December 2017 Itinerary Link
Bagan. From about 1044 to 1287, the rulers and the people of this area in central Myanmar built more than 10,000 temples and pagodas. Unlike most major religious sites around the world that were commissioned by the rulers, lots of people volunteered to put in money, time and energy to construct all sizes of pagodas and temples here. About 2,200 of them have survived neglect and natural disasters such as earthquakes, and that’s what we saw in Bagan.
“What did the people pray for?” I asked our guide. Nirvana, he said. I shouldn’t have said in past tense since most temples are still active, and people come to pray every day. A dictionary defines nirvana as “a state of enlightenment where a person’s individual desires and suffering go away. Does this mean even the desire to attain nirvana go away one day? Perhaps.
Other monumental temples, such as Angkor Wat in Cambodia, are now mainly tourist attractions. Local people are there as guides or merchants, and the temples are not functioning as temples. Bagan is rather unique in this way, and it made me humble and more respectful.
Serenity. How many times one can feel that at a major international tourist attraction overrun by tourist buses? Maybe we were lucky to be there at a slower time. I felt it, and, that meant a lot to me.
Having a knowledgeable local guide helped a lot. Yi, a cousin of Soe Paing, our guide in Madalay, loved and understood Bagan, and she was genuinely happy to guide us through and share what she knew.
I would never have known that this Buddha statue smiles when seen from a distance but shows stern expression seen from right under it. This was to warn the ruling class who used to sit up close to be good while comforting the common people sitting in the back. This reclining Buddha does the same.
Bagan is not just about temples and towers. People have been living these for thousands of years. Yi let us have a glimpse into the village life, and that was appreciated.
Lots of young Burmese couples buy a special permit to take wedding photos in Bagan temples according to Yi. The one photo session we saw was quite a production with a big crew. Yi is smiling in the picture below left.
Yi thought we had to see the oldest, the biggest, and the most beautiful(her favorite) of all the temples while we were there. I can’t remember the names, but they were all very different and totally worthwhile to visit. She knew exactly where to pose for the best possible picture in each location.
Small Wide World 
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