March 01, 2003 Bagan, Myanmar
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I read about it, and thought it sounded neat, but since it's easy to be disappointed if your hopes are too high, I had low expectations. But it turns out Bagan is more breathtaking than I dreamed possible. What is it? In a word, temples. We're talking 2000+ temples, all built in a relatively small area. You look around and paya surround you as far as you can see. It's like you're in a huge museum of archeology.
Noel and I rented shitty bikes to do some exploring. We visited several temples, and learned the best feature of Bagan is the seer number of buildings, but not the buildings themselves. Firstly, they're all basically the same. There's two basic designs: the bell-shaped zedi, which don't have an interior, and the square pahto, which have an inside, but are often closed off. If they're open, the upstairs parts are usually closed. When you can go downstairs, the only things to see are a bunch of Buddhas. The walls are usually frescoed with "Buddha wallpaper," which must have looked splendid back in the day, but now has large parts missing, and is often whitewashed over (as part of the "restoration" process). In fact, there's alot of whitewashing, as well as construction that is obviously new, and clashes with the ancient temples. This is what the $10 entry fee pays for. I wish they'd just leave them alone.
Since there are only three kinds of Buddhas (sitting, standing, reclining), looking at them gets old pretty quick. The best features of the pahto are the stairs that lead to the top, which provide spectacular views when you can climb them.
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The other problem with the temples is the people. They are sacred enough that you have to take your shoes off, but not enough to prevent them from selling their wares in them. Tee shirts, laquerware, paintings, carvings, post cards. There's some good stuff, but it's the same everywhere, and they won't leave you alone. Then there are the guys trying to help you (" slowly, slowly"), who will want a present when you leave. It's annoying, and spoils the experience.
So I took my bike down one of the sandy tracks to get away from the touristy temples. I found a neat overgrown one filled with, surprise, Buddhas, when I realized I had two flat tires. Mountain bikes would be nice here. After limping back to town for a replacement, I rode to a quite paya to watch the sunset. This paya "belonged" to a family who sell paintings inside, and whos kids helpfully give you a candle and guide you up the dark stairs. Of course they ask for a present when you leave. It's still good, though, and I can see spending a couple days here, even though I've been spending alot of money on food and souvenirs (I spent $20 today, $11 of which was on two interesting paintings).