3300 Temples, 1 Bicycle

I'm cycling as hard as I can in the heat, griping the handlebars with sweaty palms, trying to keep the ancient Chinese bicycle straight on the narrow dirt track. It's not easy, as I discover as my back tyre sinks suddenly into a loose patch of sand. I topple over sideways, ending up on my bottom in a newly-ploughed peanut field.

I can't stop giggling as I untangle myself from my undignified heap, and the local wild dogs scamper away in fright from the noise.

This is Bagan, Burma's ancient city:

Twenty-six square miles of arid farmland, dotted with 3300 temples.

Forty degree heat.

One old, gearless bicycle, and one slightly out of shape, middle aged woman.

How could I resist?

It's hot, sweaty work following dirt trails across the plains; I pass a goat herd, bells tinkling as the animals graze the thorny bushes, and oxen plodding slowly across the fields, dragging wooden ploughs that probably haven't changed design in centuries. The rainy season has just started, and the red earth is still dusty and desiccated but soon to be planted again. My tyres sink into the soft, sandy soil with alarming regularity, and sweat drips off my hands as I struggle to keep the bike moving on the gentle hills.

The tracks all looks the same, however, and soon I'm lost. I'm studying my map when a motorbike pulls up next to me. Two young Burmese men smile at me, and the driver asks where I'm looking to go. I tell him, and he says he'll take me there. I object, feebly, gesturing at his compact motorbike and my ancient Chinese bicycle. “You go fast; I go slow.”

“No problem,” he says.

They ride slowly next to me across the winding dirt tracks that criss-cross the plains, keeping the motor in low gear as I puff along, pedalling beside them. We chat – about where I'm from, and what I think about Burma. About how they're studying English in business school, and hope to be able to travel the world one day, “like Westerners.” They escort me to the temple, show me around, then wish me well with the rest of my trip before they ride off into the dust. Small acts of kindness are everywhere in Burma.

Another temple, further down the plain: fingernail-sized, bright red beetles with carapaces like crushed velvet scuttle around my feet as I struggle out of my hiking boots (you go barefoot at all Buddhist temples, even ancient ones). I'm nervous as they inch closer to my toes – bright colours are warnings, aren't they?

The key holder, a young local man who unlocks the temple each morning for visitors, smiles reassuringly. He tells me they're called Angel beetles, and they only appear at the start of the rainy season.

“Watch,” he says, and touches one gently with the tip of his finger. It stops moving completely. “Stay two, three minutes,” he tells me.

He shows me around, pointing out how the brick sizes that differentiate the original from restored portions of the building; many of the temples had to be partially rebuilt following the devastating 1975 earthquake. We climb up narrow brick steps that wrap around the back of one structure and allow us access to chamber below the roof. “Pyay, pyay” he cautions, warning me to be careful on the narrow ledge with my big, Western feet. Slowly, slowly. A newly restored sitting Buddha image watches over us, his bright white ceramic face beaming with child-like, rosebud lips.

I give the keyholder a small tip for showing me around; tea money, they call it. He smiles, and goes back to playing video games on his smart phone as I hop back on my bicycle.

Burma crawls with these contradictions – video games and smart phones, ox ploughs and ancient temples.

By mid-afternoon, I'm spent, stinking with sweat and covered in red dust. Dark clouds begin to cover the roasting sun, and the wind begins to blow. The monsoon rain is coming, promising a break from the punishing temperatures.

I stagger into a small, open-air restaurant that nestles outside one of the most popular temples, and order a mango lassi as the rain begins to hammer on the metal roof like an angry god. The owner sits down at the next table and turns on all the fans, bathing both of us in a cool breeze, as I surreptitiously wipe the sweat off my forehead. “I no like heat,” she tells me. “Burmese very happy rains come.”

We sit together, watching the deluge run in rivers off the packed dirt roads and enjoying the cooling effect of the fans. “You like Myanmar?” she asks me.

“Very much,” I tell her.

Hsipaw, the North's trekking centre

Hsipaw (pronounced see-paw) has rapidly become one of the most popular trekking centres in northern Burma.

Three years ago, when the previous issue of LP came out (a new one just came out this summer), they described it as a sleepy town where few tourists go. Not even vaguely true any more.

