E-biking in Bagan

Possibly my favourite photo ever... sunrise over Bagan.

When asked to picture Myanmar, most people will think of Bagan: endless stupas puncturing the horizon as far as the eye can see, hot air balloons hanging majestically in the sky. It is Myanmar's main tourist sight and most hyped up attraction.

Normally I decry big tourists sights as overrated, over crowded and annoying but not this time... Bagan was AMAZING! Magical, mystical and ancient, everything it said on the label!

First balloon of the morning takes flight over Bagan.

Ric and I hired 'ebikes' for our two days sightseeing in Bagan. We had little idea of what ebikes entailed before renting them and were surprised to find that they looked and felt quite similar to motorised scooters. 

Following Ric's accident in India in 2013 we swore never to ride scooters again and have fastidiously avoided them during our travels through Asia. Understandably, we were a little hesitant to set off on these new intimidating ebikes. An ebike is an electric scooter that charges via mains electricty, it has pedals like a regular bicycle which can be used to recharge the battery in case of emergency. They have a top speed of about 18mph. 

We weren't taking any chances on these ebikes and insisted on helmets, even though there wasn't a single other ebike user in the town wearing one. As Ric drove off ahead of me the ebike shop owner tapped me on the shoulder and advised "you can go a little faster you know." 

We soon got the hang of whizzing around Bagan on our little ebikes and had an exhilarating time. Although we did get a few laughs from the locals as we trundled by wearing our helmets, on our pink bikes, travelling at the same speed as pensioners on mobility scooters!

Ric nervously getting back on a pseudo-scooter.

On our second day of ebike fun the divine powers that be intervened and sent us a loud and clear message that we really aren't destined to ride motorised bikes. 

A loud popping sound brought our excursion to a premature end and we had to wait at the side of the road for a man to come along and fix it. Not only had I popped the inner tube, the entire tyre was torn. Fortunately the repairs only cost me $10 and an hour of my time and we were back on our way, no casualties this time. 

As testament to the kindness of the Burmese people, while we waited at the roadside for our repair fellow to arrive, several people stopped to ask if we were ok, many of them stopping to chat to us and offering us the use of their mobile phones. Dozens of tourists passed us and not a single one stopped to see if we were ok.

Disaster. Note that the battery pack is tied to the bike with bungee rope... it's no wonder the tyre popped really.

We zipped around Bagan on our bikes for two days, checking out any temples that took our fancy as we passed, climbing up this one, going inside that one, it was fun and the temples were stunning. 

The view over the town from on top of the temples is simply mind blowing, especially at sunrise. There are thousands upon thousands of stupas and temples in every direction, some over 900 years old. 

On our final evening we took a luxurious sunset boat cruise on the Ayarwaddy River. We arrived at the riverside to a secluded, lush garden where we were given unlimited free tea, coffee, fruit and nuts and were told to relax for as long as we liked. Once we were ready, we were lead to our own longtail boat and asked if we would like a cold beer (we would). We spent the next 90 minutes lounging in our deck chairs in the glow of the setting sun, floating gently down the river. All for just $12/£7.20

Enjoying life.

We Stayed At...
Innwa Hotel: expensive at $45 a night but so worth it.

Into Burma: Yangon

A 4am flight from Bangkok’s Don Meung Airport took us on our way to Myanmar’s dusty capital, Yangon. We arrived, by chance, on the country’s Independence Day (independence from the British in 1948). Our first impression of Yangon was that it resembled a post apocalyptic city: there were no cars on the roads, few people in the streets and the buildings were in various stages of decay with glassless windows and plant life emerging from the cracks. However, we soon realised that the population were gathered down alleyways and side streets, where big street parties were taking place. We watched children taking part in community sports days whilst parents clapped from the pavement, then set off to explore the city. On closer inspection there had been no zombie uprising in Myanmar, although the buildings were indeed falling apart.

Kids line up for sports day.

5-a-side on a dual carriage way.

We ventured into town where gilded Sule Pagoda marks the glistening centre of the city, and doubles as a roundabout. Behind, the obelisk overlooking the pagoda is the Independence Monument, sitting in centre of park full of courting couples kissing in the privacy of an open umbrella. Two sides of the main square are flanked by grand colonial buildings housing national banks, as the sun set they sparkled with thousands of fairy lights. I was walking around the centre admiring the architecture in all its fading glory, thinking how nice Yangon was, much nicer than the deserted zombie land I first encountered. 

Then we spotted an ‘occupy’-style protest right outside the Supreme Court. People who had been forcibly evicted from their homes had taken up residence in the city centre, they demanded their land back. It was a sharp reminder that as tourists we only get a glimpse of a country. 

Protest, Yangon.

We explored the capital over two days, walking around fascinated by how different Yangon is compared to the other Southeast Asian capitals we’ve visited. Most buildings are three or more stories high, with each level housing a separate family. From the laundry-cluttered balconies on each floor hangs a long rope with a bag attached at street level, facilitating the delivery of groceries, mail and front door keys, saving the occupant the effort of going downstairs to open the communal door. Yangon reminded me of Kathmandu in that it is very dusty, and is overrun with pigeons.

On one of our long walks we came across the Vintage Yacht Hotel, moored on the bank of the river. We walked on board the 1930’s styled yacht, which was empty but for the staff, and had a good nosy. It was really unlike anything I’ve seen before, all dark wood and leather, antique grammar phones and imitation gas lamps. On the top deck, instead of a swimming pool there were four freestanding bathtubs complete with brass fittings. 

The main attraction in Yangon is Shwedagon Pagoda, a large gold stupa that attracts millions of pilgrims each year. We started our pilgrimage with a walk around Kandawgyi Lake, which has an attractive boardwalk around fountains and flowering gardens. The pagoda itself is currently being restored, but rather than being disappointed I was amazed by the scaffolding that follows the contours of the structure perfectly. Never have I seen such intricate work, constructed by hand from bamboo and rope, even the colour of the bamboo is in keeping with the gold of the stupa. We walked around Shwedagon twice as the gold structures sparkled in the setting sun.

Kandawgyi Lake.

Shwedagon South entrance

While Yangon is certainly not the most attractive city in Asia, it is extremely interesting and was a wonderful first impression of Myanmar.

We Stayed At…

Myint Myat Hotel: a bit far from the city centre (30 minute walk) but well worth it, especially with the wonderful open terrace on the top floor. $30/£20 for a double with shared bathroom.