One

The destination for the second day of the seven-day trip to Myanmar is in Bagan. On our way to check in to the hotel, the tour guide said that the place to watch the sunrise tomorrow morning was selected as one of the 24 places to watch the sunrise recommended by the magazine "National Ground".

I have greeted the sunrise many times at the top of the high mountains, but the altitude in Myanmar is too low to be worth getting up at half past four to see the sunrise. But after listening to the guide's words, I immediately decided to go to meet the sunrise tomorrow morning. And just like that, I got up early in the morning. In the dark night, the bus headed east, less than two minutes after leaving the hotel, it was bumping on a dirt road in the wilderness. At this time, I saw that the moon on the fourteenth day of the first month was big and round and still hanging in the sky, and if it was not in the wrong direction, I mistook it for sunrise.

In the car, I also saw a lot of black and thin local men, riding motorcycles with serious faces and moving forward with us. In the early hours of the morning, their appearance is really a little eerie and suspicious. However, I still try to think about the good thing: they went to work in the fields so early?

I thought it would be more than an hour's drive, but I didn't expect it to be there in about 10 minutes. After the car was parked in the simple parking lot, I saw that the people on motorcycles had also come here. The people who got down from their back seats and put down their things understood that they were getting up early in the morning to pick up the tourists who were traveling independently to watch the sunrise.

After getting out of the car, I walked up a dirt slope specially for watching the sunrise in the dark. In the morning light, I saw that many people had arrived early, so to speak, around the railing, standing full of tourists from all over the world, everyone huddled together, all facing east. I came a little late, and I guess it was a railing area in a vantage point, and there was no place left, so I had to stand on the side of the slope.

In the early hours of the morning, in addition to tourists, there are many locals selling goods, both adults and children. They were selling pants and skirts worn by locals, as well as freshly cooked hot corn. Children selling pictures of the sunrise. In the hazy night, in the hands of a mother and daughter who are selling items with flashlights (this young mother and her little child, smiling and selling one by one, but rarely anyone buys. I spent 20,000 kyats to buy an orange skirt of the best and most expensive quality (50 yuan, later the tour guide said that I could get 40 yuan), which resembles an apron, which is the "Temin" in Myanmar, and asked the seller to wrap it for me immediately. I made the legs that were wearing a dress, and was slightly cool, suddenly hot. This skirt added a lot to my subsequent photo shoots, and I also liked it very much, and I wore it a few times during the subsequent trip.

After getting dressed, start waiting for the sunrise. The sky also brightened slightly, and I could see a depression under the slope, surrounded by plains. The drop in the depression is no more than one meter. At the lowest point there is a small shallow pool of water, oval-shaped, like a bright eye, but also more like a mirror. On the other side of the pond is a tree with a thick trunk and a huge mushroom-shaped crown that is unique to Myanmar. From afar, the silence is full of mystery and makes me think about it. It makes me feel that there must be people living in the lush green ancient trees.

This ubiquitous ancient tree, which resembles a well-trimmed hemispherical canopy, looks very laid-back, just like the Burmese character, who does things slowly. In the north of our country, the towering trees are rare here (except for the kapok tree). It seems that one side of the water and soil is not only to raise one side of the people, but also to raise one side of the trees.

In the early morning at this moment, so many ancient trees are a sight in themselves. Just like the tree grandfathers walking in the morning exercise, they are comfortable.

Suddenly it was a little brighter, but it was still gray. At this time, some of the green trees near the surface of the water are also reflected in the pond water, which makes the already gray water color even darker.

Everyone just stared at the East. But when you look across the plains, you can't see the red sky when you cross the woods. After a few more moments, the sky above the top of the woods took on a faint pink. I thought the sun was about to rise, but after waiting for about an hour, the sky was still faintly red.

The crowd began to loosen after waiting for no sign of sunrise for a long time, and some simply climbed over the railing and sat on the grassy slope and waited. I also waited inside for a while, and I was worried about slipping down and falling into the puddle, so I had to turn it over again.

