Nyaung-U | Blue Lapis Road

DAY 4: FAREWELL BAGAN FAREWELL MYANMAR, 2017.12.26

On the last day of our Burmese trip, we got up early in the morning to take a stroll in the Nyaung-U neighbourhood before heading to the airport. With less than an hour to spare, we decided to find our own way to revisit the Shwezigon Paya, the largest temple in Nyaung-U. Assisted by Google Map, we headed into the peaceful residential neighborhood of Nyaung-U. It was 7 in the morning, the light was soft and the air peaceful in the residential streets. Without much trouble we reached Shwezigon Paya. Vendors were busily preparing their stalls at the temple entrances while local worshipers were already arriving in clusters. Foreign tourists had yet arrived but the temple was already quite lively. Without a guide this time, we had the freedom to wander around the temple to absorb the spiritual atmosphere and take photographs. Keeping our departure time in mind, we headed back to Oasis Hotel via the same route. We had a quick sip of coffee at Oasis before the taxi arrived. At the airport, we soon found out that there was an issue with the incoming aircraft and our 9am flight was delayed until 11:30am. We chose to stay at the airport to write postcards and waited for further news. Fortunately the aircraft did arrive and we had no trouble to catch our connecting flight at Yangon back to Hong Kong.

That concludes the posts on our 3-day trip to Myanmar in December 2017.

At 7am, we walked into a quiet residential neighborhood of Nyaung-U heading towards Shwezigon Paya, the largest temple in Nyaung-U.

Finding our way with Google Map on our phone, we passed by small shops and streets out of the tourist areas.

In the early hours, the town was extremely peaceful and there were hardly any people on the street.

As we approached the town largest temple, we could see much more activities on the street.

We arrived at Shwezigon Paya from a different entrance than where Win Thu , a guide, brought us to two days ago.

Devoid of foreign tourists, Shwezigon Paya appeared to be much more spiritual under the soft light of the morning sun.

At the temple entrance hallway, vendors were starting their busy day.

Stalls selling local snacks in bamboo skewers and bowls of colourful sauces were set up at prominent spots.

Without the tour groups we had a better chance to photograph the locals and entrance hallway at Shwezigon Paya.

Floral offerings were particular popular with worshipers at the temple entrance.

On our way back, we passed by an unused entrance hallway of Shwezigon Paya.

A cute little girl caught our attention on our way back to the hotel.

The short walk also led us to pass by less known stupa in the quiet neighborhood.

Some locals were burning trash at a street intersection.

Beautiful morning sun led our way back towards Oasis Hotel.

We passed through the sleepy Aye Nyein Thaya Park on our way back.

This short morning walk gave us a more domestic look at Nyaung-U, the commercial hub of the Bagan area.

At Nyaung-U Airport, we were told that our flight was delayed for two hours.

Before noontime, we were finally up in the air over the arid plains of Bagan towards Yangon. Two days of temple and pagoda hopping provided us a memorable introduction to the spectacular wonders of Bagan.

It wasn’t long before we arrived at Yangon International Airport and transited to our return flight back to Hong Kong. Although short, the trip to Yangon and Bagan gave us a remarkable getaway from the often commercialized and overwhelmingly busy Christmas scenes of the city.

* * *

Blog posts on Myanmar 2017:

Day 1: Yangon, Myanmar
DAY 1: INTRODUCTION OF A SHORT BURMESE CHRISTMAS VACATION
DAY 1: WALK TO 999 SHAN NOODLE HOUSE
DAY 1: SULE PAGODA
DAY 1: COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE
DAY 1: BUSTLING STREET LIFE
DAY 1: GOLDEN WORLD OF SHWEDAGON PAGODA
DAY 1: A PLACE FOR PEOPLE, Shwedagon Pagoda
DAY 1: EVENING MAGIC OF THE GOLDEN SHWEDAGON PAGODA
DAY 1: A FESTIVE NIGHT

Day 2: Bagan
DAY 2: SHWEZIGON PAGODA, Nyaung-U
DAY 2: HTILOMINLO AND UPALI THEIN
DAY 2: ANANDA PAHTO
DAY 2: SUNSET AT OLD BAGAN
DAY 2: SILENT NIGHT IN NYAUNG-U

