Archive for December, 2009
Little Bike Repairman
By Tony on December 24, 2009 | 3 Comments »
This little guy was up early to check out my bike and make sure it was ready for today’s explorations of Bagan. Unfortunately, he must have missed something because I ended up with a flat tire on a dusty track miles from nowhere. Or, perhaps, the flat had something to do with my “short cut” through that stretch of thorny scrub. Hmmm.
Bagan
By Tony on December 23, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Simply put, Bagan is extraordinary. So extraordinary, it’s hard to imagine that it’s not as famous as the Egyptian pyramids, Machu Picchu, the Great Wall of China, Angkor Wat, or Petra. It’s the forgotten world wonder, lost in the geographical black hole otherwise known as Myanmar.
A dusty plain dotted with over 2000 ancient temples, pagodas, stupas and shrines, Bagan is epic and overwhelming. It is an unusual place, a 21st-century lost world that allows travelers to play Indiana Jones for a day – or better yet, a week.
Yes, travelers in the know discovered Bagan years ago and a limited number of tours do visit the larger more accessible temples. The site is not unknown. But the scale of Bagan is far beyond the number of people currently visiting the region. Anyone needing some space can grab a bike and take off on one of the dusty tracks to find a temple, and an adventure, of their own. In 2009, this is as good as it gets.
Thanboddhay Paya 360 View
By Tony on December 21, 2009 | No Comments »
Enter the halls of Monywa’s massive, maze-like Thanboddhay Paya.
Worshipping the Holy Gwyneth
By Tony on December 20, 2009 | No Comments »
Is it just me, or does this Buddha look like Gwyneth Paltrow?
Barely Noticeable Bodhi Tataung
By Tony on December 19, 2009 | No Comments »
It’s quite telling that Monywa and its ginormous Laykyun Setkyar at the wild Bodhi Tataung complex barely register as a bleep on the travelers’ radar screen. In what other country would a 312-foot reclining Buddha backed by the Laykyun Setkyar, a 423-foot standing Buddha (much taller than Lady Liberty) not merit a visit. In fact this standing Buddha is the second tallest statue in the world. However, in architecturally overwhelmed Myanmar, it’s just another massive monument.
True, they’re relatively new constructions, but they’re impressive all the same. If it makes snobby monument connoisseurs feel better, the towering figures are already starting to crumble and should look like ruins within a decade. Give the site time to mature.
Thomas and I explored the cavernous interior of the reclining Buddha, but I was a touch worried » Continue reading this post »
