SEA 2014

South East Asia again!

We were there for 2 months, with Burma and Cambodia as our main destinations.

This was our first time in Burma where we spent 4 weeks and of course, being so near to Cambodia, we could not resist a visit to Angkor.

Read on to learn what we saw and experienced!

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Thinking of our next destination: Italy and Portugal come to mind, or maybe the time has finally come for a US road trip…

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Temples of Bagan

(vero;2016-July-31)

We enjoyed Bagan very much, the site is impressive and there's nothing like cycling through the area, feasting your eyes on all those temples dotted over the plain, their tops towering to the skies. Some temples boast frescoes inside, others have nice stucco carvings on the outside or a collection of interesting glazed tiles depicting religious stories, and for sure, you'll never run out of Buddhas while visiting them. This internet site will tell you everything you need/want to know about Bagan's temples, we recommend a visit.

But to be honest, overall, we missed the sculptures, the diversity and the richness of art you can see in Angkor and its surrounding temples, not to speak of the surrounding "jungle", all things which make Angkor such a special place and our big favourite. If we ever come back to Bagan, we might follow suit with many tourists and splurge for a balloon flight over the plain. It must be a great experience and probably worth the expense, that is, if we can afford it …

Two minor shrines and the Gubyauknge temple in the background (early 12th century AC).

Painted ceiling inside the Gubyaukgyi temple (13th century AC).

Buddha inside the Upali Thein temple. This temple had very nice murals. Want to know more?

The Payangazu temples (meaning group of 5 temples) and the Htilominlo temple a few hundred meters behind.

Small shrine on the way. What the hell are the crazy rabbits doing there?

Typical view of Bagan's temples, the big white one on the right is the Thatbyinnyu temple. Cycling through such a landscape is quite a magical experience.

Pahtothamya temple, a "minor" Buddha. Note the remains of frescoes on the ceiling. Want to know more?

Thatbyinnyu, built in the 12th century, is the highest temple in Bagan (61 meters). Want to know more?

Pitaika Taik And Ananda Pahto seen from the Shwegugyi temple.

The Mahabodhi temple in Bagan: built in 1215 and modelled after the Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya, India, the place where Buddha attained enlightenment under the Boddhi tree.

A guardian in the Ananda temple. Ananda is one of the major temples in Bagan. Click here if you want to know more.

One of the 554 glazed tiles decorating the base and terraces of the Ananda temple. They are depicting scenes from the Jataka, a collection of stories relating the previous lives of the Buddha.

Buddha statuette in the Mingalarzedi temple, which is worth visiting for its very nice Jataka glazed tiles. Check here for some details.

Carvings on a doorway of the Gubyauknge temple.

Buddhas galore in the Gubyauknge temple which also boasts some good paintings inside.

Bas reliefs in the Nanpaya temple (11th century) depicting Hindu gods and on this pillar, Brahma.

Fine murals like this one can be found in the Abeyadana temple.

Ashe (East) and Anauk (West) Petleik Paya: those two 11th century temples do not look very promising from the outside, but it is worth coming inside to wonder at hundreds of terracotta Jataka tiles lining the walls (especially in Anauk Petleik).

View on the Ayeyarwady river and other temples as seen from the Somingyi Ok-Kyaung monastery complex.

Twin Buddhas inside the Dhammayangyi temple, an other of Bagan's top temples. Click here for more details.

The Sulamani temple, consecrated 1183 AC, is an attractive temple with a nice green space around it and plenty to see inside, be it Buddhas, frescoes or terracotta tiles.

Details of a fresco inside the Sulamani temple.

Ornamented window of the Sulamani temple.

The Tayok Pye temple has a particularly nice facade decorated with stucco carvings.

Detail of a fresco in the Ananda Ok-Kyaung temple.

Colourful ceiling of the Ananda Ok-Kyaung temple.

Thatbyinnyu temple (left in the background) and assorted shrines.

View as seen from the Gubyaukgyi temple; in the background, the modern and much controversed Nanmyint viewing tower.

Beautiful carving adorning a corner of the Gubyaukgyi temple in sunset light.

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