Week 3: All that temples and back to the south

It seems to become a thing that when I finally manage to upload my blog, another week if over and I can start again :-) So here we are, back from hiking in Hsipaw on the way to back south. This time in a new mode of transport: By train! The train ride is meant to be very scenic and also a bit exciting as it goes via a big viaduct from the British times. And it really was. I enjoyed the spaciousness of the train seats and that you could move around a bit more than in the bus. Time flew by, watching the beautiful nature and rural Myanmar life. The train had big windows that were open all the time and were a good air conditioning. Unfortunately we also passed by a place where locals were burning something right next to the tracks (most likely trash) and the wind brought the flames and ash through the windows. Oeps. Luckily nothing seriously happened and the little pieces of fire were quickly out. After that excitement it wasn't long until we reached the viaduct. The train slows down dramatically to keep the stress on the tracks minimal. Great for us tourists hanging out the windows for the view. And it was an amazing view, the gorge is impressive deep and you should better not think about safety standards too much. Well, we made it safe across and not long after we arrived at our destination. The place that had 3 different versions how it is spelled and no one can pronounce: Pyin oo Lwin. It is a small city just a bit north of Mandalay. Our place was a former British building which had come a bit to age. We walked into town and were super excited about the bought market. We walked along and took a snack at nearly every stand so when we arrived at the end we were nearly not hungry anymore. A nice noodle soup rounded up our dinner and we really needed the walk home afterwards. The evening at our hotel was very relaxed and we met again a couple we had met in Hsipaw and chatted away until late. The next day frustratingly was again a travel day: 6 hours in the minivan. The minivan is faster than standard buses but in my opinion not as comfortable.

Our destination was one of Myanmars highlights: Bagan. Who hasn't seen these beautiful pictures of hundreds of temples in the mist and hot air balloons at sunrise? Yes, that's Bagan! On our way there we had the first shock: hotel rooms were suddenly more towards 30 dollar a night and many places were already full. So for the first night we booked a motel in Nyaung U, close to Bagan. The place was nothing special but OK. Then we tried to rent some E-bikes for the rest of the day. Another shock: all gone. So we took a normal bike to still make it to a temple for sunset. We hadn't eaten all day so we really needed a bit. We ordered a snack and... waited. It took so long that we nearly missed sunset. So we got on our bikes and biked down the main road. The first temple we saw was ours. We drove into the side road and: got stuck in sand. Helen and me were so eager to see the sunset from top of a temple that we through our bikes in the bushes and ran the last meters, while Tom took care of the bikes and followed then. We even forgot to take off our shoes entering the temple. Big no-go and an angry shouting woman reminded us quickly. Arriving on top of the temple we were happy: just in time! The sunset was beautiful and not many people on our temple. Not too bad for our first pick. The other temples were somewhat far away, so we wanted to try another temple for sunrise the next morning. Back at the hotel we rented two e-bikes for the next day. And there is my surprise: it's not bicycles with a motor. It is a E-scooter :-) We also did a last check on the option of seeing sunrise from a hot air balloon. Despite the horrendous price of 350+ US dollars we were still thinking about it as every traveller who had done it was just amazed. But here for the forest time we really noticed that it is high season (and Chinese new year). Everything was booked out for about a week from now. E-bikes it is.
The next morning we started at 5 am to the field of temples. There were once more than 4000, but many have been destroyed. Leaving 'only' about 2200 there. Unfortunately mid last year there was an earthquake which has severely damaged a lot of the temples. We had gotten an advice from friends about where to go and tried our best to get there. Well, not successfully. After getting stuck over and over again on paths that ended up in a field or just too much sand we agreed that we rather go to the big temple where all the tour buses go than to miss sunrise. We arrived in time and wandered around the temple to find a spot we liked. You wouldn't need to ask where the sun rises. The mass of people showed it clearly. I found my way one level down and a bit to the side and didn't regret. The sunrise was spectacular and the 20 hot air balloons drifted exactly into my view. Within one hour I took around 150 pictures. Just one more, this is sooo beautiful. And one more...
When most of the people had left already we also went back to the hotel for breakfast and a nap. The afternoon we went again with our scooters in the temple fields and found some amazing lonely temples. We enjoyed the drive through the fields and got better and better in managing the sand backs and thin paths through bushes :-)
Around lunch time we went to our new hostel in new bagan. And I loved it! It was crazy expensive with 35 dollars per night, but very nice and for the first time since Yangon really a hostel feeling. We immediately met nice people and had a good lunch on the terrace (after resizing that the free pasta snack is really only a snack). The afternoon, you may have guessed it: we biked further through the fields and visited more temples. We avoided the big temples as we hadn't paid the 25 dollar entrance fee that you usually have to pay when entering the area. But our minibus seemed to have driven past the checkpoint and only on some of the really big temples they check. I guess our first sunrise temple would qualify for that, but we had been entering from the side without knowing. Well, we liked the smaller temples much better anyways and if they would have caught us it would have been no problem to still pay. But hey, there was some fun in avoiding it.
This time we had a recommendation for a great sunset temple from our hostel and we made our way there in time to not rush again. After a little bit of searching we found it and were super happy. A beautiful temple with answering views and except for some goats no one around us. Unfortunately the sunrise was not as abating as the night before, but we still enjoyed it. One the way back home we met again the three people we had kept bumping into throughout the day. We made our way back as a fun little bike gang :-)
We still had to actually move our bags to the new hotel, so we returned the bikes, grabbed our bags and took a taxi for the 30 minutes drive around the temple fields. In the hostel they offered a free I've hour Burmese lesson which I joined. I again met some really nice people but we all ended the evening early. These sunrise-sunsets really get to you.
And here we are again: 5am ready for the next sunrise. I think I get way more often up early since I'm traveling! My maintenance guys wouldn't believe it! Anyways, Helen and me were making our way to the next recommendation from the hostel while Tom had decided that he has seen enough Bagan sunrises and stayed in bed. At the temple we again met two German couples we had met before and despite us there were only a couple more people. We really liked the temple but the sunrise was same as last night's sunset a bit obstructed by clouds and just not as beautiful as the first one. But hey, I guess that just made us value the other one even more.
The rest of the day we had decided to take it easy. I did another bike tour with a girl I had met at the hostel and we enjoyed the day. After lunch in Old Bagan with Helen I looked at one or two more temples and then had enough. After a short rest at the hostel it was already time for the next activity: we all had signed up for a sunset boat ride or booze cruise as I liked to call it. There were two groups and we ended up on the boot so nice boat but definitely had the best group. It was nice to see the sunset from a boat for once and not from a temple. We had some snacks and drinks and just enjoyed the time with the people we met. Our whole group went to dinner together and some of us stayed at the hostel bar for one or two more drinks. A fun evening.