Day 3: Bagan
DAY 3: MAGICAL SUNRISE, Old Bagan
DAY 3: NYAUNG-U MARKET, Nyaung-U
DAY 3: SULAMANI TEMPLE
DAY 3: DHAMMAYANGYI TEMPLE
DAY 3: THATBYINNYU TEMPLE
DAY 3: NAPAYA, MANUHA AND GUBYAUKGYI, Myinkaba
DAY 3: SUNSET No. 2, Old Bagan
DAY 3: FINAL NIGHT IN NYAUNG-U

Day 4: Farewell Myanmar
DAY 4: FAREWELL BAGAN FAREWELL MYANMAR

June 17, 2018 | Categories: Bagan, Myanmar, Myanmar 2017 | Tags: airport, Aye Nyein Thaya Park, Bagan, Burma, Myanmar, Nyaung-U, Shwezigon, Temple, Yangon | Leave a comment

DAY 3 (8/8): FINAL NIGHT IN NYAUNG-U, Myanmar, 2017.12.25

In the evening, we returned to Sanon Restaurant in Nyaung-U for dinner. After dinner, we walked to the commercial street of Nyaung-U. Souvenir vendors, hotels, pubs and restaurants lined up along Thi Ri Pysitsaya 4 Street, which, as our guidebook described, provided simple nightlife to the foreign tourists. Foreign tourists concentrated on a few of the restaurants that served fusion cuisine (Chinese, Thai and Myanmar). The decor were mainly causal and colourful. For us, the most eye-catching scene was a traditional umbrella showroom with a variety of colourful and translucent umbrellas lighted up from behind.

We passed by the Sapada Paya once again at the road intersection on our way to Sanon Restaurant.

Simple Christmas decorations lighted up building facades along the main road of the town.

Another satisfying meal at Sanon Restaurant.

Most shops along the main street in Nyaung-U offered e-bikes hire for tourists.

It was about 9pm and most tourists had already returned to their hotels.

Some shops offered contemporary bags and accessories with a Burmese touch in design.

Some were still checking out the souvenir vendors.

The most attractive shop was an traditional umbrella store.

Several local children circling around a fire reminded us that Bagan was still a less privileged rural area in Myanmar despite recent development of tourism.

* * *

Blog posts on Myanmar 2017:

Day 2: Bagan
DAY 2: SHWEZIGON PAGODA, Nyaung-U
DAY 2: HTILOMINLO AND UPALI THEIN
DAY 2: ANANDA PAHTO
DAY 2: SUNSET AT OLD BAGAN
DAY 2: SILENT NIGHT IN NYAUNG-U

Day 4: Farewell Myanmar
DAY 4: FAREWELL BAGAN FAREWELL MYANMAR

June 17, 2018 | Categories: Bagan, Myanmar, Myanmar 2017 | Tags: Bagan, Burma, Myanmar, Nyaung-U, restaurant, Sanon, shopping, Thi Ri Pysitsaya 4, town | Leave a comment

DAY 3 (2/8): NYAUNG-U MARKET, Nyaung-U, Myanmar, 2017.12.25

After watching the sunrise over Old Bagan, we returned to Oasis Hotel for breakfast. Soon, our guide Win Thu came to join us and we headed off once again to explore the Bagan area. Before another series of pagoda hopping, our day’s first destination was the local market of Nyaung-U. As the main transportation and commercial hub of Bagan, the market of the river town Nyaung-U is a gathering point for the locals. Many locals from the surrounding villages would come for grocery and daily needs. Nyaung-U market offers travelers a great spot to learn about the daily lives of the locals.

We started our market stroll at the open wet market section.

It was great to see all the fresh produces from the area, as well as the smiles and laughter of the vendors.

Apart from produces, colourful flowers were also available.

Our eyes were overwhelmed by all shades of green.

Several kids were enjoying themselves behind the vendor stalls.

There were several vendors selling thanaka powder, a yellowish-white paste made from ground tree bark of thanaka trees. Thanaka powder is a very popular cosmetic paste which the local Burmese women put on their faces.

