Rose tinted Myanmar
Copyright Michelle Feneberg 2015
A photograph of the 42km2 archeological plain in Bagan captured my imagination. The spires and domes of 2000 temples and stupas peered out over the treetops tinted by a romantic pink haze. “We need to go to Myanmar!” I declared. Bagan to be more exact, to see this place I had never heard of.
Was it possible that the photographer used a rose tinted filter and some great techniques to create this effect, or was it real?
We decided to take an easy holiday, none of the cities of Myanmar, just two locations, the Bagan Archeological Zone and Inle Lake.
Bagan was a thriving kingdom between the 11th and 13th centuries and monks and scholars came from all across Asia to study medicine, philosophy, law and religion. Marco Polo visited the city on his travels and described it as ‘a gilded city alive with tinkling of bells and the swishing sounds of monk’s robes.’ The kingdom came to an abrupt end with the invasion of the Mongols and its temples and pagodas became neglected. Some of the larger temples were ‘maintained’ over the centuries by whitewashing the intricate and beautiful paintings beneath. Bagan has the greatest density of Buddhist temples in the world, but has been denied UNESCO World Heritage status because many modern day repairs have used modern materials instead of old.
We did the usual tourist rounds on our first day visiting the large and famous temples and experiencing a range of emotions. The golden Schwezigon Pagoda was a disappointment because all that glitters is certainly gold, but it is gold leaf peeling off making the pagoda look rather shabby. We had great fun ringing the bells outside the Pagoda though. We spent some time in front of the cleverly crafted Kassapa Buddha in the Ananda Temple watching its facial expression change from smiling to stern as we changed our angle of viewing. The Manhua Temple was amusing as it is filled to the brim with three huge Buddhas making it impossible to squeeze past the Buddha’s large feet wearing a backpack. To round off the day we climbed the steep steps of the Schwesandaw Pagoda for a magnificent view across the plain at sunset. The experience was enriched by Buddhist tourists and monks coming up to enjoy the view and chanting in worship as the sun descended.
We rented e-bikes from the hotel and explored some of the smaller pagodas and ruins in the vicinity. We felt like intrepid explorers choosing lone temples on the plain and were astounded to find a meticulously maintained Buddha smiling at us from inside the first temple we stopped at.
The hotel Aureum Palace Bagan has built an unsightly tower on its property, but the whole family enjoyed the sundowners at the top with spectacular views across the plain.
Did the photographer manipulate his photographs? No, I am pleased to say that Bagan has a natural romantic lighting that exudes a warmth and wellbeing.
We took a thirty minute flight to reach Inle Lake which was like a different country compared to the plains of Bagan. On the way to the hotel we stopped at points of interest along the way including the local market which was brimming with people. We saw the Paper Umbrella making process right from the making of the paper to the crafting of the bamboo shaft. Images that will remain everlasting in our minds were of the Shwe Yuanghwe monastery for young Buddhist novices. We went up the stairs of the unique teak monastery on stilts somewhat tentatively feeling that we should not be intruding on this peaceful haven. The young boys with shaven heads and maroon garments sat cross-legged on the floor, drenched in morning sunlight streaming through the oval shaped windows and chanted their lessons. The tourists were no distraction, but the little kittens roaming between the young monks provided a welcome distraction for these 5 to 10 year olds.
Making sunscreen from Thanaka Bark
Over and over again we were struck by the beauty of the women of Myanmar who despite their poverty dress elegantly in bright colours and beautiful wrap around skirts called Longyis. To protect their skins they grind the bark of the Thanaka tree and mix it into a paste which they apply as sunscreen. I was lured in by a street-wise vendor outside one of the smaller temples to try the Thanaka and her lovely humorous nature made it a special encounter. The people of Myanmar are polite, warm hearted people and extremely willing to try to please. Since tourism is such a young industry the people have not become hardened business people, annoying as they try to sell their wares. Instead there is a much softer approach leading to an altogether more relaxed atmosphere.
It is said the Intha People of Inle Lake were refused permission to settle on land by the local king and that is why they settled on the lake. They built houses on stilts in the lake and grow their food in floating gardens made from bamboo and waterweeds. The main crop is delicious tomatoes which are sold all around the country. We spent a day with a guide out on a boat visiting one village after another to see the unique way these people live. Each village is dedicated to a craft and we visited the silver smiths, the black smiths, boat builders, the Cheroot Cigar makers and the weavers. The weavers use the stem of the pink lotus flower which when broken reveals fibres which are gathered and spun together to make Lotus Silk. The Lotus Silk is then woven in with normal silk to create the most beautiful Longyis and other garments.
As our boat putt-putted from village to village we saw the post-office on stilts and the nursery school on stilts. Vendors rowed by selling souvenirs and flowers. We putt-putted through the water streets of the fishing village, the poorest of all the villages, where the young girls sat on the steps of their homes sharing a joke, a woman knelt at the water’s edge washing her hair and another cleaned her fish for cooking.
Cheroot Cigar Making
The Inthar Heritage House is a restaurant on stilts, with art gallery and an enclosure of Burmese cats that is open to the public. These cats were historically kept by royalty and were guardians to the temples. Cross breeding with other cats caused the true Burmese line to vanish in Burma in the 1930’s. However in a project to repatriate the Burmese Cat to Burma, true blood Burmese were identified in the UK and Australia and brought back as breeding stock. After playing with these affectionate cats you can enjoy a bowl of traditional Shan Noodles; delicious soup filled with noodles and green vegetables. In fact it was so good that I ate it for breakfast in the hotel each day thereafter.
We rented bicycles from our hotel (they only had adult size bikes and we adjusted the seats for the kids) and cycled to the Red Mountain Wine Farm for lunch. It was a lovely outing to cycle through the villages seeing the homes and buildings at a slower pace. We enjoyed a wine tasting and lunch with a view across the lake.
Myanmar is a destination that should be visited sooner rather than later, because it is currently unspoiled. There is already evidence that as people earn a little money they will abandon the traditional way of building houses with bamboo in favour of less labour intensive corrugated iron, and this will impact on the charm of the villages.
If you are looking for an untouched, authentic experience with varied and interesting sights Myanmar does not disappoint.
Tips
Best time to go: November to February (Inle Lake is cooler than the rest of the country due to its altitude)
Visas: can be applied for online
Money: you can draw from ATM’s or use new US dollar bills
Most hotel menus are priced in US dollars and are expensive
You can also go sight-seeing in Bagan by horse carriage or hot air balloon
Accommodation
We stayed at the Aureum Palace in Bagan and Aureum Palace Inle Lake. Both were beautifully styled. There is a drive to encourage tourists to use smaller hotels rather than the big government owned hotels.
Tour operator
We used Let’s Go Myanmar and were very satisfied with the arrangements.
Inle Lake Village