Bago: Visions of Hell in Michael Jackson
Trip Start
Jan 10, 2011
1
14
15
Trip End
Feb 04, 2011
Bago, Bago, Myanmar
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Settled the Bill at the GH and walked the gauntlet of Kinpun to the Bus stop.
On the way there I both received the "Stink Eye" and reciprocated it, so there! (to the greedy restaurateur of the previous night).
Met Zayev at bus stop and got on board the bus to Bago. As a rule, he always grabs the best seat on the bus (right up front, next to or right behind driver) and refuses to budge even if it isn't his. Arrogant tourist bastard! And due to his ferocious appearance no one ever challenged him for it. Well as it were he "offered" me the seat next to his and I took it. Opportunity does not knock this often so... For the experience of writing about it ( and English conversation, I took him up on it!)
An entertaining ride with Zayev to Bago (in a manly way...) as he was mostly talking about the finer differences of purchasing female companionship while traveling (Online, in advance ...). In doing so, comparing Nairobi, Kampala, Bangkok etc.. Burma had in so far proved more difficult. And I was alas no help whatsoever. Sorry dude...
Pleasant uneventful journey from Mon State to Bago, there's a passport check at one point (which you miss out on if you take the pre-dawn pick up).
Approaching Bago, the same routine as the previous time, "roadside assistants" board the bus near the highway junction. Convenient for Zayev as he's heading up towards Inle and for me as well having made plans for a guided ride with a local guide the previous day. We say our quick farewells and I hop on the back of "My guy Htun-Htun's" Motorcycle. He kept the appointment we made the day before! He better, I'm his bread and Butter today.
Before we head out on our sightseeing, I want to arrange a Taxi ride back to Yangon for the evening, as well as grab a quick bite to eat...
Twenty minutes later, done! A Taxi heading back to Yangon should check in around 5 PM. From Bago to Yangon it's a better deal than the bus to hop in a share taxi. One reason is that after the bus journey, you'll need a taxi ride into town from the Yangon bus station and that 1hr.ride is as expensive as the whole journey Bago-Yangon.
And if No taxi shows up I'll catch the train. At least from the Yangon Train station I can walk back to my Guest House.
But back to Bago...
My guide has a whole program designed to give me a good overview of the sights Bago has to offer. And thanks to timing and some tricks we won't give a penny to the Govt. Let's go!
First stop is a Buddhist ordaining hall. It contains the usual religious Kitsch strewn around a serene setting. Some fine murals and sculptures depicting the usual episodes of Buddha's adventures etc...
Next we're off to a tall 4-sided standing Buddha. I headed straight for the shaded side as the mid day sun was pounding down fierce like! My quiet wanderings were luckily interrupted by a mob of kids demanding attention. They were a little unruly and not so friendly at first but I won them over by joining them in an impromptu game of soccer on the temple premises. Buddha doesn't seem to mind getting hit by a soccer ball! I could've sworn he cracked us a smile.Good times!
I'm rescued from the clutches of the kids by my guide and we roar out of there and head...across the street. There lies a gigantic reclining Buddha. Lounging comfortably behind a stagnant pond, he appears to have been sculpted in the likeness of Michael Jackson. Uncanny.
Next stop, we head to the other reclining Buddha of Bago. A much older one. This one housed within the confines of a warehouse shed much like its cousin in Yangon (though not as attractive, but quite a bit older)
I had to stand behind a sign marked perimeter to avoid paying the govt. fee under the watchful eye of an alert security guard with a piercing gaze!
As I had already seen my share of recliners , this was fine by me. Nice spot, especially the stairlike jewel encrusted pillow rest. As usual, the lane leading up to the Buddha is lined with stalls selling offerings, electric Buddhas, papier-mache, flowers and other religious paraphernalia. Next! Off we go to the next site! Roarring away from the postcard selling kids!
Htun-htun had me going in a dizzying pace around the town.
