Burma Day 4: Bagan - Yangon

Sunrise over Bagan

Painted skies

I'm going to miss Bagan. Before we arrived, I thought I would grow tired of looking at temples. But that's not the case. Perhaps it's the sense of exploration in getting to each. We rented bikes for today and yesterday and rode our way around Old Bagan and the surrounding villages. No agenda, no plan except to see temples. Each one is different and from each you have a different view of your surroundings. Which is basically the same: temples everywhere. Breathtaking. And never tiring. But different because there's always JUST another temple you can see that you want to find, explore, and see up close. In part, I felt as if I was trying to complete a massive-scale scavenger hunt. Armed with my map and my bike, I could have tried to check off all the "suggested" temples. But I borrowed the sense of calm from my travel companions and just let it happen. Felt good to relax.

So far my impression of Burma is, well.... impressed. With the people (so nice), the food (Thai fusion with fresh fruit? Yes please!), the scenery (city and countryside), and atmosphere (relaxed ambition). Amongst the three of us (not experts by any means), we estimate that in five years, a historical gem like Bagan will be at the top of the Southeast Asian traveler's list alongside places like Angkor Wat and Luang Prabang. I hope that it doesn't lose it's charm by becoming commercialized, but I think that the Burmese people and hopefully the government will do their part in preserving the indescribable qualities of their country that make it so wonderful.

Right now I'm on the plane back to Yangon and I have to say, I'm a tad bit scared. We laughed at the quaintness of the security and immigration check on our way in (when doing the ID check, the airport staff simply asked, "where are you from?" and then stamped our boarding passes with a 'checked' stamp when we replied "USA", adding a tick mark in a column of nationalities). As we were taxiing down the runway, though, the plane came to an abrupt stop and we turned around to go back to the beginning. A small problem, our captain explained. We will be taking off 10 minutes later. ::sigh:: I'm forcing myself to get in the zen place I need to be to deal with this "small problem." Why, you ask? This is why: same airline, same flight number crashed just a month or two ago...

-/-

Back in Yangon, and I am sitting in The Strand Hotel dining room, surrounded by colonial opulence. I am the youngest person here, and the only person by myself. But to be honest, I don't mind. I'm enjoying the ambiance, and I am enamored with the acoustic six-string guitar player who is playing the most beautiful pieces.

I don't mean to, but wherever I go, I seem to find restaurants that offer dishes with truffles. Needless to say, I'm a big fan of truffles. At the top of my dining favorites these days, it's bibimbap, truffles, avocado, and duck. I guess it's reflective of where I'm living? What a luxurious combination.

Anyway, the Strand is a glorious old hotel. As a lodging option, it's a five-star hotel, mostly for its prestige and its location (waterfront views, downtown). The cafe serves high tea every day and from what I hear and read, it draws quite the crowd (although I imagine it's mostly a q-tipped bunch). I've always imagined the colonial countries as being still reminiscent of their pre-independence days, with scrubby Brits lounging around in their khakis and drinking tea with bamboo fans overhead. Pretty accurate still. It's a good feeling.

This truffle risotto = divine. My guitar player just started playing Somewhere Over The Rainbow and I think I'm there, in heaven, eating this dish. The server sprinkled something on the dish before I got a bite, I think it's pepper with cinnamon or nutmeg? Either way, with the chestnut and pear bits (technical term: ragout) on top and the delicious bits of black truffle spread throughout, I'm seriously content. The hardest question of tonight? Do I order the apple tart to finish or be good with coffee and petite madelines? Decisions, decisions!