“It is good people who make good places,” says
Anna Sewell. Indeed, a good part of Bagan’s magic springs from its locals. Come
to think of it, temples, sunrise/sunsets, rural sceneries, the laid back
lifestyle...these can all be found elsewhere. In fact, we have our own versions
of those here in the Philippines, some even better than in Bagan. So the most important (but probably underrated) feature that sets Bagan apart is its people.
When I posted photos of our trip,
a lot have been asking me for the itinerary. But when I tried to recall, I
realized there really wasn’t anything special that we did except ride our bikes
and eat. There were no theme parks; and we didn’t go to any cultural shows or
museums. Our 3 days were spent just roaming around in the midst of normal,
daily Burmese lives. It was the most relaxed, unplanned trip I have ever gone to, but it was by far the best one in the book.
WHERE WE STAYED
Prior to our trip, we have
already been exchanging emails with Ei, one of the managers of MOTEL ZEIN. Bernard, who was supposed
to come with us, had a friend who has been to Bagan, and she recommended this
hotel to us. All of Motel Zein’s reviews were above average, and Ei was also very much polite and willing to help. When
they could not accommodate us in the room that we requested, it was almost as
if they felt guilty. They did book us the next best room—with a discount at
that—and arranged for us to be picked up at the bus station.
The Warm Welcome
It was still early (before 7AM)
when we arrived at the hotel (we went to see the sunrise straight from the bus
station, but more on that later). Ei couldn’t assure that we’d be able to
check-in early, so we expected we would have to
wait until the 2PM check-in time. But when we arrived, Ei and her manager Cho
greeted us with bright smiles and told us that we could already move into our room! Imagine
our delight! We have not slept in a proper bed the night before, and also…well, let’s
just say the freshness from the quick wash up at Yangon was
about to expire…so a nice, proper bath in a real, legitimate bathroom was very
much needed.
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| Us finally settled in our room! |
But Ei and Cho’s kindness didn’t
end there. They even invited us to get breakfast after we’ve freshened up. You
guys realize that makes it a FREE MEAL, right? We were supposed to check-in at
2PM, so that means the breakfast we paid for would not be until the next day. It felt like we were rewarded just for coming to Bagan.
(The following photos are grabbed from Motel Zein's website)
(The following photos are grabbed from Motel Zein's website)
A Touching Farewell
From time to time we’d enjoy
little chitchats with Ei and Cho whenever we would chance upon them at the
reception area. It seemed like they were really happy to talk with their
guests, and they would even share tips about certain places. Ei was very good
in English and even had a thick British (or was it Australian?) accent. She
gave us some backgrounder on Mt. Popa—one of the most sacred monasteries in
Myanmar—while helping us get slots in a group tour. Cho on the other hand, was
always smiling and very soft-spoken. She seemed to want to offer us anything she
possibly could give. One morning she even lent Jedi her hairdryer, after
spotting Jedi walking around at the lobby with very limp, wet hair that was
soaking the back of her shirt. LOL. On our last day, they kept our luggage for
us while we squeezed in one more tour, and allowed us to use their bathroom even after we've checked out so
we could wash up before we leave for Yangon. Cho even walked us to the hotel gate
where the JJ Express bus was waiting. It’s really no wonder Bernard’s friend
recommended this place.
If you’re going to Bagan, do consider their hotel. It’s
located at Nyaung U, near the restaurant row, and is just a few steps (oo, steps lang talaga) from the highway
(Anawrahta Road). You can email them at motelzein.myanmar@gmail.com. (NOTE: the following photos are grabbed from Motel Zein's website)
THE ACCIDENTAL TOUR GUIDE
No offense to tour guides but I
would always prefer to plan my own trips if I can. It gives me more flexibility
in terms of time and allows me to explore alternate routes. In Bagan, Jedi and I were confident
we’d be able to ride our bikes to the temples on our own. What we didn’t
expect, was the swarm of tourists with whom we had to elbow and push to see
the sunrise/sunset. This is where Pauk Kyi comes in, and with impeccable
timing.
Meeting Pauk Kyi
It was almost 5PM. We were near
the Ananda Temple, figuring out our map when he approached us out of nowhere. I’m
usually cautious with strangers when traveling (what with news of human
trafficking and all), but I thought mine and Jedi’s combined strengths could
take him down if we had to. LOL. He was on his scooter (also called e-bike) and
offered to lead us to a less crowded temple where we can view the sunset. We
followed him on our bicycles, and he was kind enough to drive awfully slowly so
we could catch up. Pauk Kyi was literally pointing the wrong way to other
people who were trying to get to the same temple (lol), so when we got to the
venue, there were only about 4 others watching the sunset with us.
IMPORTANT
NOTE: All the temples will require a bit (or maybe a lot) of climbing steep
stairs—some will actually require you to climb on its walls (think Spiderman).
So keep your fear of heights in check. Pauk Kyi had to assist Jedi because she
was so pabebe. LOL! (love you Jedi J)
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| Meet Pauk Kyi |
The Way Home
We asked Pauk Kyi to guide us to
this restaurant in the Old Bagan area and invited him to join us for dinner as
a thank-you gesture. We also bought some of his sand paintings, which were one
of the popular souvenirs from Bagan. After dinner, we expected him to leave us
to fend for ourselves since his house was on the opposite way. But being the angel that
he is, he insisted on accompanying us to our hotel. The Bagan streets get dark
as soon as the sun sets, and there were very few working street lamps. So him making
sure we got back safely was truly a nice gesture.
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| Pauk Kyi with his own sand paintings. You guys should get one of these when you're in Bagan! |
The Dangerous Ride
Pauk Kyi offered the taxi service
of his friend who could drive us to another less crowded temple to see the
sunrise the next day. The fee was at Kyat 10,000, which we agreed to—rather hastily. At
around 5AM the next day, Pauk Kyi and his friend picked us up at the hotel. It
was at this time that we realized 5AM was still as dark as night…kasi nga, di pa nagsunrise. 😔 Jedi
and I were suddenly consumed by nervous silence, as the danger of the situation
finally dawned on us. We realized we just put our lives in the hands of two men
we barely knew, as they drove us in the darkness to God knows where. The following
thoughts ran through my mind:
- We were going to a supposedly less crowded place. If they tried to kill us here, no one will know and our bodies will rot before anyone finds us.
- What will Jedi’s mom say, when she entrusted her only daughter to me?
- Damnit, I didn’t bring an umbrella or anything I could whack their heads with.
- I can probably grab some sand from the ground and throw it to their faces. That will buy us some time to run.
Thanks to Pauk Kyi, we were able
to enjoy the glorious sunrise without having to fight a crowd of tourists for a
spot. He kind of served as our photographer, too, and he was really good at it! Except maybe during those times when he would make us face the sun directly to “light our photos
properly.” I mean, the sun could blind us, but whatever. LOL. Here are some of his great shots:
Here are some of his "trying to blind us" shots. Lels:
My experience in Bagan gave
me what I was looking for in my travels. Bagan allowed us to fully enjoy a
place without the fancy touristy stuff. Instead, the fun was
in experiencing Bagan's culture through its locals. That is what separates travel from vacation. That is why you should visit Bagan.
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