Bagan

I'm outa here


I've forgotten how long this bustrip from Mandalay to Bagan was but I do remember it wasn't pleasant.
After about a day or so bouncing along country roads on a wooden seat squished like a sardine most
of the time (with lungs full of dust & diesel) my butt was as sore as it has ever been.

The Temples

Bagan must be one of the strangest places on earth in that there are literally
thousands of one thousand year old temples virtually abandoned in the terrain,
most overgrown with weeds !




To me this circumstance, coupled with a serious scarcity of tourists
makes it far more interesting than Ankor Wat in Cambodia.






It was cool cycling around aimlessly and not see another tourist all day.
Truly fascinating !




This must be the only place in the world where one can squat in 1000 year old
temples and use a statue of a god that's older than England to hang your clothes on
before you go to sleep at night.

The town market

Of all the strange make-up antics around the world,
this burmese mellow yellow one must be one of the most practical.
It involves this yellow wood ground up to make a powder that you simply smear
all over your face and/or body. Mainly women and children seem to use it.







Koh Phi Phi revisited