Moving away from the open area, we walked into the covered aisles.

The aisles were narrow and busy.

Also for sale included betel leaves, which the locals used to make paan shots with Areca nut and/or tobacco.

Bamboo shoots is a common ingredients for local cuisine.

A quiet corner of the covered market.

Some vendors had to attend to their stall and baby at the same time.

Many vendors were also having their meals at the stalls.

This shop had all kinds of dried fish.

In the dry goods area, merchandise such as clothing and slippers were sold along with spices.

In the covered area, there was also a small eatery.

Heading out to the open area where we arrived, we passed by more stalls selling local produces and spices.

Apart from temple and pagoda hopping, the Nyaung-U market certainly added an unique experience to our visit of Bagan.

* * *

Blog posts on Myanmar 2017:

Day 2: Bagan
DAY 2: SHWEZIGON PAGODA, Nyaung-U
DAY 2: HTILOMINLO AND UPALI THEIN
DAY 2: ANANDA PAHTO
DAY 2: SUNSET AT OLD BAGAN
DAY 2: SILENT NIGHT IN NYAUNG-U

Day 4: Farewell Myanmar
DAY 4: FAREWELL BAGAN FAREWELL MYANMAR

May 5, 2018 | Categories: Bagan, Myanmar, Myanmar 2017 | Tags: Bagan, bamboo, betel, Burma, Burmese, farmers, food, market, Myanmar, Nyaung-U, produces, thanaka, vendor | Leave a comment

DAY 2 (5/5): SILENT NIGHT IN NYAUNG-U, Bagan, Myanmar, 2017.12.24

Tourists and guidebooks often compare the ancient ruins of Myanmar’s Bagan with Cambodia’s Angkor, and so as their base towns: Nyaung-U of Bagan and Siem Reap of Angkor. Tourists arriving in Bagan may discover that Nyaung-U is nothing like Siem Reap. There is no designated Pub Street, massage parlours or fish spa for the tired feet. Several years ago we spent the night of New Year’s Eve in the Pub Street of Siem Reap, where bars and restaurants were packed with half drunk tourists. This time, we had an opportunity to spend Christmas Eve in Bagan. Unlike Siem Reap, Nyaung-U was much more peaceful. To celebrate Christmas Eve, we chose Sanon Restaurant, a social enterprise offering great food and non-profit training for the disadvantaged youth. After a satisfying meal, we walked around Nyaung-U to take in the peaceful atmosphere of the silent night.

On our way to Sanon Restaurant, we passed by a number of convenient stores catered for tourists. Most shops also offered e-bike rentals to tourists. Renting E-bikes is one of the most popular ways for tourists to do their pagoda hopping.

We were lucky to find a table after a bit of waiting at Sanon Restaurant.

The dining area was a pleasant open terrace.

We started our Christmas Eve dinner with a delicious cocktail.

We had a local dish: deep fried morning glory for appetizer.

One of our main dishes was also a local dish: Giant Irrawaddy Prawn and Catfish Curry. Flowing north to south, Irrawaddy River is the largest river in Myanmar.

After dinner, we walked past a book vendor in front of a restaurant. All books were non-fiction and half of them were in English.

It was a 15-minute walk from Sanon Restaurant back to Oasis Hotel. The street was peaceful and quiet. All actions seemed to be limited inside the restaurants and hotels.

Some of the local eateries were particularly busy, with customers gathered to watch football games on large televisions.

Located at a road junction, Sapada Paya stood quietly over Nyaung-U.

We stopped by a small playground at the base of Sapada Paya.

Despite there was no one around, up at the terrace of Sapada Paya we found a small altar with fresh floral offerings.

Finally we were back at Oasis Hotel, our comfortable base for our stay in Bagan.

No one was around in the garden of Oasis Hotel, though Christmas music was on.

We enjoyed a peaceful Christmas Eve and retired to our room early. The next morning we would get up before dawn. Our driver would pick us up to watch the magical sunrise over Old Bagan, probably the most well known and gorgeous scenery in Myanmar.

