Easy day today. We rented bikes and rode around the village near us. It was interesting to see women washing clothes in the river, pigs in the back yards, and life in rural Bagan. After visiting a couple more temples we decided to have a relaxing afternoon around our pool.

Bagan is a magical place which rivals Angkor Wat on scale and impressiveness. The stone carvings are not as intricate as Angkor Wat, but the many Buddha statues in the temples are perfectly preserved and guilded and many of the 1000 year old paintings are still beautiful. Bagan is an open area of 26 square miles with no entrance gate (or entrance charge!) which encourages leisurely rambling and exploring. It is possible to climb many of the temples and as the area is very flat, the views are spectacular. We especially enjoyed our hotel where we could sit on the balcony and soak up the ambiance.