The next morning we got up with the sunrise watchers, but for Helen, Tom and me it was time to move on. We had decided to go via the capital of Myanmar: Naypyidaw. When we first met someone who went there we asked: why?!? The answer was usually: just to have seen/experienced it. See, Naypyidaw is a huge city, about three times the size of Berlin. And no one lives there. It is a full on government project where only the government and business people go. 20 lane streets with no cars on it. We arrived around noon, booked a night bus to get out the same night and rented a taxi for the next 4 hours to drive is through the city. You can't really walk as everything is so far apart. Within 4 hours we did all the sights: a pagoda which is nearly as big as the famous one in Yangon, but no one there. A gem museum, with the biggest Saphire or so. We tried to go to the parliament, but the road there is closed for civilians. So we only made some jumping pictures on the empty street until the security guy sent us away. And then the water fountain garden, where we were somehow an attraction in itself. A full family positioned itself around us and I think there were more pictures taken than I made of the temples in Bagan. We made a short stroll around the park and up the viewing tower and that was it. Time to step into the bus again. It was definitely a great stop more or less on the way back in the south. As expected it is not the sights that make this stop worthwhile, but to experience the craziness of an artifical Metropole. And then: the next night bus!

We arrived at 3am in Kyaiktiyo, home of the golden rock. 3 mototaxis brought us to our hotel we had booked for the next night. The night man woke up for us and didn't really understand us. So basically we handed over our passports and were brought to our room. We couldn't believe it, the place was amazing. A bit outside the town, but a resort with swimming pool and an amazing mountain view. And our room was way over our normal standard. We didn't care if we had to pay an extra night, we were just happy to sleep. After a good nights sleep we got up, had brunch and relaxed at the pool. Somehow I was the only one to really swim, but it's probably fair to say that Tom and Helen were both having a cold. Later the day we made our way to the golden rock, which seems to be a very important Buddhist place and many people pilgrim there. Some people hike, but it is a tough incline and it was really hot. So we did the same than most people: get into one of the many shuttle trucks. That was actually the coolest part of the adventure. 42 people are sitting on small benches, exactly 6 people in every row, the truck doesn't leave before it is full. Plus up to six people in the more expensive drivers cabin. It is somehow a good feeling as you are just stuck in between and there is no risk of falling out ;-) It is amazing that the trucks make it up the steep mountain roads! We enjoyed the ride a lot. At the to we had a quick dinner and then made our way to the rock. It is golden and you can put on new gold leaves - well, if you are a man at least you can. The stone is funnily positioned and there are legends saying that only a hair of Buddha is keeping the stone in place. Haha. We walked around a bit and were again somewhat a sensation. I don't want to know in how many family picture books I am now. The nice part is that many people stay there overnight and it has a feeling of a family get-together. The annoying part is that you need to take your shoes off as at any holy place here and the floors are not really clean. I often hoped it was candle wax I'm walking on. We made our way down with the nearly last truck shortly before 6pm and therefore saw the sunset on the path down.
We arrived back at our resort and called out an early night. The next morning we took it easy, I had another swim and was lying in the sun. In the early afternoon it was already time again for another bus and time to say goodbye! Tom was going back to Yangon and then leaving the country whereas Helen and me wanted to go a bit further south to Hpa-An (the H is silent, which makes it so much easier to say the name!). Usually we would get a bus ticket at the hotel or a bus terminal, but this time we were told: just take a mototaxi down to the main street and stop a bus in your direction. There are plenty and you don't need a ticket upfront. The taxi drivers were so nice to help us stopping the buses as well and within no time we were all in the right buses. Luckily our drive was only 2 hours so we arrived still quite relaxed in Hpa-An.

And that means already another week of my travel is over! I can't believe it. We all only get a 28 days visa, so I only have 9 days left (as I had spent my first weekend in KL). When I arrived I wasn't sure how long I'll stay. If you stay completely on the beaten path (the famous kite), 2 weeks can be enough. But you would miss out majorly! Even though so many parts of the country are still not safe - out just so far away, I don't think I will see everything I want within 28 days. Let's see where I'll end up!