* * *

Blog posts on Myanmar 2017:

Day 2: Bagan
DAY 2: SHWEZIGON PAGODA, Nyaung-U
DAY 2: HTILOMINLO AND UPALI THEIN
DAY 2: ANANDA PAHTO
DAY 2: SUNSET AT OLD BAGAN
DAY 2: SILENT NIGHT IN NYAUNG-U

Day 4: Farewell Myanmar
DAY 4: FAREWELL BAGAN FAREWELL MYANMAR

April 15, 2018 | Categories: Bagan, Myanmar, Myanmar 2017 | Tags: Bagan, Burma, Christmas, curry, food, hotel, Irrawaddy, Myanmar, Nyaung-U, oasis, prawn, restaurant, Sanon, Sapada Paya | Leave a comment

DAY 2 (3/5): ANANDA PAHTO, Bagan, Myanmar, 2017.12.24

After a brief rest at our hotel, Win Thu came to pick us up for another temple visit. We went further down Anawrahta Road from Nyaung-U towards Old Bagan to visit one of the most prominent icon of Bagan, the Ananda Pahto (Temple). Built between 1090 and 1105 by King Kyanzittha, the wonderfully preserved temple is often considered to be one of the finest structures in Bagan. The iconic golden spires of Ananda were not always golden. In fact, they were gilded in 1990 on its 900th anniversary. The exterior walls of the temple, on the other hand, were whitewashed from time to time. Four large standing Buddha were housed in the temple, each facing one of the four cardinal directions. The north and south facing images were said to be the original which were crafted in Bagan style. The east and west ones were replacements after the original ones were destroyed by fire. All four Buddha images were made of teak wood and covered with gold leaves.

We took off our shoes before entering the entrance hallway. Led by our guide Win Thu, we walked into the courtyard of Ananda Pahto and were immediately amazed by the grandeur of the temple. The golden spires glowed under the late afternoon sun.

Before entering the temple, Win Thu took us to see the famous glazed terra-cotta tiles along the lower terraces of the structure. Hundreds of these well-preserved tiles depicted the Jataka tales (stories of previous births of Gautama Buddha in human and animal forms).

While we examined the glazed tiles, a large group of school students arrived into the temple courtyard.

Before going inside, we walked to the far corner to see the reflection of Ananda Pahto in a pond.

The first thing captured our attention as we entered the west entrance of the temple was the exquisite fresco.

Peeking through the pointed archway we could see one of the four magnificent standing Buddha.

Facing west, Gautama Buddha (present Buddha) greets visitors with a hand gesture of fearlessness. This is one of the later replacements for the original statue, showing carving details in Mandalay style.

The enormous teak wood doors at each of the four main entrances look splendid but should be quite heavy to operate.

The core of the temple is a solid cube surrounded by long passageway, connecting the four worship halls where the large Buddha stand.

Natural light lit up the passageway through pointed arch openings.

Fresco and relief carvings depicting the life of the Buddha are all over the walls of the passageway.

Buddha statues with different hand gestures, postures, and facial expressions convey a unique meaning and a stage in life of the Buddha.

Facing north, the Kakusandha Buddha is the fourth of the Seven Buddhas of Antiquity and the first of the five Buddhas of the present aeon. This statue is one of two original statues from the Bagan period.

On the other hand, the east facing Konagamana Buddha (the fifth of the Seven Buddhas of Antiquity and the second of the five Buddhas of the present aeon) is a later replacement of the destroyed original.

We exited the temple after checking out the south facing Kassapa Buddha. The Kassapa Buddha is the sixth of the Seven Buddhas of Antiquity, and the third of the five Buddhas of the present aeon.

Before leaving temple, Win Thu explained various forms of reclining Buddha, differentiating between when the Buddha was taking a nap and when he was attaining parinirvana upon his death.

The Ananda Pahto under the late afternoon sun was glorious. Despite we were barefoot, we still enjoyed walking around the temple compound to photograph the beautiful architecture.

At a far corner by a back exit, we stopped by a gate with a niche and small statue.

Looking back over to the temple, the sun was setting fast. We decided to move on to another spot to watch the sunset over Old Bagan.

It was still pretty busy at the entrance of the Ananda Pahto when we exited the compound. Behind us, the splendid golden spires of Ananda glowed under the western sun.

