Wandering Foward

Bagan: 2,200 Ancient Temples

When I first arrived at Nyaung-U in Bagan after a short flight from Yangon I was greeted with free wifi at the airport so I thought it wasn’t too bad. Then I saw my “taxi” to the hotel—a horse and carriage. I kid you not. This is a major form of transportation in Bagan—throughout much of Burma actually—with the possible exception of Yangon.

Bagan is a basic city in the center of Burma in the Mandalay region. It’s hard to believe this was once the capital of the kingdom that unified Burma. Today Bagan is small town located near the Ayeyarwaddy River in the “Dry Zone.” It’s hot. Really hot. And dry. Very dry. When you put those together you get dust. A lot of dust. In fact, it’s the dust that gives the famous temples of Bagan that beautiful hazy look in photos. Except, it’s not haze. It’s dust. Did I mention there’s a lot of dust?

Temple are the main the draw of Bagan. There isn’t much else to see or do, but there are literally thousands of temples in the Bagan Archeological Zone, as it’s loving called by the government. Many of the temples are centuries old, others are new additions in the last decades. They represent a mix of Buddhist, Hindu and animist religions all coexisting at the time. Bagan went through a temple construction boom in 11th through 13th centuries that resulted in so many temples in such a concentrated space it’s staggering. Some archaeologists and historians believe it was this massive (and expensive) scale of construction that resulted in Bagan’s decline, though the evidence doesn’t really bear that theory out.

Nonetheless, when you build so many temples so fast they aren’t always constructed very well and many are crumbling as a result. No worries, the same shoddy construction techniques that were used to build the temples are being used to “restore” them. That restoration is questionable at best, and severely damaging at worst. Several temples have been “restored” to the point that they are nothing like the original, with no regard to their original architecture, materials or designs. The military government even built a golf course (!) and highway next to the temples—so close that the asphalt touches some temples. These “restorations” are likely the reason UNESCO hasn’t designated Bagan a World Heritage Site.

Despite all that, the temples are a site to be seen. There are literally 2,200 remaining of the original 10,000 temples and they are just a few miles outside of New Bagan (the government forcibly moved people from Old Bagan to “preserve” it). Most people ride a bicycle to the temples, take a horse and carriage, or do what I did which is take a jeep (this assumes you aren’t part of tour package in which case you’re bused in).

I opted for the jeep because it was just too hot to ride out to the temples and back, and because my friend can’t ride a bike. Yes, there are people who can’t ride bikes and I didn’t know they existed until now. The jeep turned out to be a good choice, even if a bit expensive (20,000 kyat each day, about $25). The temples are rather spread out, but with a jeep we managed to see most of the main temples like Dhammayangyi and Ananda in the mornings before it became too hot. All of that was good because I was hit pretty hard by an allergy attack from the horses and dust.

The temples are best seen at dusk, though dawn is supposed to be nice too. Dawn was very underwhelming for me. I think this was just the time of year. Climbing the massive temples and looking across the flat landscape at the thousands of other temples is truly impressive site whether it’s morning or evening. Up close, the temples are still very interesting though not as impressive. They are all very similar and most lack intricate carvings and art, though a small few do have some.

Once you’ve seen 20 or so of these temples, you start to feel like you’ve seen them all. Yet, you can’t help but be awed by the fact there are thousands of temples all around you. Some are built practically on top of each other, some are huge while others are really small, most are red and a few are white. The landscape is literally covered with ancient temples making Bagan a wonderful place to spend a few days exploring.

Now is the Time to Visit Burma

I’ve wanted to visit Burma for quite some time and was really excited when the political situation finally improved enough to make it ethical to do so. Yes, I do worry about such things. Burma has a pretty bad track record when it comes to human rights violations, but they are improving.

When I was there, they were preparing for elections. People were waving the flag of Aung San Suu Kyi‘s democratic party and even talking openly about their desire for change. This would have been unthinkable a short time ago (Suu Kyi was actually under house arrest until relatively recently). One guy I was talking with joked that “You could always complain about the government,” but then he put his hands together in front of him like he was being arrested and added, “Of course you would go to jail.” I didn’t meet one person that wasn’t a fan of Suu Kyi (pronounced “Suchi”) or didn’t have her party flag on their car or in their store window.

