Myanmar (Burma), Bagan
15/12/04 Filed in: Travel
The 9 hour boat ride from Mandalay to Bagan offered
ample time to learn and play a fascinating Chinese
card game. All I can tell you is that 2’s are
highest and you lead with the 3 of clubs. Though I
have now played the game hundreds of times, I am
still amazed that someone who seems to be loosing can
suddenly win at the last moment. If you ever have a
long trip with friends it’s a fun and
challenging game to play.
Arriving in Bagan one of the first things you notice is that there are very few cars and most people move about by bicycle or horse cart. After settling in we arrange for a horse cart to pick us up before dawn. Long ago this once great city was rocked by a earthquake, now all that remains are thousands of pagodas spread out across the plane. Before sunrise we head out in our horse cart, passing in the half-light what seems like hundreds of massive structures. The only sound is the clip-clop of the horse along the road.
After some time we arrive at a large pagoda and are escorted inside and up narrow passageways to old steep stone steps. We walk out onto a small ledge and finally look out onto a sea of pagodas rising from the morning mist, just in time for the rising sun. It’s an awe-inspiring sight and one can only imagine at the former greatness of this ancient city.
After sunset we continue on by horse cart, spending the whole day exploring many different pagodas and what remains of the old city.
Please check out all the photos on my SE Asia Portfolio page available at NavaSwan.com
Arriving in Bagan one of the first things you notice is that there are very few cars and most people move about by bicycle or horse cart. After settling in we arrange for a horse cart to pick us up before dawn. Long ago this once great city was rocked by a earthquake, now all that remains are thousands of pagodas spread out across the plane. Before sunrise we head out in our horse cart, passing in the half-light what seems like hundreds of massive structures. The only sound is the clip-clop of the horse along the road.
After some time we arrive at a large pagoda and are escorted inside and up narrow passageways to old steep stone steps. We walk out onto a small ledge and finally look out onto a sea of pagodas rising from the morning mist, just in time for the rising sun. It’s an awe-inspiring sight and one can only imagine at the former greatness of this ancient city.
After sunset we continue on by horse cart, spending the whole day exploring many different pagodas and what remains of the old city.
Please check out all the photos on my SE Asia Portfolio page available at NavaSwan.com