* * *

Blog posts on Myanmar 2017:

Day 2: Bagan
DAY 2: SHWEZIGON PAGODA, Nyaung-U
DAY 2: HTILOMINLO AND UPALI THEIN
DAY 2: ANANDA PAHTO
DAY 2: SUNSET AT OLD BAGAN
DAY 2: SILENT NIGHT IN NYAUNG-U

Day 4: Farewell Myanmar
DAY 4: FAREWELL BAGAN FAREWELL MYANMAR

April 14, 2018 | Categories: Bagan, Myanmar, Myanmar 2017 | Tags: Ananda, Bagan, Buddha, Buddhism, Buddhist, Gautama, Kakusandha, Kassapa, Konagamana, Myanmar, Nyaung-U, pagoda, Pahto, stupa, Temple | Leave a comment

DAY 2 (2/5): HTILOMINLO AND UPALI THEIN, Bagan, Myanmar, 2017.12.24

Considered as the first empire in Myanmar, the legacy of the ancient Bagan Kingdom is what drawn all visitors coming to the dry plains at the eastern bank of the Ayeyawaddy River today. With over 2000 ruined pagodas concentrated around a few villages, Bagan is truly one of the most wonderful place to visit in Southeast Asia. After seeing Shwezigon, probably the most active temple still popular with pilgrims today, we moved on to check out some of the less intact pagodas nearby.

The first was Htilominlo Temple. Built on the spot where King Htilominlo was chosen as the next king, Htilominlo was eventually named after the king himself. Topped with a sikhara, an ornamental tower originated from Hindu architecture in Northern India, the 46m pagoda is a majestic brick structure plastered with stucco carvings.

Built in the 13th century, the Htilominlo is about 46m tall. The temple was damaged by earthquake in 1975.

Among all the tourist souvenirs on display at Htilominlo, local puppets seemed to be the most eye-catching.

Well known for its detailed plaster work, Htilominlo is a popular temple among the 2000+ pagodas in the area. The sikhara at the top was under scaffolding during our visit.

There is one gilded Buddha figure at each of the four worship halls facing the four directions.

Each of the four Buddha figures is unique in appearance. Pilgrims usually visit all of them for the worship.

The four main worship halls are connected by vaulted corridors running around the core of the main structure.

The interior of the architecture is full of archways and vaulted corridors.

Some of the fading fresco can still be seen inside Htilominlo.

After an interior loop, we walked around the temple to check out its exterior decorations. Some of the beautiful plaster work and glazed terracotta plaques were still visible.

Across the road from Htilominlo, we reached a smaller building called Upali Thein. Built in the 13th century, this building houses some fine frescoes from the 17th century. The interesting roof battlements attempted to mimic a type of historical Burmese wooden architecture that can no longer be found today.

We were fortunate that the usually locked Upali Thein was open while we were there.

We wandered around a cluster of stupas nearby. These stupas varied in size and form, and were constructed in different eras.

In the past, constructing stupas in Bagan was considered a religious good deed of the donor. Stupa donors in Bagan ranged from businessmen to officials and even kings. Names and addresses of the donor were often presented at the entrance gate.

Constructing stupas was a competitive business in the old days among the wealthy class.

Today, most of the 2000+ surviving stupas and pagodas stand in partial ruins, except the most prominent ones that are still serving as places of worship for Buddhist pilgrims.

Centuries of competitive stupa constructions put Bagan at the top of the list of attractions for Myanmar.

Looking back at Htilominlo from afar, we could truly sense that our two-day feast of temple and stupa hopping would be a really special experience. Unlike Angkor in Cambodia where majestic temples are overtaken by the powerful rainforest, Bagan is a romantic landscape picture consisted of layers of pagodas scattered across the horizon.

For lunch, Win Thu took us to a local restaurant nearby.

There was no menu as all customers were given the same dozen or so small plates of local dishes and a large plate of rice.

Housed in a simple shed, the restaurant kitchen was filled with the scent of charcoal.

