While waiting to board I sat by a Buddhist monk who was on his way home for the holidays. Like most of Asia, that has a buddhist religion, their is a water festival. It has different names in different countries but basically involves pelting each other with water bombs for a whole week.
The KTZ flight was due to leave at 8.00am but, due to the airport in Nyaung U being fog bound it left at around 8.30. The flight time was around 1 hour 15 minutes on a reasonably new twin prop ATR72-500 series.
I had a front seat, it may even have been first class!!!!
Once again I was the only westerner on the flight, I would say the only white person but there was also a albino Burmese....
The airline is new, so new in fact that the flight attendant did not appear to know how to fasten his jump safety belt and after the safety briefing struggled as the plane taxied then accelerated down the runway, eventually settling for holding together with his hands with a particularly embarrassed look on his face..
Once airborne we were served with coffee and croissants. I had a spare seat next to me and across on the 2-2 configuration was an older monk who seemed incapable of doing much for himself. He handed the fan, the newspaper and his bag to the flight attendant to place on the seat by me. Maybe they don't do a great deal for themselves such is their position. The flight was uneventful save me amusing the older monk by deftly squishing a pesky mosquito which had been buzzing me for some time, the window.
The journey was clear most of the way so as we were coming into land I got an excellent view if the plains of Bagan (meaning Pagan) and the literally thousands of Stupa, Pagoda and temples. It was an awesome sight.
A taxi was waiting for me at the airport to take me to the accommodation that the hostel owner in Yangon had arranged for me. Once through the arrivals hall, having had my passport checked and paid the obligatory 10US$ for entry into the heritage site I collected my luggage and made my way towards the taxi driver who was holding a sign saying' Mr Stephen, UK, Welcome to Bagan.
The hostel was lovely, rather like a Butlins chalet overlooking a beautiful Pagoda, also named Swhedagon, glinting In the early morning sun. At a cost of 15US$ per night it was perfect!
As I was shown to my room I was approached by a guy who offered his services as a guide. He owned one of the many horse and carts that operate the area taking tourists around the 42 sq km site. I agreed a price if 10,000 kyat for the afternoon and 30 minutes later I was climbing into the back camera at the ready.
It turned out to be a perfect morning. Three hours of visiting the most spectacular sites. Forget Siem Reap. This is much better! The guide was very knowledgable and spoke excellent English.
At one of the temples I was sold a sand painting. It was quite surreal sitting in a 1000 year old temple looking at his artwork, smoking.
At the end of the tour I took my guide for lunch and a beer and we agreed on an itinerary for the following day. Over lunch of an exquisite chicken curry and rice and beer, he told me a little bit about his family, married with two sons, a wife he claimed was mad and who had run up debts of 90,000USD on the Thai lottery. That seems a bit excessive!
We also discussed a bit about the country. Like most, he was very aware that it is prohibited to speak to foreigners about politics. All his comments were caveated with 'top secret' and animating his hands in handcuffs.
His view on the new civilian government was it was the same people, they had just removed their uniforms!
He had one had four horses and carts but had needed to sell three plus all his gold to pay the debts. While having lunch a female traveller came over for a chat. She was in Myanmar for a month and had also just arrived in Bagan the previous day. I recommended him to the girls. They booked him for the afternoon and I got a lift back to the hostel in the back of a pick-up.
After a short rest I made my way across the road to the Shwedagon pagoda. There is a covered archway approaching the Pagoda, on either side are tourist shops. I was approached by a lady, eager to sell me something, then another, then another. I told them I would look on the way out and rather foolishly left my flip flops in their care. The Pagoda once again was fascinating, very very similar to the one by the same name in Yangon but equally as impressive. After sitting and waiting for the sun to go down, taking some photos, I decided to make my way back and prepare to be harassed. And harassed I was too. I had decided to separate 6000kyat and make sure each of the two girls got half by buying some useless trinket. The plan worked in part but I was then getting harassed by other storekeepers, one oven asking me to open my bag to check I had no money. In the end enough was enough and followed by yells of 'you'll promise to one back tomorrow' I left. Wandered down the road and had a beer.
By 7.00pm I was sitting outside my cheat and the guide joined me fir a cigarette. He invited me for beer. I suspect I would have been paying the bill and given there are no ATM's or credit cards I really do have to watch the money! Especially as the Burmese are particularly keen not to take USD that are not new!!
By 9.00 I was in my room writing my blog. To be posted once I'm out of the country, not that I have much choice. The Internet connections are too poor.....
Till tomorrow!!!
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Location:Bagan, Myanmar
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