As you know, I’m exploring Bago with a local guide that left to arrange his motorbike. But he came back! He took me to too many places in the city.
In one of the temples I visited, there was some kind of celebration happening. The temple itself isn’t special but the reason I liked to visit was to see this ceremony. There were several people playing music while the dancers were switching from 10 to 10 minutes. I stayed for a while to watch it and try to understand what they are doing. The guys are dressed in a very feminine way and they are dancing while shaking flowers with incense all over the place. I just stopped watching the show when something bad happened. There was a woman dancing like crazy until she falls to the floor and hits her head on the instruments. All the sudden I see blood all over the floor and in her head. Everything stops and the rest of the people go in her aid. I was mesmerized! She was looking like she was possessed by something… Is this usual or did it all happened for me to watch? Again no other tourist was there so I couldn’t share any opinion, as the locals don’t speak English. Without understanding what the hell is going on, I leave the place feeling pity that I can’t watch any more dances that I was enjoying.
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While we were visiting places my guide was staying at the entrance and waiting for me as long as I wish. When I have spent the time I wanted in a certain place I go meet him at the same point. In the afternoon we also visited many places and at some point, my guide asks me if I’m tired and we sit. We sit on the ground in a place with “snake Buddha”- as he calls, just on our side. He starts massaging my back hahaha It was so funny for me. Wtf his he doing– I think. Unfortunately, he isn’t a good massager so it doesn’t last long as I claim to be ok and we can continue. It was definitely a fun moment.
One of our last stops was the Snake temple in Bago and this name has a purpose. Before going inside he explains to me that there is a living anaconda in there that the villagers feed with chicken every day. I thought I wasn’t understanding properly what he was saying until I got inside this huge cage and there is a 5-meter Anaconda sleeping. Yes, I did understand him perfectly. The snake lives there and it’s sacred. They have a giant bed for her full of blankets and a swimming pool just for her inside the complex. Fortunately, she was sleeping. She was covered with Kyats (Burmese money) on top of her. The place was decorated with photos os important monks with the snake on their necks. That was totally weird. I stand there for a few minutes trying to check if its real. Yes, it is.
My guide took me to watch the sunset in one of the highest temples around Bago. The view was pleasant but there wasn’t much around. I stand there for a long time while enjoying the sunset while seeing men playing some kind of football. They are in a circle and have some great moves with this straw ball. They have some skills and were enjoying my attention.
At the end of the day, we return to the Hotel, not before enjoying a beer and some snacks together. I pity that I haven’t taken any picture with him 🙁 He was a 60-year-old man with the biggest smile on his face. I loved to spend this day with him.
In this same day, I catch a train from Bago to Kyaikto. I stay in the train station for a few hours waiting and I have my dinner there sitting on one of the benches full of Burmese. Any other foreigner was there. On this train, I booked a general class trip that the ticket seller was avoiding to sell me while he pushes me to buy a 1st class seat since there are no upper-class seats. I need to insist that I want a general class seating. I think he acts like this because they think all the foreigners are rich and shouldn’t be traveling in general class.
I actually enjoyed a lot to travel in the general class in this train from Bago. Everyone was staring at me probably thinking why in the world is a foreigner here, but they were looking at me with smiles on their faces so I didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. The train ride was just 3 hours so the general class wasn’t so bad. There were people sleeping on the floor, below the train seats.
I remember this sweet woman that was sitting on the bench on the other side. I was eating and was noticing that she was looking at me but I don’t look at her. When I finish she immediately offers me water and only then I see that she has the biggest smile on her face. She looks so caring and respectful. She tries to have a conversation but I don’t speak a word of Burmese and she doesn’t speak a word of English. So here we are having a conversation that is basically my smile with some head shakes while she keeps on asking me things. haha its so much fun these type of conversation. During the journey, I was looking at her from time to time, and every time I looked, she has a huge smile on her face for me, and of course, I had the same to offer her. I felt so comfortable among the Burmese while facing an uncomfortable seat, that I don’t care about the pain in my butt that I start to feel.
When I leave I say goodbye to her and I take her image in my mind forever as the sweetest Burmese lady.
I’m very happy that I added Bago on my trip as a last minute plan!