The central market and shop-fronts in "downtown" Hsipaw

The main road that runs along the edge of the town centre has heavy traffic and tonnes of lorries to and from China, so I'd avoid a hotel on this road, if possible. Once you move a few streets away from the main China road, you'll find it much calmer and quieter. Not that you had much choice in accommodation last winter: every guesthouse in town was apparently choc-o-bloc. But fear not: the intrepid locals weren't going to miss that big an opportunity. When I was visiting this June, seven new properties were said to be under construction, including a large expansion of the venerable Lily Guest House.

It's true that the town has been changing rapidly. The travel boffins at Travelfish were not enamoured when they visited last November (they felt the town was too noisy, crowded and dusty). But when I visited in low-season June, I found it a pleasant, friendly town that wasn't too crowded (although there were still quite a few tourists around).

Little Bagan, filled with little stupas

But here's the big question: what do you do here when you're not trekking?

The biggest attraction is the Shan Palace (back open to visitors after Mr Donald's troubles with the authorities), but it was unexpectedly closed when I visited, so I have nothing to say about it.

Another popular area to explore is the neighbourhood of Myauk Myo, known colloquially as Little Bagan. You'll wander down narrow alleyways or dirt roads, between decrepit and crumbling stupas, farmland, and small houses with their personal wells. Chickens wander about. Sleepy dogs ignore you. It's a very different feel from the bustling cities of Mandalay and Yangon.

Myauk Myo, a rather quiet neighbourhood of Hsipaw

Other options for the town include climbing up Sunset Hill (I skipped this one, as rain blew in late each afternoon when I was there), visiting a handful of monasteries and pagodas, and sitting on your guesthouse's balcony or porch, or in a coffee shop, watching the world go by or reading a book.

I recommend you spend plenty of time on the last one (all that hiking – or thinking about hiking – is pretty tiring).

Old advertising poster on the central market in Hsipaw

For supplies, the town centre has two market areas. The main central market sells dried goods, cosmetics, clothes, toys, and housewares. This is where you go if you're out of shampoo, or want beaded slippers. The wet market takes place along the riverside in the early hours of the morning. Set your alarm for pre-dawn, and you're treated to the sight of a small but popular market lit with a mix of candles and electric torches. Take your camera, wander up and down (the shoppers and vendors are all used to tourists hanging about), and buy some hot and greasy dosai to snack upon as you soak it all up.

Hsipaw wet market at four in the morning

The market traders sell fruit and veg, meat and fish, fresh tofu, and plenty of things I couldn't identify

Football, the universal language: this market-side coffee shop was busy at four in the morning with local men watching the World Cup matches

I never got around to trekking.

My bad.

Gokteik Viaduct

Trains in Burma are rarely my preferred option - they move incredibly slowly and break down on a regular basis (so that the train tends to take at least 50% longer than a bus would). They're a rough ride (expect to be shaken about until you feel sick), and they're not that clean (I saw roaches moving around inside the seat across from mine).

But there is one benefit in taking the train between Pyin Oo Lwin and Hsipaw - the Gokteik viaduct.

Constructed in 1901 by workers from the Pennsylvania Steel Company, it's a creaky, slow crossing, giving amazing views of the river valley far, far below. You get the best views if you sit on the left hand side when heading north (which is where they automatically put the tourists). Expect all the tourists to be sticking their heads out of the window taking pictures, while the locals on the right hand side of the train snooze away the journey.

According to LP, it's 318 feet high and 2257 feet across, and at the time of its construction was the second highest railway bridge in the world. It's still pretty impressive.

The rest of the trip, you'll be passing through jungle-clad hills, or corn-covered fields dotted with small stupas, or cows pulling ploughs.

Practicalities;

At Pyin Oo Lwin station, you'll need to see the ticket seller in his little back office (just behind the main ticket window) to get a tourist ticket (he'll need to take your name and nationality down). Tourists are automatically sold the "softer" upper class tickets. I suggest you don't try and swap down for a lower class - next down is a hard wooden bench, which is going to get pretty uncomfortable after 6 bone-shaking hours. As of this April, tourists are no longer required to pay in US dollars.

The viaduct is 34 miles (about 2.75 hours by train) north-east of Pyin Oo Lwin. Unfortunately once you're crossed, you're still stuck on the train for another 4 hours up to Hsipaw, if you're on schedule (you probably won't be). 

At several stations, the train will stop for 5-10 minutes, giving you a chance to stretch you legs or buy snacks from the platform vendors. Vendors will also come on board the train, selling snacks, water, and noodles (served in plastic bags with tooth-pick like chopsticks to eat them).

