The feeling of the earth shaking startled me awake long before my alarm was set to go off. Me and Vince’s entire bungalow vibrated around me as I lay in bed looking up at the ceiling. The expat we met on our flight to Mandalay from Bangkok had mentioned aftershocks from the earthquake that had hit Myanmar about a year ago. That was the first explanation my groggy mind produced. But after a long second the rumbling stopped. The night went silent. Then another loud crash pierced the darkness, sending the walls of the bungalow vibrating yet again. A few seconds later, it happened a third time.
In that moment I knew that these weren’t aftershocks. These were explosions from the fighting just across the Irrawaddy River.
Myanmar has been in a civil war ever since their military staged a coup and took over the government following an election in 2021. While certain parts of the country (those controlled by the military) are open and relatively safe for foreign travelers, the impacts of the war are evident everywhere you look. Vince, Jared, Rachel and I were aware of the situation before planning to visit, and after careful research we decided that the risks of traveling there were acceptable. And strangely enough, after hearing three earth-rattling explosions, I simply closed my eyes and went back to sleep. After all, nobody tricked me into signing up for this. I knew what to expect, and I also knew I’d do better to save any complicated thoughts about it for later.
Not long after falling back to sleep, I was awoken again, this time by my own alarm. It was still pitch dark outside, and I vaulted out of bed to hurriedly pull on a set of clothes. I’d do a better job of getting ready later in the morning. For now, we had a sunrise tour to meet up with.
Vince and I left our bungalow under the cover of darkness, and walked over to our resort’s lobby where a small bus was already waiting. There was a larger tour group from Spain standing around, and Rachel and Jared showed up a few minutes later. Soon, a representative from Balloons Over Bagan welcomed us onto the bus, and we rode a short distance to an open field, where I could just make out the large shapes of deflated hot air balloons spread out across the ground.
We all disembarked from the bus, and were met by a trio of balloon pilots, who split us up into three groups and then conducted a short safety briefing about ballooning. Then they handed out a souvenir hat to each of us, and soon the field was filled with tourists all in matching, red baseball caps emblazoned with the Balloons Over Bagan logo. After the briefing, each of the three groups followed a pilot over to their designated balloons. We all watched in anticipation as the dark morning was illuminated by fountains of flame that emanated from four different burners.
Besides the three red balloons from Balloons Over Bagan, there was also a green one from Oriental Ballooning, and the four of them quickly took shape and rose from the ground. About ten years ago, there would have been twenty balloons going through the same ritual every single morning during high season. The same field would have been full of tourists, and bustling with activity, but now there were only about sixty tourists in total. At least a dozen of them were locals visiting from elsewhere in Myanmar. The Ballooning industry, once a thriving form of income for Bagan’s economy, is now quite literally struggling to stay afloat.
Despite the small turn-out, the atmosphere was still electric with anticipation from all of the guests as the balloons took shape, rising to meet the sky. When they were all fully inflated, we were given the go ahead to climb aboard, and everyone carefully stepped over the edge of the basket in the order our pilot indicated. Everyone had to be in one of four separate compartments inside of the basket so that our collective weight was distributed evenly. Once everyone was in place our pilot, who had his own smaller compartment at the center of the basket, started easing the balloon up into the air. As we took off, I looked straight down to watch as the basket divorced itself from the earth.
My spirits lifted along with the balloon as we crept higher into the sky, soaring above the first of the many ancient temples that sprawled out over the landscape.
These temples are what Bagan is known for, and there’s no better way to see them than from the basket of a hot air balloon. Floating above the landscape was a surreal experience. Dry fields bordered by palm trees passed below us, and as far as the eye could see, stone spires rose up from the land, creating hazy silhouettes in the distance.
Soon we were above several of the grandest temples in Bagan, and it was incredible to see them all at once. From the ground, you can really only see one of these large temples at a time. From the air, we could see everything.
It was a hazy morning, which created an almost mythical atmosphere in the scene below us. The haze also provided us with a double sunrise, because the sun came up over the horizon only to quickly disappear behind the smoke. Several minutes later, it burst out from behind the clouds, sending rays of light shooting into the sky.
The sun’s fiery glow glinted off of a gilded pagoda that was presently passing just below our balloon. By now we were growing noticeably closer to the ground, and I could see every detail in the gold leaf. Sadly I knew this meant our ride was almost over, so I made sure to look in every direction to make sure I saw everything I possibly could before it was time to land.
