I admit it. This picture was taken a few years ago, but I think I still look vaguely like that. Depends on the day (and the time of day). And today, just before I uploaded this picture, an Indonesian English student told me how much she liked my nose. I heard that a lot in Indonesia. Apparently, a large nose like mine is a good …
Read the full story »Mandalay is not that far from Bagan. I believe it is about 170 kilometers by road, and if you need to make that trip to catch your flight, there are a lot of very comfortable and reasonably-priced buses waiting to take you. Some of them will even come to your hotel and pick you up there and drop you off at your hotel in Mandalay.
You …
Eyesore or wonderful vantage point for viewing the Bagan Archaeological Zone? That was the question I wanted to answer about the Nan Myint Tower, or the Bagan Viewing Tower. I had a bit of a struggle finding my way there, which seems odd considering it was supposed to be an imposing tower dominating the landscape. But I did eventually find it, and I was able …
It was another very windy day in Bagan, and I jumped on my rented e-bike to do some more exploring. I had a vague idea of some of the pagodas and temples I wanted to visit in the Bagan Archaeological Zone, but I also wanted to be open to surprises along the way. So I set off with the idea that I’d follow my impulses …
The Bagan Archaelogical Zone has over 2,200 religious structures to explore. Where to start? I decided to start with a visit to the Bagan Archaelogical Museum. And from there, I visited three of the most famous temples and pagodas in Bagan. And it was all by e-bike, of course.
In the “old days”, you made your way around the temples and pagodas of Bagan by bicycle, by horse-drawn cart, or by private car. Nowadays, however, a new option has appeared with a vengeance: e-bikes. E-bike rental operations are everywhere in Bagan, and chances are that your hotel can rent you an e-bike or there will be an e-bike rental company right across the road.
I’d …
There are well over 2,000 pagodas, temples, and other religious structures in the Bagan area of Myanmar. One of the most famous is the Shwezigon Pagoda, located just a couple hundred meters away from my guest house in the small town of Nyaung U.
This was my first day in Bagan, and instead of renting an E-Bike (I do that the next day), I set off …
About 430 miles (690 kilometers) separate Yangon from Bagan, and I decided to cover that distance by train. I’ll always go somewhere by train (as opposed to a bus) if that is an option. I like to be able to get up out of my seat and walk around and have regular access to a bathroom. And I like the views you get from train …
With some illnesses and a failing computer, I have been off the Internet for a while and just enjoying life in Yangon. On this day, however, I decided to take my camera with me as I went to visit one of the most famous pagodas in the city.
The Botataung Pagoda is unique in that the main structure is not sealed. It is open and has …