Small rural station, not far out of Pyin Oo Lwin

Burmese transport styles

Like much of Asia, the motorbike is king here: your office worker's commute, your school run mum, your family car, your heavy goods vehicle, and your delivery van. 

Poverty, meet ingenuity....

Delivery van or mobile shop? Either way, it's a motorbike in front....

Yep, that's a safe way to transport goods....

Road safety is barely a thing here. Some drivers do wear helmets, although it's rare to see a helmet with the chin strap done up (cause if you do fall off, that helmet will stay right in place by willpower alone). Expect potholes, missing paving slabs, and no streetlights. And don't get me started on the habit of riding on top of buses or trucks.

I don't know what the accident rate is here, but it can't be good. But the locals just seem to get on with their lives while us tourists fret. Que sera sera.

City of flowers - Pyin Oo Lwin

Two hours by share taxi up into the hills north-east of Mandalay is another world. It's quiet, pleasantly cool in summer, covered in trees and flowers, and very friendly.

This colonial beaut was part of the Chan Tak Chinese temple. The grounds are filled
with flowers, benches under shady trees, and a Chinese restaurant on site.

The small but bustling town centre is marked by the Purcell Tower. Nestled in the narrow streets around the tower, you'll find the central market, the stalls of the night market for cheap eats (everyone pleasantly surprised to see a foreign face), plenty of small restaurants, and a handful of Indian sweet shops (yes!).

Typical building near the centre, with a typical horse cart parked in front.

The rest of the town is spread out over a fairly wide area. To the east of the centre, you'll find the train station and the Shan market, a large wet market. An easy ten to fifteen minute walk south of the centre, the garden district is the moneyed part of town, and a quiet alternative place to stay.

That said, this is still Burma. Don't expect to sleep late in the mornings.

The call to alms of the local monks went past my guesthouse at 3:30am, banging some kind of drum or chime as they went slowly by. At 4:00 the local dogs decided to hold a barking contest. At 4:30, as it started to get light, the insects (crickets? Cicadas? The ones that sound like motorbikes, and about as loud) started up again. And at 5:20 the monks started again.

No wonder the locals seem to mostly go to bed at 9pm.

Orchids in the National Kandawgyi Gardens

Perhaps a mile further south west from the gardens district, you'll find the botanical gardens, called the National Kandawgyi Gardens. You could easily spend a few hours wandering about the site: there is an orchid garden (filled with local species, rather than showy imports), a viewing tower, and hundreds of different types of plants. If you get there early, perhaps 9 or 10 in the morning, you'll be able to enjoy plenty of peace and quiet. By lunchtime, the wide grass lawns will begin to fill up with locals enjoying picnics, and a festival air descends on the site.

Number 4 High School

Clustered around the ring road are a cluster of colonial mansions, many of them now schools or hotels. Half-timbered, mock-tudor, or turreted: take your pick of your preferred out-of-place style. And speaking of style, you can hire a traditional horse cart to carry you on a tour of the colonial sites.

Pyin Oo Lwin was founded by the British as a "hill station" - a place to retreat from the summer heat in Mandalay. As soon as the railway opened it up, Pyin Oo Lwin also became the summer capital for the British colonial administration. The British left in 1948, but the colonial architecture and the descendants of the Indian workers remained (hence all those lovely sweet shops).

It's really nice.

The mostly-empty Candacraig Hotel, formerly the British Club

In winter, it gets cool here (sometimes as low as 10 degrees celcius) so bring a sweater and long trousers. In summer, it rarely gets over 30 degrees, so makes a lovely change from the sweltering temperatures in Mandalay.

A share taxi from Mandalay costs $5 per person (your hotel can organise it for you for an extra $1-2) takes about 2 hours, and will pick you up from your accommodation in Mandalay and drop you anywhere you like in Pyin Oo Lwin. 

You can also take buses, although they tend to take a bit longer (especially if they need to stop to cool down the engine or the brakes, which happens more often than you expect) and the bus station is some distance outside of town so realistically you'll need a taxi or motorbike taxi from the station to your guesthouse. 

Pick-ups from Mandalay sometimes will drop you near the centre (but do you really want to be cramped on a hard, narrow wooden seat, bumping along and sucking exhaust for 2 hours?)

