In which Roz and Layla cycle, eat ice cream, and see lots of temples

By Roz

Up again for another early morning (alas) our day started with a bolted breakfast (disappointing) and then an hour long drive (which would also have been depressing, were I not listening to an audio version of The Colour by Rose Tremain which is excellent, albeit this makes me an unsociable companion).  We were then off for another long cycle, through villages and towns. It is striking that the enthusiasm of the Burmese for us remains high - no-one doesn't want to say hello. I'm ashamed to say that after the first hour or so of cycling my responses become less enthusiastic and a little more grunt-like. Fortunately our fellow tour group companions are nicer people (and probably better cyclists) and fly the flag for British cheerfulness for me after I flag. Flatter than usual, it was lovely to have Layla back cycling alongside me as we whizzed (wheezed) along. Our favourite moment from the cycle was at the moment we got lost. Uncertain whether to turn left or right at a junction, a fellow-cyclist whipped out a compass, stated firmly that we should be heading west and thus that we should turn left. We followed him and were delighted he turned out to be right (especially as others got lost). Layla in particular delighted in this scientific approach to decision making ...

Some might say 11am was a little early for lunch, but that didn't stop the plates of food from arriving in the rooftop restaurant in which our group was ensconced - or Layla and me from scoffing as much of our two favourite dishes as we could (one sort of sweet corn, and one green bean - both with something lovely done to them). After lunch, we cycled down to the river (passing pigs, somewhat to our surprise) and then hopped on boats for a 1 and a half hour cruise along the Irawaddy River to Bagan, where we were to be spending the next three nights. Unsurprisingly it turned out to be very lovely to be sat on a comfy boat, being transported along by someone else with beautiful scenery and books to read. The end of the boat ride turned out to be particularly picturesque, as we passed by some of the 2000 temples (many from the 12th century) in the area. We looked at each other and wondered if things were about to look up...

Arriving at our hotel, we found ourselves greeted with bowls of strawberry ice cream and then found we were to be staying in a large room (with a double bed - my insistence a few nights ago brought dividends for the rest of the holiday!) in a lodge / cabin next to the hotel's enticing pool. We felt very cheerful indeed and lost no time in heading to the pool for a swim. After a long time spent bobbing around, just as our skin was starting to get wrinkly, we headed back to our rooms to shower. Having collected our books, we headed to the hotel's bakery (not quite as charming as it sounds, but still nice) to eat more strawberry ice cream. I took the opportunity of wifi to start booking the next leg of our holiday (Philadelphia - recommendations welcome!) whilst Layla phoned her parents (and asked them to phone my mum - since I couldn't get through to her and there is no 3G for texting here) and read her book. It was then time for an early dinner and so we fled the group and pottered down to "restaurant row" and had a delightful evening drinking our favourite wine, eating paneer and chappatis in a very cheery outdoor Indian restaurant (delightfully sans fellow tour group members, and indeed, unusually for this country, without any tour groups at all!). We headed back early, though, not least because of the prospect of yet another early morning. I'm not ruling out rebellion before we leave...

But this morning it was really worth getting up early. Not just to avoid the heat and sun, but also because we were heading through the sand on our bikes to visit some of the Bagan temples. Bagan is likened to Ankor Watt or Machu Picchu in its enormity and importance. It was just fantastic to be there, with the place to ourselves (bar the rest of the group) for the first hour or so. The temples were spectacular: of varying sizes and ages, they were all unique (albeit variations on a theme! And there were many, many Buddhas within, of course.) and it was brilliant to clamber over and up them, and to gaze at the landscape - temples everywhere you looked - from the top. Better than Ankor Watt in many ways, we were so cheery to be there. 

After clambering through and over 6 or 7 temples, our guide suggested we head back and have lunch en route. We all expressed horror at the idea of lunch at 11.30 again, but agreed to a drink at a roadside cafe. After gulping down my lime soda, I became bored of waiting for the others (for which read: hungry and wanting to read my book) and so persuaded Layla to head off back with me on a self-guided mission home. Somewhat doubtful, but always a trooper, she agreed. I then had a genius idea - a diversion to lunch on restaurant row (which we would be passing). And so we found ourselves settling down in a delightful garden, with a really delicious lunch, accompanied by a honeydew lassi for Layla and a beer for me. We stayed there a long while, not least to have a second helping of the delicious home made vanilla ice cream and cashew nuts (this holiday has really been lacking ice cream till now!), but also reading. I was delighted to find that my book (The Piano Tuner) has the protagonist passing through the town we are currently in. Fun. After a couple of hours we headed back to the hotel for a swim, and we are now sitting on our cabin porch, and Layla is writing postcards. I don't regret for a moment that we have decided to cut out the last two days of our Burma trip which would have had us return to Yangon...but I am delighted at the lovely turn the holiday has taken.