The tour guide said that the sun would rise at half past seven. However, the day was already dawn, and half past seven o'clock, and the east was still the same pale red. A lot of tourists are gone. I also think the sun has risen early. It may be overcast, hiding behind the clouds. But look at the sky, but it is pale blue and cloudless. I really don't know what the situation is.

I had to do the same as everyone else, and then walk to the front of the road to see the scenery to the south, as if I had gotten up early in the morning for a walk. At this time, when he saw the tour guide, he said, "I will definitely come out." During this season, the sunrise is seen every day. "I looked at the East, noncommittal to his words, and didn't want to say anything. However, I didn't understand why we should get up at half past four when it was sunrise at half past seven?

If you don't see the sunrise, then find a way to have fun, you can't get up so early in vain. So, I asked the people who were good at taking pictures among the tourists to take pictures for me. Seeing that in the photo, I was wearing a Burmese-style wrap skirt, it was still very appropriate. Otherwise, it would be a bit funny to wear this dress on campus after returning home.

Eight o'clock has passed, the tourists who watched the sunrise are almost scattered, according to the tour guide at that time, gather at eight o'clock, and the time to return to the hotel has also passed. I also planned to go back to the car, but the tour guide didn't urge everyone to go. Then I'll take a picture of the west side again. As far as the eye can see, there are some small stupas on the empty and idle flat land, except for the barren grass. In the distance is Bagan, where it is impossible to distinguish whether it is a town or a village, where we stayed.

Just as I was shooting aimlessly, the sun actually showed up.

Oh, it seems that the sun has overslept and woke up at ten o'clock. At this time, the scattered tourists on the dirt slope hurriedly gathered in the center of the fence to welcome the sunrise in the best position. I saw the sun rise over the green treetops in the east. In the gray sky, there is no radiance, no morning glow, and no golden pond before sunrise. The pale yellow sun rose slowly over the gray and cloudless sky as if it were listless, routine.

I was a little helpless at this sunrise scene. I think it may be due to the dry air in Myanmar and the abandonment of large areas of arable land, which makes it possible to see dust on the surface during the day. Therefore, the sun rises at exactly this height, just as in the haze of our country, the sun is like a yellowing moon.

Sure enough, I expected. When the sun jumped over the dust, like a shy beauty, her face flushed the sky. That "red" is a thick pink, and the East is as pink as it is pink. In an instant, the sun was a clear golden yellow, and the east was even brighter. It happened to cut the mirror-like pool of water at the bottom of the slope into two halves, half of the shadows of the trees and half of the pale red. One light and one dark, one green and one red, making this little puddle unusual.

At this time, the sun is pink above, the sky below is blue-gray, the ground is green woods, and below you are colorful "mirrors". Heaven and earth should be reflected, so that the ordinary sunrise, which was originally small and fresh, has become so extraordinary and full of poetic and picturesque feelings. It makes my heart pound!

It seemed to me that there was no sunrise and that this little pool was uneventful. Similarly, without this pool of water, the sunrise would be ordinary. If it weren't for tourists from all over the world, the idle Burmese wouldn't have built a platform on the ground. And the height of this observation deck must have been scientifically designed. Otherwise, there won't be a half-shadowed tree and half reddish scene in the water.

It's just that the pool is too small, and it's completely the effect of an eye. I believe that many people did not notice it on the spot. I was also shooting at the sun when I saw the red half of the water in my phone. And after more than a minute, what I saw was the common shadows of the trees by the clear water pool.

This may be the kingdom of believing in Buddhism, the desired fate and consummation, as well as heaven, earth and man.

For this, kudos to the most beautiful sunrise in Bagan!

Two

Have a morning of free time in Bagan today. This is what I like, and I can take a good walk around it. Yesterday when we checked into the hotel it was more than eight o'clock, the road lights were dim, and the villa hotel we stayed in was just a rough idea.

The Bagan Fort Villa Hotel stayed this time is full of high-end natural teak decoration and configuration. The environment outside the room is very beautiful, the walls and pavement are all paved with colored marble, which is very luxurious and high-grade. The surroundings of the hotel are beautiful, with plants concentrating the most beautiful views of the subtropics. The open-air pool is surrounded by banana trees and flowers, and it is a very warm garden-style hotel. I love it.

