Burma 2012 - Bagan: Day Three

Our first two days were spent in and around Old Bagan. In the morning of our third and last day we headed north away from Old Bagan and in the afternoon we headed south

These wooden wheeled carts are still in use.

Shwezigon Phaya. 11th Century.

There are golden lions at each corner of Shwezigon Phaya.

Fresco mural inside Kyanzittha Umin.

Kubyauk Gyi. 13th Century Indian style temple.

Htilomino. 13th Century.

Buddha Image inside Htilomino.

Exterior decoration, Htilomino.

Mam at the entrance to Htilomino. Most of the major sites have vendors selling paintings, carvings, bells and other souvenirs. 

Bull cart.

U Pali Thein, a 13th Century ordination hall.

Mural in U Pali Thein

U Pali Thein

U Pali Thein

For lunch we went to Golden Myanmar, which features Burmese food.

If you order the "Myanmar Buffet" you get one of everything on the menu (see below). Any dishes that you finish are immediately refilled unless you can somehow communicate that you are quite full.

So much food!

Mya Zedi, a 12th Century gilded stupa.

Nanpaya, an 11th Century Hindu Temple.

The design elements and decorations seem very Khmer.

Bas relief inside Nanpaya.

Manuha, an 11th Century temple.

Giant reclining Buddha inside Manuha.

Another huge and cramped Buddha image inside Manuha.

Lawkachanthar. 13th Century.

Our drive brought us here so we could climb up to the roof for sunset.

Not a great sunset, but quite a view.

Our guide, horse and cart wait for us near Lawkachanthar.

Burma 2012 - Bagan: Day Two

We hired a horse and cart to take us from place to place in hot and dusty Bagan.

Sulamani Phaya

 Pyathada Phaya - 13th Century

Panoramic view from Pyathada Phaya

One of four Buddha images in Pyathada Phaya

Pyathada

Pyathada

Here you can see our faithful horse and the dusty road on which we traveled. Most of the roads in the historic district are unpaved. That's Sulamani (13th Century) in the distance.

The arches in Sulamani use carved stone keystones rather than all fired brick.

Mural - Sulamani

Wonderful elephant - Sulamani

Mam buys a temple bell.

Dhammayangyi Phaya - 12th Century

Ananda is an 11th Century Mon temple, said to be the finest in Bagan. It was extensively destroyed in a 1975 earthquake and has been completely restore. I think some of the modern touches added make it a bit gaudy. But this hallway with niches is magnificent.

Wooden monastery (rebuilt?) near Tuangbi Village.

Our horse cart drive took us to Leya village where he hoped we would get a good panoramic view from the huge pile of bricks that remain from a destroyed chedi. Unfortunately, a fierce thunderstorm came up just as we climbed the hill. It destroyed my umbrella and knocked a lens out of my glasses. Great view, though.

Bamboo house, Leya Village. The bark of the trees surrounding this house is used to make the thanaka paste that Burmese women use to protect their face and arms from the sun.

Wooden monastery, Leya Village.

Sunset from Shwesandaw Paya

This is a popular spot for sunset as it is one of the few places where visitors can climb up to the upper levels of a temple.