The great news is that Suu Kyi’s party had big wins in the elections, so it really does look very promising for Burma. There are already quite a few travelers there already. In fact, it can be a bit oppressive with the number of people running around on tour buses and I was there during the shoulder season. I can’t imagine what it would be like during high season. I heard that hotels were nearly impossible to find, but this is mostly due to the low number of hotels.

Much of Burma is still very undeveloped and has a way to go before it can compete with other Southeast Asian countries like Thailand or even Cambodia. Prices are starting to climb, though fortunately it’s still possible to find bargains. Depending on how you want to travel, Burma had high-end resorts that will protect you from having to mingle with the locals as well as budget accommodations that cater to the more practical traveler. Big tour groups from Europe (mostly French and some German) seem to hole away in the massive resorts and bus themselves out to the sites for the day. It was rather depressing to watch, especially when you know that it supports the military junta.

I spent two weeks in Burma, starting in Yangon, which was far nicer than I expected. It was hot and humid, but the people are wonderful and very welcoming. I was often asked where I was from, and when I told them they inevitably said America was a great country. I found this surprising given their current hardships are a direct results of the embargo America pushed for, though the Burmese understand why. After Yangon I went to Bagan, where it’s hot and dry, then Lake Inle where it’s hot and wet.

I’m glad I went to Burma when I did. I think now really is the time to go. There is a lot of change in the winds and now is great time to see Burma before it’s overrun even more with tourists. The people are still wonderfully friendly and welcoming, and there’s a lot to see. I think much of this will change when sanctions are lifted and more travelers and business come flooding in.

Weekly Photo: Fisherman on Lake Inle in Burma

Lake Inle in Burma is a beautiful lake that reminds me of the Tonle Sap in Cambodia (though not nearly that large). The fisherman on Lake Inle, however, have a trait that is uniquely their own. They wrap one of their legs around a paddle and in a circular sweeping motion they paddle their boats. This is only done on Lake Inle in Burma. It is really a site to see these guys paddling around just using their leg.

Weekly Photo: Shwedagon Pagoda

Probably the most magnificent sight in Yangon, the Shwedagon Pagoda, also called the Great Dagon Pagoda, is a gilded, golden marvel. At over 2,500 years old, it’s the oldest pagoda in the world and was supposedly built to enshrine 8 hairs of Gautama Buddha. Whatever the reason it was built, it’s a beautiful site, especially at dusk when the light hits it just right to make it glow.

Weekly Photo: Borobudur

Borobudur is an ancient Buddhist monument in the Muslim country. Located just outside Yogyakarta in Central Java, Borobudur was built in the 9th century and then abandoned in the 14th with the rise of Islam in the region. Raffles, the famous British ruler of Java, brought it out of obscurity in 1814 and it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The monument has over 500 buddha statues with over 70 of them in stupas (like you see in the photo). Most interesting of all is that the Borobudur monument, shaped like a lotus flower, is thought to have been surrounded with water, so it would have appeared to be a flower floating in a pond. Amazing!

No Plan Is The Best Plan

I’ve found when traveling that having everything scheduled and worked out in the finest detail simply makes for a poor travel experience. If you have everything planned out then there is no opportunity of the unexpected to happen, which is where most of the excitement from travel come from. Or, if it does happen, you can’t seize it because you are already committed. No plan is often the best plan when it comes travel.

I am not suggesting that you shouldn’t have some idea of what you want to do. There are obviously places you want to visit and things you want to do, and you should definitely have a plan to see them. However, instead of booking all of the flights and tours in advance, book them a few days before. In most places, the price difference is miniscule. This gives you far more freedom to stay longer at a place if you like it, or leave sooner if you don’t.

One thing I usually do when traveling is book a place to stay for the first night or two. I like to have that taken care of so when I arrive I can go and relax. Travel can be a bit draining at times and it’s nice to know you have a place. I don’t book for the entire time though. If the places turns out to be a dumb, have bad staff, is loud, or who knows what, you don’t want to be stuck there because you paid in advance. The chances of these places being fully booked are slim in most situations and you can always find another place. I only break this rule for special occasions when I know a place is going to be fully booked (like Mardi Gras or something similar).