The biggest highlight of the hotel courtyard is the tall tree in the courtyard, the canopy is as large as a flower shed, and the trunk is so thick that an adult can't hold it. The trees are full of flowers, and they are actually three-colored flowers, plum-red, pink, and white. This is the largest triangular plum tree I've seen so far, and it's still tricolored, so it's so beautiful. When I got off the bus last night and passed by, I was amazed by everyone, and many tourists watched under the trees at night. Therefore, after returning to the hotel after watching the sunrise today, there were many people taking pictures under the tree, and I couldn't stop taking pictures.

This ancient triangular plum tree is also hundreds of years old. Thinking of the ancient architecture of the hotel, could it be that Bagan has long developed tourism? Otherwise, in my opinion, how could there be such a luxurious hotel in a village that is not developed.

Originally, I made an appointment with the three of them to go to the street to play together. After waiting for a long time, I set off on my own. Stepping out of the picturesque hotel, what you see is completely different. Outside the hotel is a village with a rustic dirt road, but the streets are horizontal and orderly. At a glance, intuitive east, west, north and south.

Just outside the hotel is the village's first north-south boulevard. Thinking that I had gone west along the main road at the crossroads last night, and had reached the center of this town or village, I didn't know if it was a town, so I decided to go north now. Besides, last night I met a few tourists who excitedly told me that they had taken a lot of stupas not far to the north. Besides, I've been in Myanmar for two days and haven't approached a pagoda yet. Therefore, it was decided to go to see the stupa they photographed first.

At ten o'clock in the morning, the sun is already very shining. It was so hot that the dogs were falling asleep stretching out on the side of the road and in the shade of the yard. Speaking of dogs, I have to write a few more words. There are so many dogs in Myanmar. It can be said that there are dogs everywhere there are people, and they can be found everywhere. It is no exaggeration to say that there are more dogs than people in some places. These dogs are almost all what we call Shiba dogs. It's all the same color of earthy yellow, and it's all the same lean. None of them are afraid of people. I saw it yesterday when I was at the Thousand Monks Dervishes in Mandalay. At that time, on the road on both sides of the monks' procession, the skinny dogs were lying in the middle of the road, sleeping as if nothing had happened. That state is for people to make way for it. I'm naturally afraid of dogs, and I've never seen so many dogs. Therefore, as soon as I get out of the car and walk, I am afraid.

Now, I'm walking out of the hotel walls alone. When I got to the intersection, a big dog came up to me and scared me out of the way. At this time, a woman happened to come out of the courtyard, and she smiled and said, "Don't be afraid. I said, "I'm scared." Actually, I didn't understand what she said, but I did. She understood what I said, so she picked up something and threw it at the dog, who seemed to be embarrassed to the side. So I hurried north.

Unexpectedly, a puppy came out of the door of the house, and it was not the common kind of yellow dog, it was a black dog. It barked at me. It was also the first time a dog barked in Myanmar. This one scared me silly. There was no one on the road, and I was in a dilemma. Because the big dog from before was still standing in the distance. At this time, I saw a wooden stick in the grass on the side of the road, and I picked it up to strengthen my courage. Sure enough, the puppy only barked and stopped chasing. I'll just walk backwards. But the puppy was still in hot pursuit. I was about to walk to Tallinn, but the puppy still barked after me. In this situation, even when I arrived at Tallinn on the other side of the road, I didn't dare to put down my stick and take pictures.

Nervously, I walked to the opposite side of Tallinn, the last row of buildings in the village. In front of the gate of this three-cornered plum blossom, I saw a bamboo pole with a thick arm, and picked it up like a savior. This bamboo pole, which is taller than me, is a little funny in my hand, and it feels like I am going to hold a boat.

I stood in the middle of the road and saw that there was no one on the east, west, and north sides. Two young women in overalls walked up the road, and they looked at me from a distance and laughed (you can see how funny I looked). Then he began to reprimand the puppy and drove him back to his house.

