Bagan temple complex

Once we were back on firm ground it was a quick change into the cycling gear and join the rest of the group.  We spent the rest of the morning exploring the Bagan temple complex by bike and by foot.

The Bagan temple complex is spread out as far as the horizon with its peaks of brick stupas that dot the skyline in many shapes and sizes.  The first one we visited was a stupa which could be climbed.  So up we all went, even me!

It was quite hairy and some of us need a bit of a breather half way up, 

but the view at the top was quite something.  Building on this site commenced after the former Kings of Bagab introduced Therevada Buddhism in the mid-11th century.  Many temples were built after that to worship their gods.   

Some were more brave than others!

The temple was very busy with many people making pilgramages.

I must admit that after awhile all the Buddha  images lost their appeal.

But I liked this grinning face carved in sandstone just to the right of the main doorway.

We didn't visit every temple, it would take months to do that, so Alex selected about half a dozen for us to go and see.

No mater how old they are, graffiti is everywhere, although in this case because it is several centuries old it almost seems like art!

This Buddha shimmered in the sunlight creeping it's way in through the main door.  Pilgrims buy gold leaf and rub it into the statue as they pray.

Some of the temples were plain inside whilst others were richly decorated with murals depicting the Buddha's life and ascension.

There are a lot of buildings in the complex!  Each one attracts its own circus of commercialism.

But these marionettes looked jolly hanging from the branches of a big tree.

Some of the smaller temples do not have lighting

and the floors are rough or sandy.  As you can see, I have Buddha toe nails too...

In the heat of the day I could have joined this reclining Buddha and had a little snooze.

Twin Buddhas!

Here we all are, slightly less bedraggled than in out last group photograph.

After lunch in a local vegetarian restaurant we went to see the Leaning Tower, the victim of the recent earthquake I suspect.  The afternoon was free time, and having been up and about so early it was a quiet siesta time for me.

Having seen the sunrise it seems only appropriate that I should watch the sun go down.  We ent to one f the local temples and climbed up a very narrow internal stairway right to the very top.

Where we were rewarded with a beautiful sunset.

The way down was light by tiny candles on the stair way, placed there and 'managed' by a group of three local lads....in exchanged for a donation, of course! But for ince I was happy to give them a handleful of local money for their entrepreneurial endever.

Back on the bike

Today the cycling begins, so it's up early and on the bikes whilst it is still cool, and the traffic isn't so manic on the roads. The bikes come equipped with loud wells, which we already use often to let everyone else know we are there.  Sometimes it works!  Although the brightly painted bullock cart is bigger than me, so he go the right of way - but it gave me the chance to snap him though.

This area is much more agricultural than the other parts of India we have been in.  Here we are cycling alongside paddy fields, some with rice waiting for harvest, others planted and irrigated and others just ploughed and waiting for a new crop.

On the way we stopped at the Tippu sultans mosque.  See the tower, that's the 'letter box' for the homing pigeons?  It was the only means of communicating way back then.

Outside many of the homes are the mandala patterns.  Drawn by hand there are many symmetrical patterns.

Our destination was the ruins of Srirangapatnam which are on an island.  So we crossed the river Cauvery and cycled round the ramparts.  We stopped by the river, where the ghats are used for both religious and more practical purposes - under the watchful eye of the resident monkey pack. I am pleased to report that there was not a holy coconut in sight!

Tea break was by the side of the road.  The spirals are a deep fried spices snack.  Not bad if you can get over the deep fried aspect.

We took our shoes off and went to look at the Ranganathaswamy Temple....along with everyone else in the surrounding countryside it seemed?  As you can see....here there were the holy coconuts and everything else, fortunately we are much wiser now.

As I said earlier, we share the road with many different vehicles and livestock.

It's a bit tricky to see, but if you squint you can just make out the rather splendid golden horns of these to ox.  The oxen and the few sheep we have seen also seem to have been daubed with yellow - turmeric? Not sure why, could it be a disinfectant or mere pre- seasoning??

The queues in the temple had delayed us, so once we returned to the hotel and changed we took tuctucks to lunch.  Rather like the wacky races!

Lunch was a typical southern Indian dosa with some coconut chutney, served on a banana leaf.

Ruins and palaces are fine, but it's the street life I enjoy seeing when I travel.  Everything seems available on the streets, although I doubt the English team will be using this vendor as their bat supplier!

Moving on.

This morning there was time to visit the temples of the Roluos Group, the first one being Preah Ko.

This was the first brick Angkorian architecture to exhibit six towers.  Built from brick it would have originally been covered with white stucco and incised with delicate carved images.

  

The rains have damaged the surfaces over the centuries, but you still get the impression of grandure  and peace, because not so many come to visit this area as it is away from the main site. 

The last temple I visited was Bakong.  Although plain in decoration it is set in a beautiful garden with a moat.  

 

Before heading to the airport to catch an internal flight to Phnom Penh there was time to stop off at a small local market.  A feast for the eyes and nose!