When it comes to transportation I almost always do that just a day or two before I travel with the exception of some flights. You might find flights are bit cheaper if you book them a couple weeks in advance (more than that and there usually are no savings). However, in many places—especially SE Asia—there is rarely a need to book flights more than a few days in advance. Trains and buses don’t usually need to be booked in advance at all, or maybe just a day or two before you leave. I rarely have problems. The few times I have it has been because of some holiday (flights from Borneo to the Philippines around Christmas, for example) or because the destination was really popular and lots of people are coming in and out often (Agra in India where the Taj Mahal is located).

Otherwise, just book your transportation when you are ready. The flexibility this gives you is wonderful. I can’t count how many times I have decided to stay at a place longer because I liked it, or leave because I wasn’t enjoying myself as much. Sometimes I meet some great people and want to change my plans so I can travel with them. I’ve even discovered there other things to see that I didn’t know about before and so my plans changed. By avoiding booking in advance I had the flexibility to do what I wanted and not be locked into an itinerary.

Overall, the best plan is no plan at all. Having a general idea of what you want to see and where you want to go is great, but avoiding locking yourself into a strict itinerary. Not only does this ride you of your freedom, but it removed any chance to seize random opportunities that spring up when you travel—and they spring up often. You want to give yourself the ability to explore and having no plan is the best plan for that!

Have you traveled with no plan before? Share your experience in the comments section below.

Komodo National Park: There Be Dragons Here

One of the most exciting trips I did was visiting Komodo and Rinca islands in Indonesia. They are famous, of course, for the Komodo dragons that live on them.These giant monitor lizards roam around the islands and tend to hang out near the ranger stations (where they smell the food that is cooking). A visit to Komodo and Rinca (pronounced reen-cha) is something everyone should do when they visit Indonesia.

Komodo Dragons

The Komodo dragon is actually a monitor lizard that is big, very big. They can get up to 10 feet long and weigh 150 pounds! Monitor lizards are quit common throughout the Pacific Islands, but they are generally much smaller because of competition with other carnivores. The largest I’ve seen besides the Komodo dragon was in the Palawan in the Philippines—they were up to three feet long.

From the fossil record, we know that large monitor lizards have existed in other places in the Pacific and Australia, but have since gone extinct except on Komodo and Rinca. The reason there are none of the large Komodo dragons on neighboring islands, such as Flores which is a very short distance away, is that the dragons are unable to cross the fast-flowing channel. They can swim, they just get swept away and presumably drown. Since other islands are too far for them to swim or the natural competition has shrunk them on islands they’ve made it to, they are now only found on Komodo and Rinca islands (though the monitors on Flores and other islands are genetically identical to those on Komodo and Rinca).

Komodo dragons are an endangered species, and even the Dutch recognized this as far back as 1915 when they started protecting the dragons. There are only 4000-5000 dragons in the wild (the exact number is hard to determine since they are a rather reclusive animal). They are slow to reproduce and practice cannibalism. Baby dragons live in trees for the first several years to protect themselves, though they are pretty much defenseless and many are eaten as prey.

Adult Komodo dragons can move rather fast and are able to use their strong tails to knock animals down, but the dragons prefer to eat carrion or attack stealthily. When they do attack, their prey do not die immediately. Dragons will often follow their prey for up to a month before it final succumbs to their bite. It contains venom that lowers blood pressure and causes muscle paralysis, but it is loaded with bacteria and this is what eventually kills their prey.

More Than Dragons

There is actually more to see on Komodo and Rinca islands than just dragons. They have very unique and, despite being close to each other, very distinct eco-systems. Komodo has really interesting fauna on it. The trees look like they are from prehistoric times, being really tall with no branches until the very top. Rinca, on the other hand, is very dry with scattered palm trees covering much of the island. Both islands are volcanic in nature with rather rugged landscapes.

