Asia
We departed at 5:15a in an electric bike each three of us. (again owing pictures... but I just want to finish the blog and then I'll fill the gaps)
1. Shwe-san-daw Pagoda* (sunrise)
(i296-299… BB's are much better)
Denise and Basia:
2. Sulamani Guphaya* (encounter with young nuns)
3. Dhamma-yan-gyi Pahto*
4. Eg-ga-tae & monastery
5. Gubyauk-gyi & (Myinkaba) (1113 AD)
Oscar:
•Dam maya Gyi i300-311
740a Found place to thrive in loneliness (pix 310)
•N GuNi (loved it) 312-331
Path to Buddah/Buddahward (pix 314-318)
807a Stairway to Heaven (pix 322)
818a Heaven. Contemplating northward (pix 325)
•S GuNi 326
•(??) 332-336
Battery of e-bike running lower, so I drive back to the hostel… and turn in the wrong direction at an intersection… by the time I finally accept something is very wrong with the position of the sun, I turn back and, about a mile away, I start running out of "juice"… between pedaling, walking and sweating, I made it back to the hotel about 11:00a :)
Reflecting upon all the temples I've seen so far, I think humans have a compulsion to build structures to satisfy their gods: ziggurats, pyramids, menhirs, cathedrals, pagodas, shopping malls… to give an idea of the amount if building, Bagan is to pagodas as Brooklyn NY is to churches! (ca. 4,000 buildings in 26 sq miles built during 230 years (11-13th century), many already gone)
Lunch time. The story shall continue in part 2, when we witness the dying sun.
