Day
14
Mandalay
-
Bagan
by
express
ferry
11
h.
It
is
still
dark,
when
we
leave
our
hotel
to
catch
the
Mandalay-Bagan-Express
ferry,
leaving
5.30
am.
The
streets
are
already
pretty
crowded,
most
people
are
helping
themselves
with
candles
or
small
fires,
because
electricity
is
very
limited
and
hardly
available
for
lightning,
We
wish
good
luck
to
our
driver.
Once
on
the
boat,
Liliane
will
be
seated
for
many
hours
in
the
saloon
area,
while
the
rest
of
the
family
will
remain
on
the
upperdeck
for
sightseeing
-
pretty
chilly,
so
early
in
the
morning.
It
is
a
highlight
to
see
the
departure
of
the
ferry,
the
bypassing
stupas
and
temples
of
Sagain
with
the
Ava
bridge
and
the
unforgetable
sunrise.
It
will
be
a
lazy
day,
because
furtheron,
the
Ayeryarwady
river
becomes
so
wide
that
there
is
hardly
anything
to
see
on
flat
banks.
However,
there
are
about
5
stops,
during
which
we
can
watch
the
locals
jumping
in
the
water
between
the
bank
and
the
boat.
They
try
to
sell
food,
fruit,
drinks,
blankets
etc...always
remaining
very
friendly
and
charming,
despite
that
they
sell
hardly
anything.
Our
ferry
also
made
a
stop
in
the
middle
of
the
river
with
an
upcoming
ferry,
to
exchange
spare
parts.
The
ferry
arrives
in
Old
Bagan
around
4.30
pm
and
as
soon
as
we
go
on
land,
we
have
to
pay
an
entrance
fee
of
10
$
to
enter
the
Bagan
Archeological
site.
There
are
some
representatives
from
the
hotels,
who
will
take
care
of
their
guests.
We
are
pleased
to
find
right
away
our
driver
with
our
minibus.
The
representative
for
the
hotel
Aungmingalar
tells
us
that
they
have
rooms
free
and
we
hurry
up
to
that
hotel.
Arriving
there,
we
easely
get
two
rooms
with
a
sitting
place
outside,
situated
in
a
nice
garden
with
the
Shwezigon
Paya
in
front
of
us,
some
distance
away
-
illuminated
at
night.
There
is
also
a
dispute
going
on
with
a
couple
arriving
after
us.
They
have
made
a
reservation
a
few
days
before
by
phone,
but
apparently
can
not
get
a
room
anymore.
After
a
tough
discusion,
they
get
an
upgraded
room.
After
a
short
rest,
we
return
with
the
driver
to
old
Bagan
and
we
climb
on
a
temple
to
see
the
sunset.
It
is
promising
and
many
tourists
are
pushing
to
have
the
best
place
to
catch
pictures....but
we
return
to
the
hotel
after
halve
an
hour,
because
the
sun
disappears
after
some
fine
clouds
far
away.
The
hotel
has
no
restaurant
anymore,
but
there
is
a
restaurant
on
the
street
next
to
it.
We
enjoye
our
meal.
Day
15
First
full
day
in
Bagan.
Our
neighbours
got
up
around
5
am
to
visit
Old
Bagan
and
to
see
the
sunrise
-
we
didn't.
Breakfast
is
served
in
the
garden
-
pavilion.
We
drive
through
Nyaung
U
to
a
temple
to
visit
it
and
we
pay
a
visit
to
the
postoffice,
but
it
is
closed.
To
buy
some
fruit
and
food,
we
stroll
through
the
local
market.
I
am
looking
at
several
stalls,
while
Carine
and
the
others
are
negociating
the
price
for
a
two
piece
dress:
longyi
+
blouse.
A
woman-guide
from
the
Philipines
makes
a
sign
to
me
and
whispers:
your
family
will
pay
far
too
much,
it
is
only 1000
kyat
worth
=
1
1/2
USD.
I
bring
the
message
over,
but
the
family
finds
my
remark
ridiculeous
and
they
pay
the
5700
kyat.
We
return
to
the
bus
and
Carine
asks
our
driver
straight
away:
what
is
this
worth,
a
two
-
piece
dress.
He
answers
1000
kyat,
about
1
1/2
Euro
=
USD.
End
of
the
story
....no,
Carine
returns
to
the
stall
to
talk
to
the
woman
....
The
next
stop
is
a
visit
to
Shwezigon
Paya,
completed
around
1100.
The
site
is
much
larger
and
more
beautiful
than
expected.
The
large
stupa
has
a
bell
shape,
containing
a
replica
of
a
tooth
of
Buddha
and
the
shape
became
a
prototype
for
many
stupas
in
the
country.
At
the
4
corners
are
4
shrines,
each
housing
a
4m-high
bronze
standing
Buddha,
cast
in
1102.
