Up about 8:00, had breakfast on the 2nd floor eating area, overlooking the street.
After breakfast, Ms. Cho, the guest house lady, gave us a map of the best temples and paya's and we rented pedal bicycles (1-speed, like the locals use, for 1000 kyat for the day) and started off. We stopped at the internet first, used it for about an hour. There's some half decent internet here, when the power is on. Then we started down the road to see the temples.
The first one we stopped at was very nice, appeared quite old, you could climb up high and look all over. The number of payas and temples dotting the landscape in Bagan is mind boggling. Hundreds and hundreds for as far as the eye can see.
A local was selling sand paintings at the temple, dad and I each bought one. We went to another temple nearby, just a monk was praying there. After that, we biked to the artists village, just a short distance away. When we showed up, all the village kids came running, and they enjoyed seeing themselves on the digital cameras and video.
As we headed back to the main road, I noticed dad's rear tire was almost flat, we were 2km out, so dad had to peddle an almost flat bike back to the guest house. At the guest house, dad got a new bike, we went to a travel agent and booked a night bus from Bagan to Yangon for Sunday night.
After getting our bus ticket, we went for lunch, then headed out to see more temples.
I had my first bowel movement in 2.5 days, a big splurge, after the Imodium wore off. Travellers diahhroea sucks.
Tourism is way down, lots of locals trying, begging for us to buy something. Dad bought a print from some guy who stopped us on the highway and showed his wares right on the edge of the road. I ended up buying another sand painting from another guy, but we had to say no to many, including lots of kids.
One temple we went in to, the kids were annoying, and wouldn't leave dad alone. He finally had to get rude at them, and they finally left him alone.
On the way back from the temples, dad, in all his glory, would pass me on his bicycle, acting just like he was a local. It was kind of funny.
We stopped at a big resort in Old Bagan for water. Dad asked the price, $120/night. The cost for a botle of water here is $1.20, most places sell it for 30 cents. I had a diahhroea emergency, and asked for the toilet, and had another good splurge. Dad used the toilet too, I could hear him beside me, and he let out this huge fart. Then he said, "Oh god, was that it?" He had been holding this poop for an hour, waiting for a toilet, and it was nothing more than a big fart.
We made our way back to the guest house, showered, then went for food about 7:00pm. Had another good diahhroea there. Can't eat much feeling like this either, which sucks. Dad ordered just french fries for super.
After supper, we went to the travel place and asked about a shared taxi to Mount Popa. They knew 3 people who wanted to go as wel, so they went to get them, and we arranged it for tomorrow. It leaves at 8:00am for a half day trip.
Used internet, updated a couple of journal entries, then back to the guest house and to bed sometime after 10:00.
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