Events of Friday 15th February, 2013
I slept well at the Park Royal, but not for too long. I decided to get up and use the excellent response of the internet to upload some of the backlog of pictures. I had a shower, completed my re-packing (always a major problem) and was in reception in good time to meet my guide. It was too early to have the hotel's breakfast but they gave me a 'breakfast box' to take away with me.
We had the same driver but a larger 'people mover'. We made excellent time to the airport, arriving about 6.20 just as it was growing light. After checking in and passing through an X-ray (my hand luggage) and a metal detector (me), I found myself in the crowded departures hall. Three or four flights left before my Myanma Airways flight (yes, they spell 'Myanma' without the 'r').
As usual, first we were ushered onto a bus which transferred us across the apron to our waiting aircraft. It wasn't the expected Advanced Turbo Prop but a 2-engined jet. I flew with Air Bagan once on one of their two 'Fokker 100' (people were killed a short while ago when one of these crashed. I could see the aircraft I was boarding wasn't a 'Fokker' but I couldn't see what it was until I was seated and checked the safety instructions. It was a Brazilian 'Embraer 190', described in a Wikipedia article here. It looked quite nice but I checked the evacuation drill carefully, particularly as I (and the Guy next to me) were next to an Emergency Exit. I thought perhaps they didn't observe the rule about not putting the aged and infirm (or just unwilling) next to emergency doors but shortly the stewardess came along and explained the position succinctly. I had no doubt that in a life-threatening situation, I'd be equal to the task.
Slowly, we taxied to the very end of the runway. "Taking no chances" I thought. After a short power check, the take-off roll started. The acceleration was impressive and we had used less than one third of the runway length when we became airborne and started our climb at an equally impressive rate. The aircraft took us to Nyaung Oo in fine style whilst the friendly cabin staff issued breakfast boxes and a choice of drinks.
On landing, I met my guide and we chatted whilst waiting for the checked bag. This took so long, we went to the car and deposited my hand baggage, returning to the baggage hall just as my bag arrived. Many of the other passengers were still awaiting bags as we set off from the airport towards my hotel in Old Bagan - the Aye Yar River View Resort. I was startled at the number of foreign tourists around - there seemed to be more than on any of my previous visits to Bagan.
Near Taung Bi village, there was serious road congestion around a procession with a carnival atmosphere. Of course, all the tourists had stopped to take pictures and we joined them. It was only in September of the previous year that I'd seen my first Noviciation Ceremony which I talked about in my post Monastic Noviciation Ceremony at Moe Dar and now I'd seen another Noviciation Procession.
We decided to call in at the Bagan Medical Clinic before going to my hotel. The clinic was quieter than I'd seen previously - there were 'only' around 100 patients waiting! The staff confirmed that Doctor Hla Tun had not yet arrived but was expected and they passed a message to the ship moored on the river below us to say that I'd arrived. We walked to the 'Road to Mandalay' landing steps to meet the Doctor but he appeared behind us - appararently has had a 'back way' up the river bank directly to the clinic. We greeted one another warmly and I later realised that our meeting was at almost exactly the place where we had first met (when I suffered the indignity of falling off a bicycle) almost five years earlier and described here.
The Doctor had, apparently, made plans for us to visit one or two of the schools supported by the RTM Social Contribution. He just had to see some patients who had travelled long distances and then we could depart - 15 minutes he said. Nobody was surprised when he had not emerged after about three quarters of an hour. It's always interesting watching the life of the Clinic, the activity of the pressured clinic assistants contrasting with the quiet stoicism of the waiting patients. The Young Monk who had done so much for the Clinic disappeared on the pillion of a motor cycle on some errand elsewhere. The monk I've titled the Calling Monk would periodically break the stillness with an announcement over the loudspeaker system, tucking the radio microphone into the waistband of his robe when he'd finished. One of the doctors arrived on a motor cycle and immediately went into the clinic to start seeing patients.
We sent a message to Doctor Hla Tun to say I would check-in at my hotel and then return, allowing him to continue his work without being distracted. Then, we took the car and negotiated a dirt road connecting the clinic to the Aye Yar River View Resort.
I was given a Welcome Drink and a Guest Registration Form to sign and told there would be about 30 minutes delay before my room was available so I set down in the reception area and started to work on my notebook computer. The Wi-Fi connected me to the internet, to my delight. Eventually, my guide asked if I was aware my room was now ready. "No", I replied, "Nobody said anything". A porter showed me to my room, 718. This involved quite a lengthy walk across manicured lawns past a number of resort-style blocks of guest rooms. We were heading towards the river and descending to reach the River View Wing - a series of 2-storey guest rooms laid out on the banks of the Irrawaddy and commanding good views of the activity. The actual waters edge was filled with a number of small boats together with 'Pandaw-style' larger boats, one of which seemed to be embarking its tourist passengers.
The accommodation was spacious and attractive and I knew I'd be comfortable there. I stopped for a quick wash then simplified the contents of my Burmese handbag before finding my way back to reception where my guide was waiting. We made the short journey back to the clinic and discovered that the Doctor was still engaged.
There are some procedures that Doctor Hla Tun carries out personally, such as the removal of fluid to relieve joint pain, so I was happy to wait. This gave me the opportunity to see free lunches being distributed to waiting patients. A table had been set up in the open near the clinic and a number of people were starting to 'dish-up' the steamed rice and boiled meat prepared by the monastery kitchen into metal bowls. It was the head monk himself who handed the food bowl to each recipient. Once the food had been eaten, the helpers had a fair amount of washing-up to carry out which they did cheerfully and quickly. The unused food was then carried back to the monastery itself.
At this point Doctor Hla Tun appeared and a plan started to emerge. We would drive the car which I was using the short distance to the monastery so that the stationery we would distribute in the afternoon could be loaded. Dr. Hla Tun would take lunch in the monastery and my guide, my driver and myself were invited to eat. I presumed that the monks had already eaten because we were alone in the fairly large refectory building where we sat on the floor as monastery helpers brought a range of foods set in front of us. Despite encouragement, I didn't experiment but the steamed rice and chicken I had were excellent. The head monk came and sat beside me and encouraged me to take more food. Although he had no English, we exchanged smiles as I admitted that I can no longer squat properly because of the arthritis in my knees, since the elderly head monk also has problems with his knees. A young man and woman wandered in with their guide - Rollo from Mexico and Veronica from Cuba. The head monk immediately invited them to take food with us, but I think they were a little embarrassed to have interrupted our meal. I was able to chat with them for a few minutes before they left. When everyone had finished, we made our way back to the car and, with Dr. Hla Tun beside me in the rear of the car, we took the now-familiar road to Nyaung Oo and then the road towards Mount Popa. Our first destination was to be Nga-Minn-May.
My Pictures
Park Royal Hotel, Yangon.
Yangon Airport.
Nyaung Oo Airport.
Noviciation Procession, Bagan.
Bagan Medical Clinic (2013).
Aye Yar River Resort, Bagan.
[Additions 16-Feb-2013, 5-Mar-2013]
Friday 15 February 2013
Bagan
