In search of an Empire.Siam,Burma and Singapore.

[drron]

So Friday and we leave the ship at 0545 in a vintage bus to the take off area.We used Balloons over Bagan as they have been operating the longest and originally set up by an aussie.But we got the premium service with 8 pax per basket instead of 16.There are 2 other companies operating and I believe one of them only has 8 pax per basket.but a word of warning-book early,try and make it on your first morning there.It is very popular and some missed out thinking they could book when they got to Bagan.Also if the winds are wrong there are no balloons-happened on the day we left Bagan so good to have an alternative.

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[drron]

Getting close to lift off-

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There were 3 premium balloons today.Two were piloted by Englishmen and their passengers were german,Italian and Spanish.We had the multilingual Belgian Cristophe with 6 Aussies and an English expat from Indonesia and his party.It turned out to be great for us.We were first off-

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Now we may have lucked out with sunsets but sunrise was spectacular-

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Even getting the early flight into Bagan-

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[drron]

Just magic-

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From the air you see just how out of place is the Aureum tower.

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[drron]

Really beautiful in the early morning light-

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I thought there must have been a problem as we were loosing height quickly.mrsdrron told me to turn around-

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Cristophe was giving these tourists a bit of a hurry up.it did look like we were going to go straight into the temple but a slight twist and a quick blast of hot air and we were away.The last fellow didn't seem to know the right side for the sunrise.Now this climbing the temples is fun for the tourist but not great in the wear and tear of the pagodas.It will almost certainly change in the future.
And now looking back to the Ayarwaddy-

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[drron]

It really gives you a great perspective of Bagan from the air-

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[drron]

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Two other things that got up UNESCO's nose when considering World heritage listing.In Old Bagan the generals have built a new museum and a replica of a palace-

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[RooFlyer]

When we drove around Bagan, we went right past the museum and 'new Palace' and the guide didn't say anything. Eventually I had to ask "What was that?" and she answered "Nothing important"

During my balloon flight, I broke my record for taking pictures. Something like 250 in the couple of hours! Hard to cull too!

I don't remember seeing that white temple with bright orange spires. I have a feeling UNESCO wouldn't like that one, either.

 

[drron]

That temple is the Ananda temple.It just looks totally different with the rising sun.
Our guide was a little more outgoing and did come from Bagan.In 1990 the military gave all the residents of old Bagan less than a week to get out.They said they would send the army in to help them move.He can still remember his mother saying to the soldiers if you are here to help why are you carrying guns.
Once again no compensation but also in the militaries official version of events the people residing in Old Bagan were called squatters who were robbing the temples of gold.

 

[love_the_life]

Stunning photos drron - you'll have a hard time when you get back!

 

[burmans]

When we drove around Bagan, we went right past the museum and 'new Palace' and the guide didn't say anything. Eventually I had to ask "What was that?" and she answered "Nothing important"

During my balloon flight, I broke my record for taking pictures. Something like 250 in the couple of hours! Hard to cull too!

I don't remember seeing that white temple with bright orange spires. I have a feeling UNESCO wouldn't like that one, either.

I don't think anyone goes to the museum!

The ballon flight was an absolute highlight for me too but I deliberately had to slow down my photo taking just to enjoy the view, it's really over too quickly.

 

[patnlcc]

Loving all this, Ron, can't wait for Singapore.

 

[RooFlyer]

I don't think anyone goes to the museum!

The ballon flight was an absolute highlight for me too but I deliberately had to slow down my photo taking just to enjoy the view, it's really over too quickly.

Yes, I made that conscious effort too. I knew it would be a major photo day when I had reeled off 20 or so in the darkness waiting for balloon inflation to even start!

 

[UpInTheAir:)]

Thank goodness for digital cameras
The family slide show would be a long one

 

[love_the_life]

Thank goodness for digital cameras
The family slide show would be a long one

Oh I do remember sitting through a number of them in the past, complete with supper as well, rather like an intermission.

 

[RooFlyer]

Thank goodness for digital cameras
The family slide show would be a long one

Having reached the stage where many of my audience are, shall we say ... a similar vintage to myself ... I have learned to make any slide shows (or now, laptop hooked up to widescreen TV ) quite short and snappy.

 

[UpInTheAir:)]

Having reached the stage where many of my audience are, shall we say ... a similar vintage to myself ... I have learned to make any slide shows (or now, laptop hooked up to widescreen TV ) quite short and snappy.

Hope you have a few upside down and sideways ones for old times sake

 

[drron]

Thanks for the kind words and a special greetint to Pat-my favourite Scots partner on Silverseas.
So the last few posts on the balloons-

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[drron]

And here's what it looks like with 16 in a basket-

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Although we were the first in the air we weren't going to be first to land-

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And that new cluster of buildings will be our home for the next 3 nights-Bagan Lodge.

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And the team getting ready to catch a basket-

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Now you can see the mist which slowly increased as the day warmed-

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[love_the_life]

The land looks pretty dry from the balloon drron. is this the usual?

 

[drron]

Yes it usually is that dry.The whole area we traversed from Pyay-Bagan-Mandalay are the dry tropics.As I said when on the river there are a lot of similarities with the country around Townsville.
But our ride is coming to an end.Still in the air more than most-

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Even in the middle of the buildings of New Bagan there are temples-

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getting close-

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Now on the ground and here comes our bus.An incredibly smooth landing.The first I realised we were on the ground is when a head appeared outside the basket and said welcome back.

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