15/Mar/2000

After departing Mr. Nishigaki who is Sanay Travels, I took a taxi and went into the city immediately and agitatedly on the reason to study in advance.

Sule pagoda was under upgrading. It was covered by bamboo maps. So the golden hue could not be seen. However I felt pleasant to see the pagoda, which was lit with colourful lamps. (It regained its golden appearance at the day I went back to Japan).

I was walking facing to the west along the Mahabandhoola Road in which Sule Pagoda was built. I looked at the small shops. I gazed a shop, which was situated beside Shanghai Shopping Department and was well lit with colourful light. It was so bright that I thought that it was a disco club. There was also another one beside it. They were so attractive that my eyes were almost out of alignment. I was wandering here and there. Sometime I reached near the dark side of the road. The road was ended without finding any restaurant. There were many shops beside the road. But the food in them was not eatable for me.

The water in the pot under the tree...
The dark and dirty boiling cooking oil...

In Vietnam where we had visited before, food was cooked in the tradition combined with French and Chinese. It looked delicious. But I could not eat the meat because it was dried in the glass case under the hot sun. French bread also looked delicious. They were out in the baskets. The air around them was full of polluted gas, which was blown out by a lot of cycles. If you removed the bread, the black tar would blemish. It was disappointing. But you must bear it.

At Last, I returned to Mahabandhoola. At fast food shop in that road, I ordered hamburger like Mac Donald. I ate the bread with the mouth stuffed full removing tomatoes and cucumber because I was afraid of vegetable. My dinner was over in this way. Hunger did not disappear entirely. But it was better than before. I went back to Hotel by a taxi in front of the Sule Pagoda.

In the Hotel, the water in the bathroom was enough only for a person. So I was a scapegoat because I was a second man. It happened like this.

The first day was excellent. Fortunately the light did not go off. As soon as I arrived this country, I could finish my investigation about it. Therefore I was very pleased and went to bed.

16/Mar/2000

The next day in the morning, because of gratitude of Nishigaki, I had my breakfast at my fill well. Then I went to Bagan. At the airport, it was so noisy that I could not know boarding. A brother beside me noticed me. I thanked him. (Perhaps, he might do so to get any tip. However, the flight would leave me behind unless he noticed me. In connection with this case, I would like to say that there was no announcement on the return journey at the international airport. If I stared at any place, I would be left behind.)

Besides even on the local flight, the passport wad needed. You would be in trouble, if you had placed it in your suitcase carelessly. In that airport it seemed that you could go back and take the suitcase immediately. :)

At Yangon airport, checking was rigid. But it was manual. It was ridiculous. The first flight with propeller left from the airport earlier than the time in the schedule. That time was 6:45. But we had already been in the air to 6:30. Most of the seats were occupied by the westerners. Wee! Wee! Wee! The propellers started to wind slowly. When the plane reached the end of the runway, it ran making the sound 'Gyi, Gyi,' I had laughed with thrill of pleasure. But the face of my friend looked like a dead one.

As soon as we reached Bagan, we took reconfirmation at the Hotel quickly. A huge book was opened slowly. Our names were marked on the page with the date. 'Here, again!' 'Ha! Ha! Ha!' I laughed. The man at the other side looked at me thinking that what was happening.

Both the driver and me could speak English a little. So my mind was lighter than before. We were O.K. pointing on the map. There was nothing to be worried. It was Nyaung Oo market, which we went firstly. It was crowded with the buyers and sellers in the dim light. It was very noisy. The smell was very bad. Even if you were an optimist, you would not say that it was good. Flies were flying in a group making the sound 'Wall! Wall!'

The cocks with the crest, the fresh of the chicken, fresh-water catfish and the dried fish smelt rank. Nothing happened at the first visit. But at the second visit to take photographs, I was about to vomit.

The seller who cut the cock into pieces entered a small room like a cage. The bowl, which was used for feeding the chicken, was filled by the chicken, was filled by the cut flesh. This system was interesting. Probably, it had been planned so that the cruel scene could not be seen. Although the smell from the fresh was acute, I enjoyed seeing them. Whenever I went, I entered the market. I liked going shopping. But the smell was very strong.

It was small group of foreigners like me whose appetite lost after visiting that market.After walking up and down about an hour, I bought a Longyi haggling and got a Shan bag as a present. I liked mangoes very much. I was disappointed because fruits were scarce at the beginning of the season.

It was said that the goods were expensive if you were not skilful in haggling. However this market was cheaper than the other. These were no difference between the entrance and the exit. Its space was small but it was valuable for the experience.

In the morning, we went to Shwezigon pagoda, Gubyaukgyi pagoda, it had stairs and beautiful scenes could be seen on it. My guide told me about this. Hitilominlo pagoda, Armanda pagoda and ancient Bagan from Nyaung Oo. We had launch at Ayeyar Hotel.

We started our afternoon trip at two o'clock in the afternoon. I went to Dhamayangyi pagoda, Sularmani pagoda, Sabbhinyu pagoda, Gunbyaukgyi pagoda and the surrounding pagodas. They were Manuha pagoda, Ah palyadanar pagoda, Nagayon pagoda and Nanphayar. We welcomed sunset from Shwesandaw.

It was cloudy here. So midday was suitable for sightseeing. 'We are Lucky!' The sun was setting in the west. Putting aside the fear, we climbed up the fifth terrace of Shwesandaw pagoda. It was very high. We saw the big red sun among the clouds half of it was covered by the clouds. The sun set completely in the west. This scene depressed me. We climbed down from the stairs with fear.

Afternoon was consumed by taking sightseeing in Old Bagan and Myingabar village. We had our dinner at Ruby Tun Hotel. (We were urged to do so). It was at over 7 o'clock in the evening when Mr. Win Myint had to play marionette only for two of us. Please tell Mr. Win That we felt deeply in our hearts if you meet him. He was very skilful in Japanese. We recommended wonton. The curry was delicious.

We watched marionette show forgetting the food, which was well prepared for us. When we had it, it was as cold as ice. It was disappointing. . :)

We felt pleased on our return because all came along with us. We went back to Hotel leaving the restaurant behind. The worry in our mind was concerned with the bath. We encountered again the shortage of water like Ramade Hotel.

In Ayeyar Hotel, the tap produced the water for only me. 'I'll take the bath by shower.' Two of us laughed unwillingly. However, the room was rather wide. It was a corner room. So the river could be seen. The view was so pleasant that we could ignore the shortage of water. 'Thank you.' The next day we fought the combat with full belief on our feet.