Wednesday to Saturday - Bagan and more

We have 1990s Internet here. A page takes 30 seconds or so to load and getting photos on is not possible. So I think I'll save them and post them in Dubai.

After a different Christmas Day we set off back towards Yangon on the bus. The bus was a 40 sweater which had been recycled from another country I.e. old. We were heading to the Golden Rock - a famous Buddhist shrine. So the journey involved a 3 hour bus journey to the base of a hill. We then jumped in the back of tipper lorries - the kind which deliver 20 tonne loads of sand. There are 50 or so of these lorries with basic benches fitted in lines across the back. When full of Burmese there are 50 people jammed in the back of the lorry for the ride up the hill . We had our own truck - bit of an experience. It's a pretty steep hill, with bends and hairpins and they race up the hill with you hanging on for your life. No real elf'n'safety . Having survived this its another 45 minute walk to the top up a flipping steep road.

 

Our hotel was perched on the top with lovely views - or so everyone else told us! The hotel was full and we got the worst room ever - it was small , smelly , no view, the bed was rubbish , sheets smelled mouldy - easily the worst hotel room of the trip! So spoiled the experience somewhat and we had little sleep too...

 

The golden rock is just that - a rock perched precariously on the top of a mountain which is gold. It's gold because thousands of pilgrims come up the mountain to cover it with gold leaf. And all around it is a scene from Buddha does Disneyland , hundreds of people set up camp for the night paying respects and all of the paraphernalia that goes with it . Again too loud and garish for me but brilliant to watch the people.

Thursday back down the mountain in reverse and another long drive to Yangon stopping to visit some stuphas and temples on the way. Then up at 3:45 ,(yes 3:45) to leave the hotel at 4:30 for our 6:15 flight to Bagan where we are now. We're staying at the 'Amazing Bagan Resort' which is lovely. We've been out to see the temples over the last few days of which more later but have managed to catch up on sleep and washing which is great. We leave tomorrow for a boat journey on the Irrawaddy on the 'road to Mandalay' - this and the Bagan temples will be the next blog

 

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