At 5:20 a.m. we were picked up for our hot air balloon ride, Balloons over Bagan. An old WWII military van that was left here in Bagan after the war by the Canadians drove us to the launch sight. We were divided into groups and then watched the balloons be filled first with cold air and then hot air which inflated the large fabric balloons. We boarded the basket and then our captain/ “colonel”- he ran a pretty tight ship- launched the balloon. We immediately rose above and over the first temple we went to yesterday built by the first king with it’s golden dome stupa on its 4 steps and surrounding pagodas. We flew over the Iriwady River and then back over hundreds of temples. The sun rose and lit up all the dirt particles in the sky and the effect with a hazy sky that made all the temples below look like they were in a dream. The sky was dotted with quiet floating giants and all that was out an about this early were horse drawn carts. It was really magical and just felt like it was surreal. It was so relaxing to just gaze out quietly over the landscape dotted and beautified by all these stone and gilded buildings. What a way to start the week!
We had breakfast back at the hotel after the balloon ride and then met our guide for a walk about a small village. There we got a chance to visit with some locals and visit with a few elderly folks who were spending their time cracking peanuts which they will plant come the season. Women were cooking meals and children were doing their practice writing in small writing books. They are out for summer break for 3 months and so all the kids are out and about. These homes all had electricity but no running water so they have all devised clever ways to bring water back from the well, mostly by ox cart.
This morning we took a tour of the Lacquer Shops and learned how they make lacquer wear. They begin with bamboo strips that they essentially bend and glue together strips and then put a sap over it to hold it together. They then glaze it, glaze made again from almost a kind of sap from a tree and almost always is black. They paint many layers of black and then they etch into it, scraping away their design. They do one color at a time and then stain the scratched area with a color and then seal it with the sap and then let it sit for 3 days and dry and then they scratch away again the next color and then paint and then sit to dry and so forth. Some pieces can take a week, some a year. I had no idea how elaborate the process is! I didn’t purchase any goods, although I would have loved to, I don’t need it but it doesn’t mean I don’t want it! Before heading back we visited a temple near our hotel which we have driven by countless times in the past couple days. Inside were 4 HUGE Buddhas, one of which was reclining. The other 3 Buddhas are depicted with swollen chests, symbolizing they believe Buddha had to do when people misunderstood him.
In the afternoon after we took a swim and just rested a bit by the pool we rented more sturdy scooters and took off to explore and checkout some more lacquer shops. It was fun popping in and out of places and just cruising the backstreets and meeting people.
In the evening we visited one more temple, which was the tallest temple in Bagan and has a white stucco looking exterior. Inside wasn’t as impressive as the outside but again had several gold buddhas. To lead up to the sunset we took a horse and buggy through town and to many of the pagodas for pictures. The ride finished at the Stupa that our guide had suggested and found good seats at the last minute. It was so relaxing to watch the sunset and enjoy visiting with some of the local boys that decided to join us and once they sold us some postcards just sat and talked with us. Fun evening.
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