Tag: Pagan

Journey To Burma (Myanmar) & Langkawi Via Kuala Lumpur, Day Six, From Pagan (Bagan) To Kalaw Via Mount Popa, 8 November 1998

Mount Popa & Popa Village

Set off for Mount Popa and Kalaw – first stop a small palm sugar, hut (cottage industry) [and plantation]…

…then on to Mount Popa (Popa Village initially) where we faffed around with cases and stuff, I took coconut water…

… and then we visited the Nat’s Palace – climbed up Mount Popa (700 steps), passing traders, monkeys, floor sweepers, etc. Stunning view at the top (not least the village below).

…Daisy scored a bull’s-eye in the money Buddha, winning merits rather than money. Long climb down I tried but failed to twist my ankle. Then off to stunning Mount Popa Resort for splendid view and good lunch with Thai beef salad.

After lunch – headed off for long drive through Kyaukpadaung (palm sugar capital). Then stopped at Meiktila for soft drink, stretch legs (Kyaw went off to buy wood to repair my case). Then through Tazie – then Bo village Yinmabin. (Dusk, lots of people walking around, truckers take lunch)…

…then, as it got dark through villages [we] got a flat just before Nan Pan Tat – (even more frustrating because we got overtaken again by the traffic jam of trucks, which had held us up before the flat) – eventually reached Ye Ya (4 miles from Kalaw), and then Kalaw at 8:30 !!

Dinner late included sesame chicken I liked and fish with black beans, which Daiso liked. Relatively cold night in clean but slightly spartan Pine Hill Resort.

The photographs from this day are pictures 41 to 59 in this Flickr album – click here or below:

01 No sooner have we disembarked... BM_1998_J03_ (34)

A placeholder piece which shows the full itinerary and has links to the albums of all our photographs for this trip can be found by clicking here or the link below:

Journey To Burma (Myanmar) & Langkawi Via Kuala Lumpur, Placeholder & Links, 2 To 24 November 1998

Journey To Burma (Myanmar) & Langkawi Via Kuala Lumpur, Day Five, A Day Touring Pagan (Bagan), 7 November 1998

Driver Din Tun. Nyaumig U Market -> Shweizigon Pagoda _>Gupyauk Kyi Temple -> Hticomingo Temple -> Archeological Museum -> Maha Bagan (lunch) -> Ananda Temple -> Shwesandaw Pagoda

I wrote a little summary block (see above) at the head of the page(s) of notes for this day of frenzied activity touring Pagan. I possibly wrote that note in our Thiripyitsaya Hotel cottage, depicted below.

Set off after breakfast for Nyaung U market – saw food market, and then on to goods market where we bought eingyis [female longyis], shirts and flip-flops (after a long session of trial and error).

Kyaw, Janie & I compare notes between shopping and touring. Janie easily wrapped up her negotiations for eingyis, whereas Kyaw and I flip-flopped and wilted in our negotiations for sandals.

Then on to Shwezigon Pagoda and monastery with lottery wheel gizmo and monks reciting and praying…

..then on to Gubyaukgyi Temple with fine frescoes, then on to Htilominlo – with four Buddahs and fragments of plaster. Bought Kyaw a Tom Clancy!

Not sure if we were prohibited from photographing the above temples or just “templed out” by that stage, but the above links have some good public domain pictures for you to see if you want to know what each temple looked like.

Turn on to archaeological museum which was a grand building but lacked electricity and air-conditioning. Had lunch at Maha Bagan where we tasted fried giant river shrimps and fried pork chop which I liked and sweet-and-sour fish which Daisy liked.

Museum

Staggered through lacquerware factory – shop – little of note but bought some dishes – then onto siesta…

…after which we [went to] Ananda OK Kyaung (monastery with everyday frescoes), then Ananda Pahto, a fine temple with four giant Buddhas (20 original) and an amazing photographer who sold us lacquer frames.

Ananda OK Kyaung
Ananda Pahto

Ananda who’s kissing her (or ringing her bell) now?

Finally, onto Shwesenddaw Pagoda to see sunset (got great photos [see headline picture and below], but got clipped by a novice monk for the privilege.)

Dinner at sunset restaurant – we found duck last plus more of those shrimps – Kyaw dined with his family instead.

The photographs from this day are pictures 13 to 40 in this Flickr album – click here or below:

01 No sooner have we disembarked... BM_1998_J03_ (34)

A placeholder piece which shows the full itinerary and has links to the albums of all our photographs for this trip can be found by clicking here or the link below:

Journey To Burma (Myanmar) & Langkawi Via Kuala Lumpur, Placeholder & Links, 2 To 24 November 1998

Journey To Burma (Myanmar) & Langkawi Via Kuala Lumpur, Day Four – Part Two, Evening Tour Of Pagan (Bagan), 6 November 1998

Quick stop at our Thiripyitsaya Hotel (stunning cottages) before setting off for one monastery – (Mingalazedi Pagoda) where we climb to the top and see view

– then on to Bupaya for stunning river view and prayers for our folks – Janie dispensed hundreds of pens to charming children.

Dinner at Si Thu with puppet show and dancing. Pork balls, quite good and for once an edible beef curry. Not much else of note – deservedly early night.

The photographs from this second part of this day are pictures 01 to 12 in this Flickr album – click here or below:

01 No sooner have we disembarked... BM_1998_J03_ (34)

A placeholder piece which shows the full itinerary and has links to the albums of all our photographs for this trip can be found by clicking here or the link below:

Journey To Burma (Myanmar) & Langkawi Via Kuala Lumpur, Placeholder & Links, 2 To 24 November 1998

Journey To Burma (Myanmar) & Langkawi Via Kuala Lumpur, Day Four – Part One, Cruise From Mandalay To Pagan (Bagan), 6 November 1998

Rose ridiculously early (4 am) – I tried to persuade Ko Khaw to collect us with a trishaw while we were still sleeping, but he refused our request.

Instead we collected packed breakfast and set off at 4:45 for the river port. In almost pitch darkness, we crossed two local ferry boats already team with people, food and trade [see headline picture and those that follow] on to the “tourist vote” – more luxurious.

Much to photograph at sunrise on the first stretch, then little to see, apart from the occasional stops where vendors tried to sell us bananas and monounauk (palm sugar and rice cake). So we read, took some sun, caught up on sleep. Had a long, lingering, packed lunch – slept some more – read some more – take a little more sun and photographed our arrival at Pagan (Bagan).

The photographs from the first part of this day are pictures 75 to 90 in this Flickr album – click here or below:

01 4 November 1998 - Worshippers in the women's section of the Maha Muni Pagoda in Mandalay BM_1998_J01_ (2)

A placeholder piece which shows the full itinerary and has links to the albums of all our photographs for this trip can be found by clicking here or the link below:

Journey To Burma (Myanmar) & Langkawi Via Kuala Lumpur, Placeholder & Links, 2 To 24 November 1998