The Sun peaks through and the temple field reveals itself. There are over 2800 temples at Bagan, many 1100 years old, so it’s a pretty safe bet these shapes are temples.įinally the sun reached over the horizon and we got our first look at the temple field at Bagan. Trees, stupas, and a few other large buildings that we assume are temples of some sort. The landscape was still dark, but shapes were starting to appear. Already people were setting up tripods and soon would be jostling for the best angles. We were some of the first here so we get a spot near the edge. He asks for 1000 kyat, which we pay, and then we scramble up the stairs. The temple itself is still hidden in the dark, but there was a man at the doorway with a flashlight, ushering us toward a very small set of stairs that, we hope, lead to the roof. There are a handful of other e-bikes parked in front. Driving in dirt is one thing, but driving something with two wheels in sand, in the dark, is a something else entirely.Īs we pulled up to our chosen spot, we still can’t see much due to the darkenss. Everyone was racing to get to the best spots, the highest spots, before the sun shows itself.Įventually we turned off the main road and onto a path made of dirt and sand. Soon we found ourselves driving with other travellers all going in the same direction, in a weirdly silent convey down as only the whirr of the e-bike motors can be heard. It’s surprisingly cold out and I wish I’d worn pants, not shorts.Įarlier that morning we looked at a map and picked a sport to watch the sunrise, but we haven’t been to the temple field before so it’s was a little disorienting in the dark. But in Bagan, they are the travellers preferred mode of transportation.Ī few minutes later we were going at full speed, about 35 km/h, down a highway, well more a divided paved road and still the sun hasn’t peeked over the horizon. They aren’t fast enough for the roads and for some reason no one who owns one knows how to properly drive one. We groggily got dressed and made our way out front of our hotel where our transportation awaited. Sunrises at Bagan are one of, if not the most, popular thing for travellers in Burma. Neither of us are early risers, and generally avoid waking before the sun rises if at all possible. I hit the snooze and we enjoyed another 6 mins of sleep until more CCR played. Our cell phone alarm went off at 5:05 am, playing some CCR song loud enough to wake us both up.

Burma temples bagan myanmar