Brown Bagan >> Travel: Laos, Myanmar, Thailand 18

Oct 15: Night, Bagan

More rain. It finally stopped drizzling at about 1pm. A few hours later, a small shower returned, then became heavier.

It is still drizzling.

Our horse cart driver had become rather desperate because we did not want to visit the ruins in the rain. We told him early each morning so we would not deprive him of other custom, but I guess business was bad because more people kept indoor when it was wet and muddy outside.

Time passes slowly here. Just the way we like it, as long as we get to return to a faster pace of life later on.

But, I wonder what sort of impression we have created for the locals. After all, we are paying in US$ for a room everyday and we have spent two days sitting around, drinking tea and coffee, snacking and reading!

The local people must find us very different from them, even though we are all Asian. And after observing only these visible aspects of our behaviour and that of other foreign visitors, it is not surprising if the locals come to the conclusion that all tourists are rich.

On the chow front, the Myanmarese will do better if they serve different types of food. Many of the restaurants and eateries, where tourists congregate, list almost identical dishes on their menus. Very monotonous, though some outlets have better cooks than others.

Budget (for two in US$ or kyat as indicated)

Room >> US$8
Lunch >> K1,000
Dinner >> K1,775

Next...
A slice of village life