We start the day with breakfast at the Peacock Lodge
Delicious Shan noodle and and pickled tea leaves served by the Inn.
We proceed to the Shwenandaw Monastery, built fully with finely carved teakwood in typical Burmese architectural style and which used to be part of the Royal Palace. It was where King Mindon lived in the 1850s. The monastery is special as both the interior and exterior is covered with intricate teak carvings, with carved depictions of mythical creatures, animals, dancers and flowers.
In the past, the structure was completely gilded and decorated with glass mosaics but these are now gone. You should however go into the monastery to see the more intricate carvings that have been protected from wear and tear from sunlight and rain.
Monks' quarters
We then head towards the Kuthodaw Pagoda
Singers on the road. They move their cart while they sing
We visit a market on the way. These are pickled tea leaves, an everyday food for the locals
Spices and dried goods being sold in the market
We reach the Kuthodaw Pagoda. It lies at the foot of Mandalay Hill and was built during the reign of King Mindon. The stupa itself is 57m high
Entrance to the Kuthodaw Pagoda
The famous whitewashed Buddhist stupas. These 729 stupas make up the world's largest book
A stone inscription that was originally in gold letters and borders
You can purchase some of these colourful lotus flowers as offerings for the Buddha
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We stop for lunch at Pakokku Daw Lay May, an eatery popular with locals. The food is not cheap but the place is clean and the food is superb.
The assortment of side dishes
Pickled tea leaf soup. It's salty and sour and quite appetising.
Myanmese beef curry at about 3000 kyat (USD 3)
We then proceed to the airport to board a domestic flight to Bagan
Air Bagan
Prince Guest House
The landscaping inside the Guest House
Innkepeeper at Prince Guest House
We proceed by taxi (again pre-arranged with the inn) to Bagan to try to catch the sunset. Bagan is an ancient city located in Mandalay. From the 9th to 13th centuries, the city was the capital of the Kingdom of Pagan, the first kingdom to unify the regions that would later constitute modern Myanmar. During the kingdom's height between the 11th and 13th centuries, over 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas and monasteries were constructed in the Bagan plains alone, of which the remains of over 2200 temples and pagodas still survive to the present day.
Climb up one of the stupas and watch as the color landscape changes as the sun begins to set
It was quite cloudy so there wasn't much of the sunset. However, the atmosphere is serene and reflective, almost indescribable in words. It is something you will have to experience for yourself.
A restaurant we passed by
Prince Guest House
Face au Bagan Resort, Anawhrata Road ,Thiripyisaya Township
Bagan, Myanmar
Tel: +95 6160411
Room rate: From US$20 to US$25 for a double room.
Room rate: From US$20 to US$25 for a double room.
