BAGAN JULY 26 27 28
Transport
Bus from Hsipaw, 15300 MMK. I leave in the evening, at about 19, under a pouring rain. The company should be KTK, the only word written in Latin characters on the colorful ticket. Even in this case the vehicle is not that nice, the bottom half is full of goods, including passengers’ luggage and backpacks, and a snoring drunkard, lying on the top. Every now and then, he wakes up, hearten himself, and, lost in his rants with imaginary friends, ventures staggering in the aisle, at the first curve loses his balance, falls, and lies down cursing. When he starts to get troublesome, someone badly pushes him back from the place he came. I arrive in Bagan at 5.00 nearly. Did not sleep at all. According to the Lonely Planet the bus terminal should be in the city, about 500 meters from the guesthouse where I should meet with Aileen. Unfortunately, the guide is not updated : it was moved, of course on the other side of the city center, in the most distant suburbs. The taxi will cost 5000 MMK after a lively bargaining, but I know that the Chinese can reach up to 3000. Clearly, for Europeans the tariff is different …
The temples occupy an area of approximately 7.6 square kilometers of almost flat ground. To move around bicycles are available, 1500 MMK, then electric bikes (I think about 7 or 8 USD), and drawn carriage horses (about 20 USD). To me, a normal bicycle is ok.
Despite the Lonely Planet mention, I could not find any local pick up to Mount Popa, I asked to the local people, at the terminal, but nothing. However, travel agencies organize taxis for 10 USD / return, which seems to me an acceptable price.
To move from Bagan to Kalaw I chose a day minivan (15000 MMK), Minn Thar Express Company. Details here
Sleep
The great dilemma is where to stay in Bagan. The main temples are in Old Bagan, which is obviously the most expensive area, with hotels of medium / high range. The alternatives are New Bagan, where recently arose many new pensions, or Nyaung U, the area with the most affordable accommodations. The appointment meeting poing with Aileen is at the Pann Cherry Guesthouse, one of the cheapest in the economic zone. It was hard work to find it. It offers single rooms with shared bathrooms for 7 USD, but these are not on the same level as the Lily in Hsipaw. Aileen and I initially wanted to stay there, but then we told to ourselves “who cares”, and we upgraded to a double with air conditioning and en suite bathroom, 25 USD, without breakfast. Cyviour, a Malay girl Aileen got friend with, chooses a cheap single, and then comes in our room to shower.
Comfortable beds, ok shower, silent air conditioning. Some mosquitoes around, but luckily I have my own mosquito net.
Eat
Many restaurants, usually quite expensive. Close to the Pann Cherry there are two tea houses where the locals go. One, Perfect, is the favorite of my Chinese friends, and in fact is not bad: pseudo western breakfast (tea and sweet rolls 1100 MMK) and 1000 MMK for a noodle soup.
My favorite restaurant is the Moon, best vegetable curry and my beloved ginger tea 5000 MMK, a bit expensive, but really nice, clean, and very popular
The first day I ate at a place whose name I do not remember, but I remember the location. In the direction to Old Bagan from Nyaung U, at the junction for Ananda, on the left. Typical Burmese curry 2900 MMK
I do not know whether it’s their fault, but I caught a terrible intestinal constipation, that have lasted for days. Also Aileen was bad, with fever as well.
Another dinner has been consumed at Spice, Nyaung U, 800 MMK a Knorr style soup (I did not feel well that night)
The temples
This is the map. Or try this as well
The first day, Cyviour, Aileen and I, after visiting the Shwezigon Paya, walk along the Anawratha Road, up to Old Bagan, exploring all the pagodas on our way. We go back to Nyaung U later with a free ride on a pick-up. It rains occasionally.
On the second day, due to my belly disease, I leave free my friends, and leave alone very late, at about 10.00, after having rent a bicycle from a travel agency which is just around the corner. The Pann Cherry also has some available, but this is nicer, because it has a basket, so my back is free. Even today it is raining: the good side is that I do not run the risk of getting burnt by the sun, the negative is that I have to stop every 3 seconds to dry the glasses, and in addition the rain poncho makes me sweat like a pig. 
After a visit at the temples of Old Bagan, I stop for lunch at “The Moon”, which is nearby, a few seconds before the rain, already quite insistent, turns out into a violent tropical downpour. As soon as the situation gets better, but I have to wait for a while, I continue cycling to New Bagan. I notice a great expansion of brand new gueshouses and restaurants. They seem better than those in Nyaung U, but here I do not see any Burmese around, only tourists.
After New Bagan, I turn left towards the airport. The intention is to follow the advice of a waiter at the The Moon restaurant, get to Thisa Wadi, and then cycle along the path that cuts to the Dhamma Yan Gyu. Unfortunately there is so much mud that I get stuck, I have to go down from the bike and push it, but at some points I sink in the mud till to the ankles. For a while I keep on going, but then I’m really in trouble, so get back to the previous road, which I tread on the opposite direction, stopping into all the puddles that I find to wash the bike, which is sooo dirty, and my feet. When I return it to the agency, the guy looks at me very badly.
In the night Aileen starts feeling bad. Third day, my last in Bagan, while Cyviour goes to Mount Popa, Aileen and I rent the bicyles again, to see around everything we missed in the previous days. I’m feeling so-so, and I stop wherever there is a toilet, that’s to say at the most important temples, but at least I can control my intestine, Aileen is much worse and when she cannot resist any longer she just hides behing some bushes, covering herself with the umbrella. We go back to “The Moon” restaurant, to quaff bowls of ginger tea, hoping in the miracle of instant healing. We come back soon.
Moral: two full days in Bagan are in my view sufficient, one more to Mount Popa
Impressions
Gorgeous, despite the adverse weather conditions (I did not see any sunrise or sunset, and it’s a grace of God any time it stops raining a bit). Pedaling in the rain in Bagan is priceless. Everywhere you turn you see stupas, pagodas. If it is so wonderful with bad weather, I dare not to imagine what it can be with a decent weather.
The only comparable thing that comes to mind is Angkor Wat, Cambodia. But I remember feeling a sense of awe and shyness in front of the immensity of the Bayon, or Ta Prohm, while here it is more a perception of lightness, the buildings are smaller, and much more “diluted” into the landscape
People eventually tend to focus to the largest monuments, Ananda, just to name one, so at any other place except Old Bagan is really easy to be in a few people to enjoy this extraordinary beauty. The views from the tops of the stupa are spectacular. On the most important ones is really hard to find contemplative silence, since you are surrounded by idiots who selfie infinitely in the most original (of course for them) poses. Moving away a little you can find the true cosmic and sublime peace. Most of the interior is bare, with some exceptions, like the Sulamani, which have walls decorated with frescoes with scenes from the life of Buddha.
The Shwezigon Paya is breathtaking at night
Tips for shopping
At the base of a temple, one of the first ones on the right side in the direction from Nyaung U in Old Bagan, I think Uyingyi Paya is the name, I was approached by a guy who was selling beautiful batik, 5 USD, colored with shades of sand and other natural materials. I have not seen them anywhere else, even in the major temples, and I regret not having bought anything. There are beautiful parasols made of rice paper, typical of the Pathein area
Various
At the entrance to the city you pay a USD 20 fee, impossible to avoid