Trains from Mandalay take almost 4 hours, leave Mandalay at 4am, and the train station is a 10-15 minute walk north of the town centre.

Take a share taxi. You can thank me later.

Kyauktawgyi Paya

Situated just east of the U Bein's Bridge (the world's longest teak footbridge) on the outskirts of Mandalay, Kyauktawgyi Paya is known for its 19th century frescoes.

The vaulted ceilings and walls of the four entryways are covered with scenic images (temples, farms, palaces, mountains and forests), animals (elephants, cows), angels, demons, spirits, and Buddha's footprints.

If you're going to Amarapura to visit the bridge, I highly recommend you set aside an extra half an hour (or more) to enjoy the frescoes.

Amarapura (home of the big teak bridge)

Burma's last capital before Mandalay, Amarapura is essentially a leafy suburb. It's main (indeed, only real) claim to fame for tourists is the 1300 yard long U Bein's Bridge, the longest teak footbridge in the world.

Stretching across Taungthaman Lake, the rickety wooden structure is not a place to wear high heels or go for a walk when you feel unsteady. Expect wide cracks between the planks, ancient support posts, and no hand rails. Expect the feel of the wind in your hair, the sun on your face, and dozens of friendly "mingalaba" greetings from the locals you pass.

Imagine Jeremy Clarkson's voice: the best rickety wooden bridge... in the world

At the peak of the wet season, the lake rises up to lap just below the bridge. In the dry season, water levels drop right down and the exposed land becomes seasonal farmland. Expect scrawny grazing cows. Expect pop-up restaurants with no electricity or running water. Expect fishermen standing in waist deep water, tossing nets.

Wandering cows underneath the bridge

Pop up restaurants before they became trendy in Shoreditch.....

When you cross the bridge, you'll find a handful of restaurants and cafes on the other side, and a nice pagoda, Kyauktawgyi Paya, known for its frescoes in the four entry hallways. To find the pagoda, cross the bridge to the Eastern end, then follow the main road as it winds away from the bridge for a couple of hundred yards, until after the restaurants end. You'll pass a school on your left, and then see the large complex of the pagoda on the left.

Beautiful scene, scary tree

The easiest way to get to the bridge is to take a taxi or motorbike taxi from Mandalay. Amarapura is about halfway between the city centre and either Sagaing Hill or Inwa, so would combine with either or both of those for a great day trip.

It's easy to hire a taxi in Mandalay; indeed, they'll find you pretty quickly. Drivers tend to hang out outside all the hotels or guesthouses, as well as plenty of street corners. Or your hotel can order you a car, although they're always a bit more expensive. 

Small shelters provide a bit of shelter from the sun and a place to buy snacks - crisps
and bags of small, bright orange, roasted crabs. Small warning though: there ain't no
refrigeration on the bridge 

Unfortunately, wherever you go to get your ride, it's not that easy to get a fair deal on a taxi anymore. Drivers see a foreign face, and the price is suddenly three or four times the normal fare. So my advice is do some research and try and get an idea of what the actual correct, local fare is, and then try not to pay more than 50% over the odds. Don't be afraid to walk away. You'll be amazed at how quickly the fare tends to come down if you just keep walking away. 

Also, be aware that the driver you negotiate with may not be the one who actually gives you the ride. It's not uncommon for you to suddenly be handed off to the drivers "brother" as the taxi drivers with the best English often negotiate fares for those who don't speak the language.

Mmmm.... crumbly

Mmmm.... holey. Not the best place for stilettos....

That is some serious bridge, stretching almost to the horizon. 

Sagaing Hill

Once, very briefly, capital of Burma, Sagaing is on the other side of the wide Ayeyarwady river from Mandalay, perhaps a dozen kilometers from the city centre.  It makes a nice day trip from the city, combined with one or two other sites, like Inwa or Amarapura.

Mmm... climby. Some of the hills and stupas of Sagaing, with Mandalay visible in the distant upper left.

The handful of hilltops are covered in stupas, shrines, and temples. Walkways and endless steps connect them all. You can, if you have a few hours, explore the site on foot. Or you can pay a dollar or two for one of the local motorbike drivers to take you up and back, including a couple of stops at various temples, which will invariably include Soon U Ponya Shin Paya, the best known (and most popular with local devotees) temple.

The motorbike taxi drivers hang out underneath the trees a little way down the main road from the entrance to the hill.