After I thanked them, they hesitated to see the "stupa" on the side of the road and left.

I hurried to the "pagodas" across the road. This is the first time I've approached the pagoda in two days. There are too many pagodas here, and they have become a tower! There are all small yellow and white stupas with spires. As far as the eye can see, I can see that in this wilderness clearing, there are many stupas in rows, and there are so many that you can't see the end. But there was not a single building, and there were no people and dogs. Obviously, it is demarcated by this road, and the south of the road is inhabited by people, and the Buddha lives here.

I excitedly photographed the stupa near the side of the road. Patting, patting, I suddenly felt that something was wrong, so I stopped to take a closer look at these stupas on the side of the road. That's not a good look. I saw that they were all the same style, and the three or five seats were high and low. Below the minaret are flat steles, and although I don't know the Burmese inscription engraved on them, I immediately judged from the format: This is a cemetery!

Alas, this scene is really frustrating. I was timid by nature, but today I am bold. A man visited the cemetery alone! and took pictures with great interest. I almost took a selfie with the cemetery and stayed here for a visit. If there are really ghosts and gods, it is to scare each other. The people who lived in the tomb were also puzzled, why did these foreigners behave like this?

I quickly retreated to the road and deleted the photo I had just taken. It dawned on me why the puppy was chasing me and barking, to prevent me from coming to this cemetery. Hey, I misunderstood you.

It seems that the people of Myanmar respect animals, and humans and animals are on an equal footing. It is true to say that dogs are spiritual.

I stood on the road and looked east and west, and my vision was infinitely wide. At the end of the village, there was still no one in sight, not a dog. I decided to retreat to the main road outside the hotel. Apparently it's the main street. In addition, although this side is only 300 meters away from the main road, it is a wilderness outside the village. You can see the scale of Bagan Town.

I braved the scorching sun and held a bamboo pole that was high above my head, and decided to walk east along the road to see what else was over there. Just a few steps to the east, I saw the north intersection, and two high pillars were built on both sides of the road, which were connected to make a lintel. From the yellow letters on it, I can tell that it is the gate of the cemetery. Sure enough, Ludong is also a cemetery. Seeing this, I have no interest in moving forward.

At this time, I saw a man waving to me from a distance, and when I got closer, it turned out to be a group member sitting behind me. He laughed and said, "It's so funny that you are standing on the road with a bamboo pole." "I asked him what was on the east side, and he said he had taken a lot of small stupas. He also pointed to the place I had just taken and said, "I shot it all over there last night." ”

Later, when I talked about it in the car, the tour guide confirmed my judgment. Well, the people who came to take pictures last night, and those who went to take pictures after me, quickly deleted the photos after hearing this. The tour guide also said: Let you move freely, but you all run to photograph the cemetery. On the gate of the cemetery, it is clearly written that it is the cemetery. Besides, I told you in the car that there is Tallinn, and I didn't say that it was a pagoda.

I think there are a lot of people in the car who don't know what "Tallinn" means like me.

Three

After this Hanzhong group member knew that I was afraid of dogs, he asked me to throw away the bamboo pole and go to the town with him. As a result, it took us less than an hour to cover the town of Bagan. There are three major roads in the longitudinal direction and three major roads in the horizontal direction, which is the Bagan that I can't tell whether it is a town or a village. The first east-west avenue, which is on the Tallinn side, is already outside the village. The main road in the middle is located at the entrance of the hotel.

Last night, I walked with two other group members from here to the dark and sparsely lit place in the west. It was too dark, and I didn't know if I had reached the village. It's just that the singing sound from the loudspeaker has been singing loudly and loudly in the village. And the singing, squeaky and wow, is very lively. I once thought it was a Qin dialect.

