Well the best laid plans ………………….. so there was a massive
downpour about 3am and it was still drizzling when we made our way to reception
at the allotted time of 05:10. Although
5 from our group were all flying, we had been split between two companies and
the 3 going with Balloons over Bagan had already had a call to say no flying as
it was raining. But Neil, me and Ian (of
course not flying) sat there for over an hour before a little chap from Golden Eagle Balloons turned up to
say sorry no flight. Interestingly
whilst we were waiting an Australian girl who was flying with yet another
company was taken off for her flight.
Turns out she got to the airfield but then it was cancelled.
In view of our 8 hour coach drive to the next destination
the following day, I declined their offer to re-book and went for a refund – as it
happens no one flew the next day either.
So after breakfast we were picked up by horse and cart and
taken to another vegetable market about a 3/4 hour ride away through farming
country and the obligatory pagoda. Our
driver spoke quite good English and was very nice to talk to on various
subjects.
After the market we got into
tri-shaws, the like of which I’ve never seen before – it was a normal bicycle but
with a sidecar. Most uncomfortable and the poor people who had to peddle us fat
Westerners certainly had their work cut out.
My driver wasn’t paying attention so when a car reversed in front of him
and another tri-shaw took evasive action and veered in front of us, we simple
crashed into it. Fortunately no harm was
done either to us or the vehicles, although Jackie in the other tri-shaw has threatened
to sue me for whiplash and she’s a retired solicitor.
The tri-shaw took us to a monastery which was also a boys’
orphanage for children from many different tribes in the area, the idea being
that given an education they could go back to their villages and improve life
for all. It was a lovely place, when we
first arrived some boys were playing football but the dinner gong went before I
had a chance to photograph them. Ian and
I decided we’d like to make a donation so I was able to go into the refractory
and give the money to the monk in charge and he invited me to stay and take a
few pictures. I could have stayed there
all day.
Then it was back into the horse and cart again for a 1/2 hour
ride to the archaeological museum via more pagodas but we only did a whistle stop tour round the museum,
nothing particularly interesting. From
there it was back into the coach and off for lunch via a lacquer workshop, but
again no hard sell.
Delighted to see a
Kingfisher whilst we were lunching and on our way back to the hotel we bumped
into a local parade.
This little girl was completely 'in the moment'
The afternoon was free so we lazed around the pool, swimming
and dozing, grateful for some much needed downtime.
For the evening meal we went to a local restaurant which put
on puppet shows and local dancing but as it was still wet we had to stay
indoors and sadly the room lacked any atmosphere whatsoever and was very
harshly lit.