It
is
lunchtime
and
we
return
to
our
hotel
for
a
picknick.
Liliane
feels
uncomfortable
and
she
will
stay
in
the
room
to
take
a
rest,
while
we
return
to
Old
Bagan
by
car
to
explore
the
main
temples
-
too
many
to
remember.
It
is
astonishing,
what
has
been
achieved
in
a
few
hundred
years,
so
many
centuries
ago.
The
sky
in
the
evening
has
the
same
inviting
appearance
as
yesterday
evening:
blue
sky
with
red
clouds
far
away
in
the
background.
We
do
not
trust
these
last
ones
and
we
decide
not
to
return
for
a
sunset.
Liliane
is
completely
recovered.
We
walk
to
an
italian
restaurant
San
Kabar
on
the
crossing
Nyaung
U
main
road
and
Shwezigon
Paya
road
for
dinner.
Day
16
Bagan.
This
will
be
our
second
and
last
day
in
Bagan.
Kyaw
suggests
to
drive
to
Mount
Popa
and
to
return
in
the
evening,
but
we
do
not
like
this
idea.
We
have
in
mind
to
rent
the
bikes
from
the
hotel
and
to
make
the
same
tour
in
Old
Bagan,
as
we
did
yesterday
with
the
car.The
driver
agrees
to
come
with.
Cycling
here
is
a
real
relieve
and
a
pleasure:
the
weather
is
excellent,
no
traffic
at
all
and
the
sight
with
the
temples
in
the
background
is
unforgetable.
This
is
all
new
for
Liliane.
We
feel
more
relaxed
and
feel
more
free
than
yesterday
with
the
car
and
we
have
more
time
to
visit
and
to
take
pictures.
On
most
places,
we
find
souvenir
shops,
which
sell
paintings,
carvings,
lacquer
boxes
etc
...Paintings
are
sometimes
made
in
front
of
temples
and
are
real
artistic
masterpieces.
We
buy
a
few.
Kyaw
has
made
an
appointment
with
a
local
photographer
to
take
some
pictures
from
us.
He
has
a
book
with
a
collection
of
pictures
from
previous
clients
and
ofcourse,
he
likes
to
put
ours
also
in
his
book,
as
a
reference.
It
is
with
pleasure,
because
he
really
is
a
very
charming
man,
always
helpful.
We
hardly
could
have
had
a
better
one.
Sometimes,
when
being
on
the
road
with
the
minibus,
he
suddenly
stops,
runs
to
a
near
small
temple
to
bring
an
offering,
wishing
we
will
make
a
trip
without
accidents
and
praying
for
a
good
and
happy
future..
It
is
becoming
hot
at
noon
and
the
driver
suggests
to
return
to
the
hotel
to
have
a
rest,
what
we
refuse
-
we
did
not
come
all
the
way
from
Europe
to
spend
our
time
in
bed
or
in
a
seat.
He
returns
-
we
stay,
but
we
drive
to
the
main
road
to
a
restaurant.
The
dining
area
has
only
a
thatched
roof,
is
open
to
all
sides
and
it
is
a
comfortable
place
to
look
around,
when
eating
and
to
stay
cool.
Once
finished,
we
return
to
the
bikes.
I
turn
my
back
to
it
to
check
if
we
have
not
forgotten
something.
My
bike
falls
on
the
ground
and
I
switch
over
my
back
to
catch
it
-
too
late,
a
heavy
pain
in
the
back.
I
will
not
get
rid
of
it,
before
arriving
back
home.
Sometimes
bearable,
sometimes
awful
painful,
when
walking
and
sitting.
We
bike
to
visit
New
Bagan
and
back
to
the
restaurant
in
Old
Bagan
for
a
refreshment.
In
the
evening,
we
return
to
the
same
restaurant
as
yesterday
evening.
There
is
a
puppet
show
in
the
garden
-
but
hardly
any
people
to
watch
it.
Day
17
Bagan
-
Pyay .It
is
an
early
morning
start,
because
we
plan
a
stop
at
Mount
Popa,
followed
by
a
long
journey
up
to
Pyay.
On
the
way,
we
make
a
halt
along
the
road
at
a
mill,
powered
by
a
buffalo.
We
buy
at
a
stall
some
food
and
try
a
local
made
liqueur.
Suddenly,
I
notice
that
the
young
boy,
who
was
working
with
the
buffalo,
has
fallen
on
the
ground
-
is
unconscious.
The
buffalo
is
still
walking
around,
dragging
the
young
boy,
who
is
clamped
between
the
beam
of
the
mill
and
the
ground.
The
boy
had
epilepsy.
It
was
an
awful
sight
and
we
tried
to
help
as
much
as
possible.
The
way
to
Mount
Popa
is
picturesque
and
the
sight
to
the
solitary
peak,
rising
up
to
737
m
above
the
plain
is
impressive.
