I have been so looking forward to seeing Bagan. It is one of the great sights of Myanmar, Asia and the world!

I catch the overnight bus from Yangon and take the short taxi ride into Nyaung U, one of the three population centres of Bagan. An early morning walk around the market which is just opening for the day is a perfect scene setter.

We then start off on foot and find the nearby Shwezigdon pagoda and head for old Bagan. One of the most effective ways of getting around the vast area is by e bike and we take this means of transport for the rest of the day.

We just explore spontaneously seeing where tracks lead to. We find the Ayeyawady river and ancient pagodas in fields. There are 2200 pagodas here and the site was constructed between the 11th and 13th centuries. Restoration work continues on many pagodas, some of which were damaged by the earthquake which hit this area in September last year.

We thoroughly enjoy the freedom to explore and find a pagoda in the walled city to view the sunset. Riding home as dusk turns to night time is an adventure in itself as we overtake horse and traps, agricultural vehicles with no lights and it's a relief to reach the guest house in one piece!