no better way to arrive in a foreign land than by trotting to your hotel at 5:30 in the morning in the bed of a horse-drawn carriage with only the crisp morning dawn air surrounding you.  We had arrived in the much-anticipated plains of Bagan via overnight bus, and we hadn't really slept all that much.  The sleepy surrounds only fueled the dreamlike state we were both in.  In retrospect, we overpaid for our cart ride, but in truth, when the bus dropped us off, we didn't actually know where we were – Bagan is really more of a small region, comprised of three villages.  We had made hotel reservations (the old school way, no less, by telephone), so we had a place to stay, we just had to figure out how to get there.  Tourists aren't uncommon in Bagan these days, but we're still relatively few and new to the area, so we stick out.  The cart driver knew our hotel, so off we went.  

Matt cycling his way out of the village of Nyaung-U

The lovely little dirt roads around Bagan

Wonderful light in one of the temples

An upgraded bike on the 2nd day=)

After a few hours of non-bumpy sleep we set out to find some lunch, landing in a wonderful little local joint.  Bellies full, the next task was finding some bikes for exploring the area.  We grabbed a couple of (mostly) functional sets of wheels from the hotel and headed out into the hot afternoon for our first taste of the magnificent temple-filled plains of Bagan.  The fairy tale continued as we headed out of town onto the dirt paths that connected the hundreds and hundreds of temples that were nearly a thousand years old.  At the height of power in this area, there were as many as 10,000 temples that dotted these rolling hills.  Over 2,000 remain today, so you can imagine the awe that this area inspires.  

One of the many Buddhas

Simply stunning sunsets

A temple for ourselves all evening -- doesn't get any better!

A local woman amongst the temples

We spent the next 3 days getting lost, climbing into and up over ruins and temples, getting dusty and dirty and loving every minute of it.  A few of the larger temples see more tourists, but the vast majority sit quietly amongst the long blades of dry grass and local fields.  It was an unbelievable treat to be more or less alone in this truly remarkable landscape.  Occasionally we would pass locals in their oxen or steer-drawn carts, or folks working in their fields, but mostly it felt like we were the only two humans in this dream-scape.
  

Waiting for the sun to come up on day 3 in Bagan

A cart heading out for the day just after sunrise

Matt working on a shot

Awesome architecture

Beautiful interiors

Up on a temple with the tripod=)

Burmese script

The temples were filled with ancient Buddha statues, Burmese Buddhist script and the remains of frescoes and inscriptions along the walls.  It was incredibly peaceful, beautiful, and personal.  Our evenings were spent watching the sun set behind the spires of the temples, then furiously cycling our way back to the village before the light disappeared as electricity was intermittent or non-existent.  When it darkened, we would wear our headlamps to make our way around and out to dinner, where we found a rare café that served Myanmar beer in ice cold mugs, a real treat after a hot and dusty day.  The beer was accompanied by delicious Burmese dishes and each night we retired happy and satisfied to be in such an amazing place.
  

Myanmar beer and delightful food

Work in the fields of Bagan

Love the interiors!

Deserted temples

Pondering the fairy tale

Tired, but happy after cycling out in the dark to catch this sunrise!  =)

The temples and plains of Bagan still feel a bit like a dream or fairy tale.  But like all good stories, this chapter needed to close in order for a new one to begin.  Before we knew it, we had made plans to try the local "slow boat" up to Mandalay.  Our trishaw driver arrived early in the morning in the total silence of the village, we fastened our bags on and squeezed ourselves into the two little seats and he slowly pedaled along the deserted road to the river as that beautiful misty air surrounded us once again.  We quietly boarded the still boat, carefully stepping over the sleeping locals and found a spot near the back.  It wasn't long before someone started the fire in the kitchen area and water began boiling for hot tea and coffee.  As the boat roared to life in the dawn, it was time for another adventure in this truly magical land.

Click below for more spectacular views of Bagan!