As we came even closer to the ground, I noticed two men in an ox-drawn cart, a traditional vehicle used for farming and transport in Bagan. A little ways later, some people looked up and waved at us from where they sat around a small cooking fire.
Then it was time to land. It almost felt like the ground was rising to meet us as the balloon sunk quickly downwards. On our pilot’s cue, we all packed away our cameras, and sat down with our backs against the outside walls of the basket. I felt a gentle impact as our pilot expertly guided us to the ground for a soft landing. When we were safely secured, he told us we could stand up and watch the balloon deflate. I craned my neck upwards and watched as a vent opened up at the top of the balloon, and began releasing the hot air that had been keeping it aloft. As if in slow motion, the balloon collapsed in on itself until it hung limply above the ground.
When our pilot gave us permission, everyone climbed out of the basket and took turns posing for pictures with the still floating remnants of the semi-deflated balloon. Then we went over to an area where a small buffet table and chairs had been set up. There was a spread of pastries and champagne to enjoy as we all got certificates of our flight. Our pilot also stood up and said a few words. He thanked everyone for visiting Bagan, and asked that we spread the word back home that it is still a safe and beautiful place to visit. The local economy in Bagan was heavily invested in tourism before the war, and many locals have been struggling to get by with the severely diminished numbers of visitors. He added that word of mouth from travelers is one of the best ways to bring visitors back in, so for my part, I’ll say that we really did have a wonderful time in Myanmar. It’s a country rich in culture and history, but what made it truly special was its people. Everywhere we went, people went out of their way to be friendly and make us feel welcome. I was touched and grateful for their hospitality, and I pray that they’ll have peace and prosperity soon.
After the champagne breakfast, the bus driver brought us back to Thiripyitsaya, where we had some time to freshen up, relax, and eat a more substantial meal at the breakfast buffet. Vince and I decided to explore the resort’s gardens for a little while after we were done eating. As we wandered around the property, we encountered lots of birds, walked through lovely flower gardens, and even found some small temples.
A short time later, our guide, Htut, arrived to lead us on a full day of exploring ancient Bagan. We started near the village of Minnanthu, where we visited a handful of temples, including Lemyethna, whose whitewashed exterior glowed in the morning light. Lemyethna was constructed around 1222 or 1223 AD, and inside it boasted some of the best-preserved paintings that we were allowed to photograph. We saw even more impressive paintings throughout the day, but photography was strictly prohibited inside of the temples that housed them.
Minnanthu was just a short walk away from Lemyethna temple, and Htut led us along a dusty road until we reached a fiber workshop. A craftswoman there walked us through the process of spinning, dying, and weaving yarn to make beautifully patterned cloth. She even let us try our hand on the spinning wheel, a skill that would clearly take more than a couple of minutes of practice to get right. Rachel and I both fumbled at the wheel for a bit, but ultimately decided to leave it to the experts.
Htut then took us through the village, showing us some local homes and explaining more about the area’s history. We kept passing by oxen along the way, and every time we walked by a group of them, they would all stop what they were doing, and look up to stare at us.
Eventually we came to the far side of the village, where our driver was waiting for us with the van. Now it was time to explore more temples. One of the highlights of the day was Dhammayangyi, the biggest temple (by volume) in Bagan. We’d actually seen Dhammayangyi in the distance multiple times already, we just didn’t know its name up until this point. It stands out from all of the other temples, not only because of its size, but because it is shaped like a pyramid. We got to wander through the expansive hallways inside of Dhammayangyi, but my favorite view of it was from outside, under in its arched entry gate.
But my absolute favorite temple we visited in Bagan was Ananda, whose glimmering interior was elaborately decorated with glass mosaics and gold leaf. Ananda has four standing Buddha statues, and each one of them is unique from the others. As we approached one of the statues from the temple’s long corridor, the expression on the Buddha image’s face seemed to shift from happy to serene.
There were also many smaller buddha images housed inside of little cubbies throughout Ananda. Unlike the larger statues, these smaller images are original to when the temple was built in 1105 AD.
We spent a lot of time wandering the halls of Ananda, and by the time we emerged back into the sunshine, all four of us were feeling drained from what had already been a long day. So after a quick look at the temple’s exterior, we hopped in the van and went back to Thiripyitsaya for another short rest. Rachel took a nap, while Vince, Jared and I went for a swim in the riverside pool.