It
is
said
that
the
mountain
core
is
what
remains
from
an
old
vulcano.
Until
1908,
the
surrounding
forests
were
home
to
elephants,
tigers,
rhinos,
etc
...what
a
pitty,
that
all
this
disappeared. The
climb
to
the
top
together
with
begging
monkeys
was
not
exhausting
at
all.
We
had
heard
so
much
about
the
mountain,
that
being
there
on
the
summit
with
the
small
monastery
around,
was
not
so
impressive
anymore.
What
will
stay
in
our
mind
is
the
monk,
sitting
on
the
ground
in
complete
meditation
and
devotion.
There
was
nothing
special
anymore
during
our
ride,
except
a
marsch
with
trees
pupping
up
through
the
waterlevel.
It
ought
to
be
the
only
one
in
the
country.
We
arrive
in
Pyay
around
8
pm,
pretty
late
and
dark
again.
It
is
the
only
place,
for
what
we
made
a
reservation
out
from
Bagan.
The
driver
told
us
to
do
so.
We
stay
in
the
Sweet
Golden
Land
Motel
&
Restaurant:
peaceful
place,
nice
garden,
but
we
should
not
return
there
anymore.
The
rooms
were
not
inviting:
in
each
room,
about
30
meters
of
tape
to
keep
the
carpet,
the
wall
hanging,
the
ceiling
in
place
...
the
toilets
not
flushing,
the
wallfans
missing
in
the
window...I
had
seen
this
place
on
the
internet
before
and
it
looked
fine,
but
reality
was
different.
It
is
christmas
eve
and
Kyaw
brings
us
to
a
restaurant
at
the
riverside
close
to
the
Nawada
bridge
(
open
since
1998
).
There
is
a
songcontest
going
on
and
we
have
a
good
dinner
and
fun.
But
missing
our
singers
from
Kalaw,
singing
christmas
carols
Day
18
Christmasday.
Pyay
-
Yangon
280
km.
Once
our
breakfast
finished,
we
first
call
a
visit
to
the
Shwesandaw
Paya
in
the
centre
of
the
town.
A
lift
brings
us
from
the
streetlevel
to
the
main
stupa
platform,
where
the
zedi
contains
a
couple
of
Buddha
hairs.
The
complex
is
much
larger
than
we
expected,
in
fact
the
stupa
is
even
1
meter
higher
than
the
Shwedagon
in
Yangon.
We
forgot
to
look
to
the
enormous
seated
Buddha
behind
the
trees,
in
eastern
direction.
It
is,
as
usual,
a
very
beautiful
day
and
the
road
is
remarkable
good
and
picturesque.
The
next
stop
is
at
the
Shwemyetman
Paya
or
Paya
of
the
Golden
Glasses.
This
white
faced
sitting
Buddha
has
a
set
of
eyeglasses
and
he
has
the
reputation
to
cure
ills,
specially
on
the
eyes.
Nine
monks
are
needed
to
remove
the
glasses
every
2
weeks
for
cleaning.
We
arrive
in
Yangon
around
4
pm.
Time
to
check
our
email
in
the
Three
Saesons
Hotel.
We
are
invited
in
the
evening
by
Mr
Hla Myaing
for
a
dinner
with
his
family
in
a
nearby
restaurant.
It
was
a
delicious
meal
and
a
pleasure
to
exchange
views
Day
19
Flight
-
Bangkok
-
Chiang
Mai.
It
are
our
last
hours
in
Myanmar
-
in
a
beautiful
country,
flooded
with
ancient
stupas,
payas,
etc...
and
a
very
charming
population,
but
still
living
in
a
world
so
much
behind
the
modern
times.
Our
driver
Kyaw
takes
us
to
the
airport
to
catch
our
flight
and
it
is
a
sad
moment,
when
we
leave
him
behind.
We
arrive
in
Chiang
Mai
airport
in
the
late
afternoon,
where
we
take
a
taxi
to
our
hotel:
Chiang
Inn.
We
booked
it
on
the
internet,
but
the
hotel
is
quite
familiar
to
us,
because
we
were
already
there
in
1987
and
1989.
Remark
:
the
hotelreception
told
us
several
times,
that
there
was
no
reservation
for
us,
but
with
the
help
of
a
print
of
our
internet-reservation,
we
succeeded
to
get
2
rooms.
Carine
and
Peter
leave
the
hotel
to
shop
in
the
nightmarket,
while
we
walk
to
the
nearby
railwaystation
to
book
4
beds
on
the
nighttrain
from
Chiang
Mai
to
Bangkok
on
day
22.
The
plans
to
go
to
the
Khantoke
dinner
and
show
are
cancelled,
because
the
young
people
are
not
interested
in
-
all
except
Peter
have
seen
this
already
once
before
-
so
each
couple
goes
its
own
way,
when
visiting
the
nightmarket.
However,
we
enjoye
our
first
delicous
pizza
