Our third day in Myanmar started out bright and early. We got up at 5:15am to see the sunrise- it turns out the sun doesn't rise until about 5:45am but we were able to sit out on top of a building and enjoy the views as the morning light spread across Bagan. The sunrise was totally gorgeous. After having breakfast, we headed out to Mount Popa. Adam, unfortunately, was feeling pretty sick so he stayed behind.
On our way to Mount Popa, we stopped along the way to meet some local people in Bagan and see some of the local products and work that people in the area do. First, we learned about how they extracted peanut oil by grinding the peanuts down.
Note the container on the bottom right- that is where the peanut oil drips down
All of us had a chance to hop on and give it a try. I found it hard to stay balanced, but Andy & Tim were pros!
All around us was work being done. People climbing the palm trees to get palm fruit juice, others cutting down wood and palm fronds to build sheds, etc.
We also saw how they made sugar from the palm juice (heating it up and then mixing/cooling it down)
Once it cooled down, the women rolled them into small pieces that were used for cooking and eating. Notice the woman above with the thanaka paste on her face.
After seeing how they created/made some of the local products, they treated us to some local snacks that were very popular. Fruits, nuts, seeds, and pickled vegetables.
After that, we continued on our way toward Mount Popa. The vehicle we were in was starting to overheat so we pulled over on the side of the road to give it a rest (almost all vehicles in Myanmar are quite old so it was no surprise). While we stopped, we walked around the neighborhood and came across some kids that were excited (and surprised!) to see us. They had fun running alongside us, shyly peeking out at us, and running away from Tim who tickled them.
This guy was so fascinated by Tim, running up to him and then running off when Tim looked at him!
Finally when it was ready to head out, the guys needed to give it a push to get it going!
Our guide, Tim and Andy pushing the van along.
As we neared Mount Popa, we could see the temple towering above. It was a really neat sight to see from afar. We kept lamenting about how it was a bummer that Adam was missing out on this trip because it was so neat!
To get to the top of the temple, we had to climb 777 steps up to the top, avoiding monkey poop and pee all along the way. We had to remove our shoes before climbing, so suffice it to say that our socks were NASTY when we returned from the top. We were warned that the monkeys would steal anything that wasn't securely attached to you (sunglasses, hats, cameras) so I was extra careful with my things. Shara had her water bottle stoled right from out of her hands. She felt her water bottle get heavy and by the time she looked down, the monkey had wrenched it from her and had run off with it (biting his sharp teeth into the bottle and chugging the water!).
A lot of the female monkeys were nursing babies
A monkey enjoying a stolen treat
Awesome views from the top of Mount Popa
We also met women who were selling a variety of items used for medicinal purposes. This woman was selling some pieces of petrified wood
We arrived back at the hotel for lunch and found Adam still feeling sick. We rested up in the hotel until the power went out... it became incredibly hot in the room! We decided to head out into the town since Tim & Shara were interested in picking up a lacquerware pot. We also did a quick photoshoot where the men tried out their longyis they bought.
Tim and Andy in their skirts (longyis)
Adam trying on Tim's longyi...he needed a bit of help from Andy!
Riverside view- fishing boats and sandy beach
The pagoda along the river
Watching the sun begin to set behind the clouds
We mentioned to our new friend that Adam wasn't feeling very well and had some kind of stomach bug probably from food. He told us that the perfect solution was a ginger tea- sliced ginger, the juice from two limes, two spoonfuls of honey, and boiling water. He offered to make some of the tea for Adam at his home and bring it by to us at the restaurant. He took off on his bike and said he would meet us at the Green Elephant.
We headed toward where we thought the Green Elephant was...and major confusion ensued. It was incredibly hilarious, with us asking several people along the way...most of who spoke no English so would run and get a friend of a friend who might know English. We were pointed every which way, attracted a large crowd, and had a good laugh. We were worried about finding our new friend with the tea (Tim was sure he wasn't going to come back and was so shocked when he reappeared with the tea!) but he was able to find us. When he found us, he laughed and said it wouldn't be hard to find a group of tourists in Bagan during low season!
Adam holding up his ginger tea
We ended up at a restaurant (not the Green Elephant) that was situated along the river but was pretty expensive! We stayed for a little bit at the restaurant to chat and snack before we headed back to the hotel for a more filling and economical dinner option!
View of the pagoda along the riverside, all lit up and beautifully gold in the night sky!
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