It was a relaxing break, and afterwards I felt refreshed and ready to take on some more temples. But before that, we got to switch things up a bit and visit a local lacquerware factory to learn about one of the traditional crafts we’d seen for sale outside of the larger temples.
At the factory we learned that it takes six months to a year to make a single lacquerware item. Artists begin by making a form from bamboo or hair. They then apply several layers of lacquer sap, waiting a week between each layer for the sap to sure. When enough layers are in place, artists carve designs into the sap, and then fill the designs with pigments made from various natural materials. I thoroughly enjoyed visiting the factory and learning about every step of their process. I’ve been drawn to traditional crafts ever since my time in art school, so this fit snuggle into my niche of personal interests. I liked it so much that I ended up buying a little owl trinket box, a symbol of good luck in Myanmar.
When we emerged from the factory, the sky was already glowing with the early stages of sunset, but we still had one more temple to see before we could head down to the river for a sunset boat ride. The main reason for visiting this last temple was to see an inscription stone that is written in four different languages. It’s sort of like the rosetta stone. But the best part about visiting this temple was that a group of young monks approached us and asked if they could take a photo with us. We were happy to oblige, and also happy that we got to take a photo with them too. We chatted with them as much as we could, and they tried out some English phrases they knew on us. One thing I really liked about Bagan is that it’s so small that you start to notice people you’ve already met whenever you’re walking around. Later, we ended up running in to some of these monks again, and exchanged waves when we recognized each other.
This was the last temple we would visit in Myanmar (although Vince and I would still end up at one last temple in Thailand in a couple day’s time). After we left, it was time for sunset, and we went down to the river for our boat ride. There were lots of boats lined up along the shore, but only ours pulled away from the river’s bank for a tour.
The boat could have easily fit three times as many people, but only the four of us, Htut, and the boat captain were aboard. We headed north along the river, whose water reflected the same orange hue that lit up the sky. Along the way, we passed by a handful of large cruise ships that used to run river cruises. Now the big boats are just floating there, waiting for tourism to return to the region. We also saw a group of Burmese visitors having a little party on a beach at the river’s edge.
It was another beautiful sunset, and once again, it felt like it might last forever. We floated on the river, watching a flock of ducks splashing around in the water as the sun dipped below the horizon. The moment seemed unbelievably peaceful, but once the sun was down we had to get back to shore because after dark was when the fighting would begin again.
Back on land, Htut and our driver dropped us off at a marionette dinner theater. Earlier in the day, I’d asked Htut why there were so many little marionette dolls for sale in all of the local craft markets. He’d explained that the puppets have a long history in the area, and offered to drop us off at the theater for dinner if we were interested. Of course, we were, and we picked a table right below the stage when we entered the restaraunt.
We ordered food just as the curtain opened and the show began. Marionette puppetry has been performed in Myanmar since 1780, and the local name for the puppets is Yoke thé. As the show started, I quickly realized that it would take a lot of careful practice and skill to be able to operate one of the puppets. Each one had innumerable moving parts that were controlled by different strings. It was hard to know exactly what was happening because the show’s songs were sung in Burmese, but a huge smile fixed itself onto my face as I watched the puppets dance across the stage. There were several jokes worked into the performance that would be understandable in any language, and a couple of numbers that would take a particularly skillful puppeteer to perform.
On top of the fantastic entertainment, our food was also delicious. We all found ourselves roaring with laughter, and gaping in awe at show. Afterwards, a couple of puppeteers came around the dining room with a puppet, and we tipped them so we could get a kiss on the cheek and a little hug from the puppet. The whole experience was a lot of fun, and a perfect end to a very long day.
After the show, we took a couple of tuk-tuks back to the resort for one last night in Bagan. The temples along the way were all lit up for the night, which was a lovely sight as we puttered down the roadway. Back at the resort, I fell asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow. I was thoroughly exhausted from all of the day’s activities. The next morning, we would start our long journey home after almost a month of travel. The trip was finally coming to an end, and I was getting eager to sleep in my own bed. It would still take another four days of travel before that could happen, and there were still a few last sights to be seen along the way.
You can find more details of this amazing destination on my YouTube channel!