The surrounding islands are scattered with wonderful little beaches. There is great snorkeling and diving here as many of these coral stands are marine reserves that are protected. There is even a pink beach called, of course, Pink Beach. With its pink sand, it is one of only seven in the world. The sand appears pink because of the mixture of white and red coral sand that make up the beach.

Visiting Komodo & Rinca Islands

Komodo and Rinca are part of Komodo National Park, a World Heritage Site that is rather isolated. You get there via Labuanbajo in Flores. Regular flights leave for Labuanbajo throughout Indonesia, including from Bali. In Labuanbajo you can charter a boat for three to four days, or longer if you want to do dive trips. Prices are rather economical and you can customize the trip to include hiking, diving, snorkeling, beach visits, and other activities.

I was focused on seeing the dragons. Usually you visit Rinca island first, which takes many hours to get to from Flores. All visits to the park on Rinca and Komodo require a ranger to accompany you (included in your park fee), which adds a bit of comfort as well as information. While the rangers will tell you that there is never a guarantee you will see the dragons, you are more likely to see them on Rinca. When I visited, dragons hadn’t been seen for over a week, but when I arrived on Rinca I saw them all over the island. There are more dragons on Rinca because they have been less disturbed.

After hiking around Rinca for half a day and seeing the dragons, you can visit some of the nice coral stands for snorkeling and diving. I went snorkeling and also hung out the beaches for a while. Though I did double-check that I wasn’t on one of the islands with dragons. The last thing I wanted was a dragon charging me while I was lying on the beach!

The next day you visit Komodo island. The dragons are much bigger than on Rinca, but there are fewer of them. Komodo also has some nice hiking that is a bit easier than Rinca and with some pretty cool flora and fauna. I did a four-hour hike where a saw a lot of animals, including the dragons. Though we were lucky, some massive dragons were hanging out near the park entrance. After that, it was more snorkeling and beach time on Pink beach.

Weekly Photo: Monkey at Koh Phi Phi Beach

Koh Phi Phi is the island chain made famous by the movie The Beach staring Leonardo DiCaprio. This photo was of a monkey on Koh Phi Phi Don, the largest island in the chain. We were watching a storm coming in an the monkey just decided to join us. By the way, Phi Phi is pronounced pee pee just like… well, you know.

A little about Thai words. Koh means “island.” Every island in Thailand is preceded with that except Phuket, which, because of its large size, the koh is dropped. Don means “big,” so Koh Phi Phi Don is the largest island. Leh means “little,” and there is a Koh Phi Phi Leh, where the famous beach is located and happens to be a very busy national park now.

Weekly Photo: Leaning Tower of Pisa

I visited the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy in the Spring of 2008. There were so many people running around it was like a zoo! I got tickets to go up the tower, but had to wait nearly two hours before I could go up. They don’t allow many people up at a time—only a dozen, if I remember correctly—because the tower is in a very precarious situation. They are doing everything they can to keep it from falling over, but it still keeps listing. It’s a rather weird situation to be in a building that is leaning so far to the side, but the view was worth the effort of climbing steps at a steep angle.

A Day Trip to Ayutthaya, Thailand

Not far from Bangkok—about an hour by car—is the former capital of the Kingdom of Siam, the city of Ayutthaya. Now the UNESCO recognized Ayutthaya Historical Park, Ayutthaya played a major role in Thai history. Ayutthaya was the seat of 5 dynasties and 33 kings, and also was involved in over 70 wars (mostly with the Khmer of Cambodia and the Burmese of Myanmar). Ayutthaya was built in 1350 and named after the Indian birthplace of Rama. It remained the capital for 417 years until 1767 when the Burmese sacked the city. The Bangkok Empire was created by those who fled the destruction of Ayutthaya.

The ruins of Ayutthaya are spread out around the modern city, though it’s fairly easy to see the main temples such as Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Wat Mongkhon Bophit, Wat Na Phra Meru, Wat Thammikarat, Wat Ratburana and Wat Phra Mahathat in the city center by walking around (or taking one of the colorful tuk tuks!). I visited soon after the major flooding of 2011, so there was a lot of debris around still and some of the temples were closed to visitors. You can easily make out the high water marks on the temples in the photos.