When I walked all the way last night, I saw a few shops along the street, selling most of them tourist goods, hats and shoes. There is also a massage parlor. When I walked through the second north-south intersection, I saw a large bar on the south side of the road, which was brightly lit. The room is an operation room, and all visitors sit outside. The exterior is also elegantly decorated, with a high ceiling, many solid wood tables and chairs placed on the wooden floor, and the store is surrounded by a one-meter-high wooden fence, outside which are concentrated Southeast Asian plants, coconut and plantain trees are full of fruit, and frangipani trees and triangular plum blossoms are dazzling. There are also a lot of unknown flowers, which are scattered and make this bar very atmospheric. So, I fell in love with this bar.

It was almost eleven o'clock, and the bar was filled with young tourists with European faces, about 100 people, which showed that business was booming. In this regard, Bagan is really in line with international standards. And these European-faced tourists, like us, come here to watch the sunrise.

At the entrance to the fence, we open the menu on the small table and see that it is full of the usual food from the bars of the cosmopolitan city, the only difference is the barbecue. Thinking too late last night, I decided to come over for a cup of coffee this morning. For this reason, I also went to ask the opening time, and the clerk said that it would open at 8 o'clock in the morning. However, it was now half past ten, and the clerk had just entered the store and opened its doors, and there were no tourists in the big bar. So, even if I can drink coffee, I'm not in the mood to sit in.

In fact, when I walked all the way under the scorching sun just now, almost all of what I saw were closed. None of the shops along the street I saw last night were open. In front of the door, the dogs are lying with their bodies stretched, and it is estimated that they are not sleepy, but cooled down. It's really too hot and sunny.

Since all the streets are as far as the eye can see. Therefore, as we continued our march to the third main road from north to south, we glanced at the village to the west, and walked south on the flower-filled streets, still seeing no dogs and no people.

On this north-south road, I saw some local men, who were coming and going on motorcycles, and the dust was raised. As far as the village to the south, there are several tourist buses making a U-turn. There are also more people, and it looks very lively. We walked briskly. This should be a farmer's market. Both sides of the road are full of simple stalls, and there are a few shops selling fruit. Plantains are much cheaper and piled up more than yesterday in the highway service area. I also saw the avocado that I like to eat. It is as large as more than 400 grams. All fruits are still sold in bunches and numbers.

The sellers of this young couple, who are preparing to open, also know that I am a foreigner. So when I asked for the price, she looked at me and pressed the 800 number on the calculator.

Oh, it's equivalent to four yuan a piece. The so-called Big Mac (220 grams) I bought online in China is only 12 yuan a piece. The top two here are only four yuan, which is really cheap. Therefore, at any price, buy two. When I paid for two, I saw this hard-working little couple know each other and smiled. Of course I understand what they are happy about, and I have always liked hardworking people. Then just make them happier. Equivalent to three yuan, I bought a large handful of plantains, which is estimated to weigh about six catties.

When I bought it, I was also scared of the pile of soft avocados. The seller was very enthusiastic to help me choose, and cut one on the spot, the flesh was bright and fragrant. And, subsequently, it was bought everywhere else. If it was in China, it would have been so soft for a long time. This is the difference between natural ripening and ripening.

We happily carried the fruit and set off again on a tour of the quiet town of Bagan. In the second north-south alley, I met three women sitting in front of a gate selling several kinds of small fish. Originally, they were selling to the housewife, but when they saw me, they stood up with the sieve of the fish, and insisted that I buy the fish. Although I don't understand their Burmese, I understand that they are talking about how good the fish is, and they have just caught it. They understood what I said, and they smiled happily and stopped trying to persuade me. Those little fish are delicious to look at. If I could cook it, I would definitely buy it all.

In this way, it took nearly an hour to see all aspects of Bagan Town.

I was very impressed by this small village, with its many stout mushroom-headed trees, green coconut and plantain trees, and its triangular plum blossoms blooming everywhere.

This is also the only village I walked into and visited during my five-day and five-night trip to Myanmar. I was able to stay here for one night and see the most beautiful sunrise in Bagan just outside the village, all of which was a wonderful and unforgettable experience.

If I come again in the next year, I hope you will become rich, and what will not change is that the village style and folk customs are still simple.

2019/2/19