Bagan

Continuing on the theme of more pics, less words and load ’em up before the battery dies…

From Ha-pan we travelled by bus; first to Bago and then caught a tuk-tuk to the main highway. In Bago we had a few hours to kill so did a quickie tour. Above is a photo of a monastery with novices praying. Novices who fall asleep get whacked with a rolled up paper.

Below is a giant 100 year old python, resting his weary non-bones at a pagoda. He also had a swimming pool but was sound asleep when we saw him.

While waiting for our over night bus to Bagan we watched the water buffalo carts going home at sunset.

Bagan is one of the top tourist sites in Myanmar, a huge plain filled with pagodas and stupas. We spent three days there, riding bikes and exploring. Although it was interesting, and at times stupendous, it was by far and away the most touristic place we visited with many vendors trying to sell us knick-knacks.

In one of the pagodas we saw statues of ancient, pre-Buddhist, Nats. There are many types of Nats and they still hold a special place in Myanmar worship.

From Bagan we took a rugged bus trip to Mandalay. The road was rough and sometimes the bus actually forded streams rather than cross on rickety bridges!