Umin Thounzeh (30 caves), a beautiful complex a few minutes downhill from Soon U Ponya Shin Paya.

You can visit the site in an hour or less, but if possible, I'd recommend giving yourself more time. The scenery is lovely, lush, green and frequently floral. You could spend hours exploring the steps up and down the hills, stumbling across quiet temples and preying monks, or you could park yourself on the wide terrace at the back of Soon U Ponya Shin Paya and just enjoy the view (according to LP, there'sa snack bar here sometimes, but there was no sign of it when I visited, which was a shame because it would have been a perfect place for a tea break). There are, however, some souvenir shops outside the temple where you can get cold drinks.

View from Soon U Ponya Shin Paya's terrace. Anyone for tea?

According to the Lonely Planet, there's a $3 ticket required to visit the site. But in off season, no one makes any attempt to collect it.

A few quick tips on Mandalay

I think I hate Mandalay. 

It's noisy, traffic-filled, dirty, and most of the time it seems to be dusty, hot and very windy. 

When it rains hard, as it does sometimes in the wet season, the streets all flood. The sidewalks / pedestrian pavements are raised a few inches above the roads, and so are more likely to be dry - but guess what? You can't walk on them because idiots keep parking their motorbikes across them. So you end up having to step out into the streets into the filthy floodwater, which is probably contaminated with god knows what (various neighbourhoods smell like sewage after it rains, and there's dog and cats everywhere so loads of faeces, and piles of rotting garbage are common) nor do you know how deep it is. So your boots / shoes / sandals will get contaminated, too!

This is the worst place I've been in Burma for squalor, dirt, garbage, and child beggars. There are several families living alongside the overpass to the train station, living, eating and shitting on the pavements next to the passing traffic. I walk past them as I go to and from my hotel. It's rather upsetting.

The moat around Mandalay Palace. Wide concrete pavements and plenty of trees alongside the moat
make this a popular area for local picnics. Unfortunately there's lots of traffic.
There are also very few shops or cafes along these streets, so bring plenty of water.

Rant over - if you're still planning to go here, a few tips:

Noise

Assuming you're going to be staying in the centre, which is quite a spread out area (from around 22nd to 34th streets), try and avoid a hotel on any of the main north-south streets (78th and 84th are the busiest, but all of them seem to have some traffic). The smaller east-west streets seem to be quieter.

Also avoid the train station (the first train out in the morning, the 4am to Pyin Oo Lwin and Hsipaw, blows its horn REALLY loudly as it departs).

Mandalay Hill

If you want to climb Mandalay Hill, you don't HAVE to leave your shoes at the manned shoe stand at the base of the hill. Yes, they have a big sign up in English and Burmese saying it's disrespectful to carry your shoes, so please leave them at the base. But you'll notice pretty much every single local carries their shoes - the sign is simply to make money, as you can't get your shoes back from the shoe stand without paying 200 kyat. If you'd rather leave your shoes, by all means - just don't be fooled into thinking you have to or else you'll be rude.

Mandalay Hill doesn't look very high when you approach, but the route to the top goes a long way back from the road, as well as up. When it's 40 degrees celcius, believe me, those steps seem to go on forever. Luckily, there are plenty of vendors selling cold drinks on the way up. There are also several cafes, although they all appeared closed when I climbed it (on a weekday).

View from Mandalay hill: the foreground is a resort and the zoo, then the moat, then the Mandalay
Palace complex (which you can only enter with a $10 tourist ticket). The rest of the central
area is mostly lacking in greenery, so here's where you come to get your green fix.

Groceries

If you're looking for groceries / supplies, you've got a couple of options. There's a big wet market on 86th (between 28th and 26th), as well as a large, well-stocked supermarket in the basement of the Diamond Plaza mall (78th and 33rd).

The best sights are out of town - next time, we'll explore Amarapura and Sagaing Hill.

The art and craft of Bagan

18th century fresco in Sulamani

Stucco carving around a door, Gubyauk Gyi

Gubyauk Gyi, one of the temples just north of Myinkaba village.
The temple has been definitively dated to 1113.

Glazed Jataka plaques decorate the walls of Minglazedi Paya, one of the few temples surrounded
by attractive manicured gardens 

View from Buledi, a reliable and quieter option for sunset or sunrise viewing (providing you're not sharing it with a silly tourist with a portable gong, pretending she's some kind of sun-based priestess)

A sweaty place

How sweaty can a person get before they get classified as a biological hazard?

