The Roaming Hat

My mum and I spent only a day in Bagan. It was my first time there and I wanted to make the most of it with the limited time we had. We arrived by flight in the morning. It was a very comfortable flight. I don't know what type of plane it was, but it flew low enough that I could make out farms below on the ground. I imagined farmers were just getting ready for their day. Myanmar is a dusty place. Even from up in the skies it was evident the amount of soil degradation that was happening there. I could make out clouds of dust blowing about, rivers stained permanently brown, and the lack of tree cover. I suppose the hills are more forested, but the plains are little more than dust bowls. This was confirmed two days later when I travelled overland by train from Mandalay to Yangon. I spent the hour lazily watching the turbines of the plane. It was almost meditative, setting a tone for my entry into Bagan. The descent into Nyaung U airport (Bagan's nearest airport) was sp...

View of the Bagan plain from one of the ruins Bagan is on the itinerary of many tourists visiting Myanmar. Initially I was a bit hesitant on adding Bagan to my list of places to see because I wasn't too keen on crowds. But being interested in Buddhist history and architecture I decided not to skip this place. I am really glad I took that decision. Bagan was spectacular! Bagan is often called Myanmar's Angkor Wat. While not as touristy or grand, it is still stunning in its own way. Bagan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in central Myanmar, flanked by the Irrawady River on one side. It is home to more than 3000 pagodas built between the 9th to 11th centuries. It is said that at its zenith, the Bagan plain had more than 10,000 Buddhist pagodas and monasteries! It is a dry and dusty place with pagodas dotting the landscape. It is impossible to see each and every pagoda in Bagan. They all have similarities while managing to remain unique. A popular thing to do...