* * *

Blog posts on Myanmar 2017:

Day 2: Bagan
DAY 2: SHWEZIGON PAGODA, Nyaung-U
DAY 2: HTILOMINLO AND UPALI THEIN
DAY 2: ANANDA PAHTO
DAY 2: SUNSET AT OLD BAGAN
DAY 2: SILENT NIGHT IN NYAUNG-U

Day 4: Farewell Myanmar
DAY 4: FAREWELL BAGAN FAREWELL MYANMAR

April 8, 2018 | Categories: Bagan, Myanmar, Myanmar 2017 | Tags: Bagan, Buddha, Buddhism, Buddhist, Burma, Burmese, food, Htilominlo, Myanmar, Nyaung-U, pagoda, restaurant, sikhara, stupa, Temple, Upali Thein | 1 Comment

DAY 2 (1/5): SHWEZIGON PAGODA, Nyaung-U, Bagan, Myanmar, 2017.12.24

After a full day in Yangon, the second part of our trip would take us north to Bagan. In the 9th to 13th centuries, Bagan was the ancient capital of the Pagan Kingdom, the first kingdom that united Myanmar. Near the former royal capital Mandalay, Bagan is over 600km north of Yangon. We chose flying to save time. There are several local airlines that offer the service. We picked Air KBZ, one of the guidebook recommended private airlines, and bought our tickets online two months prior to the trip. To maximize the time in Bagan, we chose the 7:15 flight and left Yangon’s Loft Hotel before dawn. We arrived at Yangon Airport in no time. After checking in, we had a noodle breakfast at a cafe in the boarding area.

Among several eateries we ended up sitting down at Gloria Jean’s Coffee in the boarding area for breakfast.

Black coffee and Shan noodles represented a set breakfast with a local twist.

Approaching Bagan, we could occasionally see Buddhist stupas in the landscape down below. We were pretty excited as we approached the ancient capital of the Bagan Kingdom, where thousands of pagodas and stupas once stood on the dry plains near the Irrawaddy River.

After a little over an hour, our plane touched down at Nyaung U, the main town in the Bagan area. Nyaung U was also where we would base ourselves in the next two days.

The Nyaung-U Airport is a small airport that served only domestic flights. Upon arrival, all passengers gathered at a room to wait for their luggage to be carried in by airport staff. After picking up our luggage, we walked out to the arrival hall and was greeted by our local guide Win Thu.

Win Thu took us back to our hotel Oasis Hotel to drop off our bags, and immediately began our Bagan tour by visiting Shwezigon Pagoda, the largest Buddhist temple in Nyaung-U. All visitors of the pagoda are greeted by the chinthes, the traditional leogryph guardians of temples in Southeast Asia.

We took off our shoes and entered one of the two remaining entrance halls. The entrance hall was crowded with pilgrims, tourists and vendors selling all kinds of religious offerings.

The entrance hall is a stone-paved covered walkway leading to the central pagoda compound and the gold gilded central pagoda.

Before approaching the golden stupa, we stopped by a pavilion with statues depicting the Buddhist story of the Four Sights: when the 29-year-old Siddhārtha left his royal palace for the first time and first met an elderly man, sick man, dead man and an ascetic. The four sights led Siddhartha to realize the real sufferings in life, and inspired his decision to embark on an ascetic journey towards enlightenment.

In Shwezigon, there are shrines dedicated to local deities such as the Nat God. Like many local deities, Nat predated the arrival of Buddhism in Myanmar and still remained popular today.

Completed in 1102 AD, the golden pagoda of Shwezigon Pagoda is believed to house a bone and tooth of Gautama Buddha. The bell-shaped stupa represents the architectural tradition of the Mon people of ancient Myanmar.

Many visitors gathered around a tiny pool of water to check out the reflection of the golden pagoda. According to our guide Win Thu, the king also used the pool of water to inspect the construction of the stupa.

The pagoda has a central solid core, with steps at the four cardinal directions rising from the base up the terraces for pilgrim’s worship.

Shwezigon Pagoda is the largest and most popular Buddhist temple in the Bagan area today.

Win Thu led us to the back of the pagoda to check out the famous Chayar Tree. The tree is famed for its year-round blossom, unlike other trees of its kind which would only flower at a certain period of a year.