Yangon to Bagan on the Irrawaddy River
" On the road to Mandalay,
Where the flyin'-fishes play,
An' the dawn comes up like thunder outer China 'crost the Bay! "
……………… Rudyard Kipling
Myanmar/Burma, an ancient country lost in its traditions and about to enter the new world.
Upon landing in Yangon after multiple flights which seemed to have lasted forever, we enter a city of some 6 million, Myanmar's largest. Challenged by a never ending stream of automobiles, we arrive at our hotel, the Shangri-La. We learn later, the government, in its wisdom, has banned all bicycles, and motorcycles, creating this parking lot scenario.
Before embarking on our cruise of the Irrawaddy, we visit the Shwedagon Pagoda, the city’s most famous landmark with its giant reclining Buddha.
Yangon, translated as "End of Strife", is impacted hugely by the British influence in both architecture and infrastructure. After stopping at the Scott market and having a ‘Burma’ lunch, we then prepare for our upriver exploration of this important river of commerce.
Upon landing in Yangon after multiple flights which seemed to have lasted forever, we enter a city of some 6 million, Myanmar's largest. Challenged by a never ending stream of automobiles, we arrive at our hotel, the Shangri-La. We learn later, the government, in its wisdom, has banned all bicycles, and motorcycles, creating this parking lot scenario.
Before embarking on our cruise of the Irrawaddy, we visit the Shwedagon Pagoda, the city’s most famous landmark with its giant reclining Buddha.
Yangon, translated as "End of Strife", is impacted hugely by the British influence in both architecture and infrastructure. After stopping at the Scott market and having a ‘Burma’ lunch, we then prepare for our upriver exploration of this important river of commerce.
After a grueling 8 hour bus ride to Pyay, our embarkation point, we board the AmaPura. The Irrawaddy, as important to Myanmar as the Amazon is to Brazil, or the Nile is to Africa and Egypt, is at low water for our cruise and to both left and right we see vast expanses of sandy shoreline before heading into the dry region. Pyay, was founded by the British in the 1800’s, when cargo was transhipped between upper and lower Burma making it a major port. Pyay, is home to more than 80 gilded pagodas including the highly revered Shwensandaw Pagoda.
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Further up river, we stop at Minhla and explore an old colonial fort, then on to Magwe, centered in the region of major natural gas and petroleum production. As we continue up river towards Bagan, we stop at a small town, Salay, best known for its teak wood monasteries as well as the largest lacquered Budda in all of Myanmar.
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After overnighting on the banks of the Irrawady, we make a brief stop at Tant Kyi Taung Mountain to visit it famous pagoda and spectacular views of Bagan. We are also treated to an elephant dance ceremony. The elephant is actually two men bedecked in an ornate replica of an elephant and gyrating in moves of celebration.
Individuals extracting petroleum from the hills near Bagan, which is then piped by gravity to the waters edge and transported to market.
Bagan, mecca to over 2000 Myanmar religious monuments of different shapes and sizes built between the 11th and 13th centuries As evening approached, we settled on a high vantage point to watch the sun set - the classic image seen in all travel brochures followed by a candle lighting ceremony where we were blessed by a Buddhist monk. The following day, found us exploring several famous pagodas, climbing one to gain a panoramic view of the many stupas(pagodas) as well as entering the Ananda Temple to view four statues of the Buddha.
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Leaving Bagan, we continue upriver to our final destination - Mandaly and Inle Lake
(to be continued)
(to be continued)