High humidity, and temperatures in the mid-to-high 30s: this is a sweaty place, and it's not even considered the hot season... (I'm here in mid-June, at the start of the rainy season). Most tourists these days opt to explore the ruins on small mopeds (disingenuously called "e-bikes" to get around the local law against tourists riding motorbikes). I'm on an old-fashioned bicycle, and it's rather hard work!

Ananda, one of the temples still used for active and regular worship

Bagan, on the central plains, is an arid region, although the rainy season has hit, and it's hit hard. Yesterday evening I sat on the porch of my room watching the rain come off the roof like a waterfall. Only a few of the main roads around here are sealed - all the others are essentially sand. when dry, it's soft and your bicycle tyre sinks in if you're not careful. When rainy, it floods and you're cycling through several inches of water. 

I saw a scorpion yesterday - a dead one, squished on the road. Remind me not to walk off the paths here, will you? And there are these tiny bright red beetles everywhere that look like velvet (a local told me they were called Angel Beetles, and only seen at the start of the rainy season). At least the wild dogs are friendly (you don't get any growling at and following you, like you get in Thailand or Bali).  

21st century farming, Burmese-style

Cycling the tiny dirt backtracks on the central plains, I passed more goat herders (3) than cars (2). as it's also the start of the rainy season, the local farmers are preparing their fields for planting – they're using oxen to pull old-fashioned wooden plows – I haven't seen a single field being tilled by tractor. It's like going back a century.

Despite the lack of modern farming infrastructure in the countryside, it's not all last century. You'll see loads of modern cellphones. Despite the obvious poverty, technology creeps in round the edges. 

Serene smiles all round

The Burmese are also an incredibly friendly and welcoming people. On the road between Shwe-san-daw and Dhammayangyi, I met a couple of youngish (mid-20s) Burmese lads on a motorbike who stopped to give me directions, then escorted me to the temple and walked around it with me. They weren't trying to sell me anything – the one driving the bike just wanted to practice his English. He was taking English classes at Business school while he worked in a hotel, trying to improve his English as his ambition was to travel the world. Nice couple of blokes.

Up Shwe san daw (one of the large temples you can climb), a Burmese man in a longyi with a very nice camera loaned me a lens cloth to clean the dust off mine. He didn't speak any English, but noticed me trying to blow dust off the lens and immediately jumped in to help by rushing off to fetch his lens cloth for me.

This is still a very poor nation, and her people have suffered through decades of brutal mistreatment, and yet they're still welcoming, still hopeful. 

It's humbling, y'know?

A quick guide to the temples of Bagan (mind the guano)

I recently spent four days in Bagan, exploring some of the thousands of temples that dot the plain. Some of them are amazing for their sheer size. Others have beautiful frescos or carvings. Others appeal more because they're out of the way and not well-known, so you have them all to yourself. Here's a quick run-down on visiting the temples.

Views from Shwegugyi, as another afternoon storm rolls in (the perils of rainy season)

Old Bagan, defined by the old city walls, is the busiest area of temples. Many of the biggest and best known temples are either inside the walls (That-Byin-Nyu, Shwe-Gu-Gyi, Maha-Bodi, and Bupaya) or just outside it (Ananda Temple).

The whole area is filled with tourists in the high season, and desperate horse cart drivers in the off season ("Three days I have no fares - I give you good price!"). But don't expect a lot of development / infrastructure - there are a cluster of restaurants and cafes by Ananda and just outside of the nearby Tharaba Gate, and a few small shops outside Bupaya and That-Byin-Nyu. But most of the land between the temples is empty, except for a few big, overpriced hotels by the river.

There are pay toilets behind That-Byin-Nyu (a cheap "local" squat toilet, and a more expensive "VIP" tourist with flush toilets, soap, hot water, hand dryers and toilet paper - well worth the extra 20 cents in my opinion). There's also a squat toilet near Bupaya.

Gawdaw Palin Pahto, looming over the surrounding countryside. You can climb up the the terraces for fantastic views.

South of Old Bagan, you'll find the laquerware village of Myinkaba. Take your pick of the workshops that line both sides of the main street - you can see demonstrations of the technique, watch the craftsmen and women at work, and (of course) buy loads of beautiful bowls, plates, boxes and cups. Lots of restaurants are also found in this area.