Next he took me to a Pagoda adorned with Paintings depicting atrocious suffering at the hands of Demons. (at my request, as I'd read about it in the "guide Book". Hell! Guess Buddhists must have borrowed from the powerful Christian visual incentives for good behavior! Alas the place was closed but luckily I was able to reach my arm through some openings and snap some pictures.
Off we go again!
This time I have to put on my helmet as we're going to cross Bago's main street (downtown) and risk a fine unless we have it on. The helmet I'm wearing is basically a cosmetic joke as it wouldn't offer me any protection in case of my skull coming in contact with another vehicle or the road...
We head to Bago's largest Pagoda. Sort of their Shwedagon , allthough not as impressive. Goldish Paint instead of the real thing adorns the bell shaped Stupa. I didn't get any photos as I didn't want to pay the camera fee. When I did snap a pic I was quickly set upon by a person who came out of nowhere (see! spies everywhere!) and demanded I pay the fee. I didn't. Neither did I get a good pic as I was trying to be sly about it. I did a quick impatient walk around the stupa etc...Different in design as this one was accessible by staircases on all four cardinal points...
Neeeext!
A quick stop at a Pagoda (what else?) this one has a nice hollow Stupa, accessible to the inside by narrow alleyways (short too, watch yer head!) dozens of Buddha sculptures. I did go in just to escape the heat. Aaaah nice and cool. Peaceful? No! Tons of Kids on a field trip from Yangon are running around the inside tunnels screaming! (I did too!)
Neeeext!
We're now off to the Bago snake Pagoda ( I forget the real name) Home to a 124 (?) years old enormous Burmese Python. Fun ride there. It's a bit on the outskirts of town. We passed a meadow and a pond, some pigs and goats etc. It's also the time of day when people are off of work and school etc. Playing Chinlon and other games in the bearable temperatures of the late afternoon.
At the Snake Pagoda...The Snake is the reincarnation of a famous Monk. A dream apparently foretold the exact location for the construction of the Pagoda, and lo and behold, there was a Python on that spot. (note: The accuracy of this info is shaky at most....But that's what I gathered) Watched the snake a few minutes. he's well taken care of (124 years old!)
neeeext!
It's getting to be late afternoon and we have time for one more destination. I'm getting the most bang for the buck! Htun-Htun is sure eager to show off his hometown. This one is North heading out of town. The 4 Buddhas seated back to back. At this time of day again the entrance is free. I stroll about, snap a few pics etc...At this point I'm just on a speed roll.
Click click, hop on the bike, hop off click click etc etc... I realize I'm barely looking at things in real life. Sorry Bago!
We zoom back downtown and wait for the taxi. I spot a Beer station with Draft beer so we head there to wait while gulping down a cold pint. No Taxi has been confirmed as of yet so I'm starting to eye the train station. Htun-htun assures me there will be a cab but just in case he gives me the train schedule.
We pay for our suds just as "the Cab" pulls up with its cargo of passengers heading back to Yangon. A lady and her 2 kids just coming back from a visit to Mom. Great.
Negotiate the rate. 6000KS .
Ride is a bit tedious as I'm anxious to get some rest. We hit Yangon and have to drop her off at her swanky neighborhood first then battle traffic in dark to get me to my GH. Taking forever...I'm impatient at this point. Tired.
Taxi finally arrives at destination...the place is packed, I have no booking...doesn't look good.
Sure enough, there are no rooms left! Oh well I have them call and book a room around the corner, while reserving me one Here for the next night.
I order some food ( lousy, but too tired to hit the streets) and a cold beer. Chat with someone I met earlier in the trip. Compare notes etc...
I take off in the pitch black Yangon Night in search of my new GuestHouse. Tired I take a wrong turn. Or was it bad directions? I finally get my bearings and stumble on up to the place where I'm crashing for the night.
The Everest Hotel! A bit of a dump. Windowless, tiled room. I don't care. It's got a shower.
And a TV. Scribble a few notes. Drink a "tear of Whiskey" and lay back to watch the Final of the Asia Cup Soccer.....zzzzzzzz
Tomorrow....last day!?
more pics below