A large number of quiet, small temples are easily accessible from the road that runs from Old Bagan to New Bagan, via Myinkaba, so a nice option would be to cycle or walk between Old Bagan and New Bagan, with a lunch stop in Myinkaba.

Tabatyka, a small temple just inside the Tharaba Gate, near the excavations of the ruined royal palace

Covering the dusty plains and farmland heading East of Old Bagan you'll find the second selection of well known temples. You can climb massive temples like Shew-san-daw (hugely popular for dawn and dusk viewing), watch the sunset from quieter temples like Buledi.

Beautiful Buddha at Pahto Tha-Myar

Don't be afraid to set out on foot, or on bike, across the plains. No matter how turned around you get, you can't get seriously lost (sooner or later, you'll cross one of the main roads and find your way back to civilisation). On the way, you'll stumble across tiny, unvisited temples filled with ceramic Buddhas, or guarded by elephant statues. You'll have them all to yourself.

If you take the main road from Old Bagan to Nyaung U, you'll be in countryside most of the way, until you reach the village of Wetkyi-inn (just before you reach Nyaung U), so pack loads of water.

Figures guarding one of the small temples on the North plain - an elephant and... whatever the hell that is. Monkey?

Transportation
The easiest ways to move around the historic park are 1) renting a bicycle, 2) renting an e-bike, or 3) taking the pick-up truck.

Bicycles are available to rent everywhere, for about $1.50 per day. They're a practical and easily accessible way to get around the site - the land is mostly flat, has very little car traffic on the roads, and a bike also allows you to leave the roads and explore the dirt tracks that criss-cross the plains. Watch out for loose patches of sand on those dirt tracks - it's easy to lose grip on your tyres or get bogged down in them.

E-bikes are also available to rent everywhere, and have become hugely popular in the past few years as they take away all the effort of pedaling - a blessing to lazy or tired travelers. But you need to be aware of your insurance situation. They're not really electronic bikes, as they have throttles and the engine runs even when you're not pedaling, which means they're technically scooters. In order to ride one, your travel insurance will require you to have a driver's license (so your fourteen year old kid is out of luck).

Finally, you can take a pick-up to any of the towns (Old Bagan, New Bagan, Myinkaba, etc) and make your way back on foot, exploring as you wish without needing to backtrack to get back to your hotel. Pick ups leave from under the big trees near the roundabout at the eastern end of Nyaung U (near the market). Climb on board and prepare to get squished (they pack in as many people and deliveries as they can). Expect a lot of shy smiles (tourists don't use these a lot). Tell the conductor (the man who hangs off the back bumper) where you're going, and he'll drop you at the right place, and collect your money as you get off. The local fares are 200 kyat, but tourists are charged 1000 kyat. Technically, you should be able to flag the pick-up down on the main Bagan - Nyaung U road. Main stops include Tharaba gate (at the entrance to Old Bagan), Myinkaba, and then into New Bagan.

The North plains of Bagan, dotted with temples, farmland, and wandering goat herders.

Practicalities
Remember to carry lots of water (there aren't many places to get refills around the ruins - especially on the plains where there's almost no infrastructure), sunscreen and a sunhat. A torch is a good idea, for exploring inside the temples - it's frequently quite dark inside, and the floors can be uneven, damaged, or covered in bat guano.

One thing I simply cannot wrap my head around is the way the concept of unsullied ground is applied here. I know shoes are considered dirty, and the temples are considered holy, so you have to take your shoes and socks off before you enter every temple as a sign of respect, and to avoid bringing in dirt from outside....but they're hardly clean to begin with. Dogs and cats are allowed to wander about at will (regardless of whether they're new or old temples). Local people eat, drink, and smoke in the temples, dropping crumbs and cigarette ash as they go. Most of the older temples, like here in the historical park, have bats roosting in them, dropping guano all over the floor.

So I have to take my shoes off so I don't sully a holy place, and then walk barefoot through batshit? In the dark so I can't see what I'm stepping on? Are you kidding me?

I understand why the temple should be kept clean, I just don't understand why dogs, cats, bats, cigarettes and food are exempt from that rule....

But that is, I suppose, one of the great things about traveling: constantly running up against things you just don't understand, people with different attitudes and experiences. It'll fuck with your brain some days, but it's part of what makes travel so exciting.

Oh, why you should always carry baby wipes.