The
Experience
My favorite photographs of this part of the
world are in a lovely book called
“Where every breath is a Prayer”, by Jon Ortner. ISBN
1556704399. Published by Stewart, Tabori, and Chang in
1997. I believe that it is out of print already.
My sweet Maiya and her mother, my dear friend, Virginia, took me to the
Portland Airport. I asked them not to come into the airport to see me off. This
was a journey that I must make alone. Deep in my heart I was looking for an
ancient root in my consciousness and praying for new doors to open.
I departed Portland, Oregon on 10/29/99, a Friday evening, and arrived in
San Francisco. After a light dinner, I boarded a Cathay Pacific flight, which was to
arrive in Hong Kong at 5:20 a.m. on 10/31/99. The seat assigned to me was an
aisle seat in the very last row on the starboard side of the plane. The seats were
arranged in rows so close together that my knees touched the seat in front of me.
The lady next to me was very nice. Her name was Sonia Tecson, from Cebu, in the
Philippine Islands.
After a long and squeamish passage across the Pacific Ocean, Sonia and I
had hours of free time in Hong Kong before boarding our connecting flights and
made a plan to share a taxi to the Tien Tan Buddha at Po Lin Monastery on
Lantau Island. We passed through immigration and customs, checked one of
Sonia’s carry-on bags, and changed money. It was just a twenty-minute ride up to
the largest Bronze Buddha in South East Asia.
Po Lin Monastery sits on the slope of one of Lantau Island’s mountains,
above a reservoir. The first time that I went to Po Lin Monastery in 1988 I did not
even see the 200-ton work of art that was in progress. I noticed the lotus pond
and the main temple surrounded by several buildings made of brick and stone. I
wondered how many Monks and how many years it must have taken to bring all
of these heavy materials up to this lofty mountain retreat. I wrote in my diary; “I
spent three hours at Po Lin and I really loved the beautiful pink Lotus blossoms
in bloom, the wonderful flying cloud bodhisattvas painted on the overhead in the
main temple, the vegetarian meal served family style, and the overwhelming
sense of peace pervading the atmosphere. White Ginger everywhere…”
The giant Buddha (officially called the Tian Tan or Temple of Heaven
Buddha) is 112 feet high and constructed from a steel framework with a ½-inch
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skin sculpted from steel, bronze, and 3,557 pounds of gold amalgam. You can
climb the steep stone stairs and reach the base of the statue where you will find
smaller statues of bodhisattvas and the entrance to an art museum housed inside of
the Buddha. The view from this level is awe inspiring.
Down below, as you enter the Monastery, the colorful protectors or guardian
statues, with their weapons and fierce armored appearances, are scary enough to
ward off any evil spirits. On this misty morning that Sonia and I arrived, the steps
leading up to the main temple were crowded with devotees coming and going. The
air was heavy with the smell of incense, and the Monks were chanting to the
ringing of the bells.
I walked around the back of the temple to pay my respect to Sakyamuni
Buddha and the White Jade Buddha in a small enclosure I had found years ago. I
was reminded of the real blessing of Buddhism.
“May all beings have happiness.
May all beings be free from suffering, and the causes of suffering.
May all beings never be without the Supreme Bliss, which is free from all
suffering.
May all beings live in the Great Equanimity, free from all attachment and
aversion.”
Sonia and I went back to the airport and said our farewells. I departed Hong
Kong on at 10:10 a.m. and arrived in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia at 2:50 p.m.
It was so nice to see a friendly face holding up a sign saying “Mrs. Caster” as
I took my first breaths of the hot and humid Balinese air. Immediately, I noticed
the enormous size of the Dragonflies in the air. We drove only ten or fifteen
minutes to the Prima Cottages on Jalan Bumi Ayu in Sanur, a simple guest lodge
with a fresh water pool and a small covered eating area. The lady led me across the
stone steps, through the recently planted area, while she apologized for her
husband’s absence and explained that he was not available to greet me because he
was having fevers from malaria.
The doors to my room were wood, ornately carved and heavily painted. You
had to duck down to enter the room. The large wrought iron lamp on the porch was
notable. The first thing that I did was to unpack and assemble the mosquito net,
which proved useful throughout my stay in Bali and Indonesia. Now, I needed a
shower. Usually in Bali the bathroom is tiled and has a sink, toilet, bathtub, and a
shelf. In many countries I found only a detachable shower on the wall. The
windows opened to the outside and were screened. I showered, arranged for a
driver for the next morning, and ate a dinner of spicy fried fish and rice by the pool
before retiring.
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On 11/1/99, Monday, we drove to Ubud. We stopped at Cv.Catur Eka Budhi
in Kesiman to see the Barong and Kris Dance. Sitting next to the Gamelan
Orchestra filled me with my first experience of the magic that is Bali. I was
absorbed with watching the cheeks of the Bamboo Flute player as he filled them so
rapidly with golf-ball sized pockets of air. After all of the fighting between good
and evil, the Barong finally closed the play by overcoming the Rangda, and the
experience of Bali was just beginning. We stopped at Astina Mask and
Woodcarving Studio in Mas and I met Ida Bagose, who took me across the street
to his compound, where artists were busily finishing projects that they had been
carving for days, or weeks. He explained that this was his family communal
compound and his father had left it to him to watch over. Lovely altars appeared to
my eyes. Aged stone carvings sat proudly in their niches. Small delicate offerings
of fruit and flowers were held in hand-woven palm frond baskets.
The next stop was the Arung Rai Art Gallery in Peliatan. I appreciated the
Raja Pala, or Yokotaroc piece, a story of a jungle King and seven angels. Then we
went to the Museum Rudana in Peliatan, and I was carried away with the beauty of
the Balinese Art on the third floor and I marveled at Dullah’s beautiful “Legong
Dance” in oil on canvas. This museum has art and sculptures from all over
Indonesia. We had lunch at the Lotus Café, which has small canals with running
water and plants surrounding the dining area. I had fish and rice. Next we went to
the Museum Puri Lukisan, first opened in 1956, in the center of Ubud. It has a
marvelous stone-gated entrance with a bridge over a jungle ravine. After crossing
the bridge I walked up a myriad of steps to the main courtyard and the three large
galleries. In the first gallery on your right as you walk in; there is a huge modern
mural that you can not help but notice. Little did I know that the very next day I
would meet the artist who had painted this mural.
My driver took me to Cendana Cottages on Monkey Forest Road, where they
had a swimming pool and fountain and small alters scattered around the grounds. I
took a cottage with an overhead fan on the ground floor in the back area, which
was next to a rice paddy. The bathroom had a tub with hot water and was partially
covered, but opened up to the night sky. There were air plants growing on the stone
carving in the corner of the space. You locked the door to the bathroom from
inside the room. I set up my mosquito net and sprayed it and the sheets with insect
repellent. Now it was time to find a nice place to eat dinner. The Wayan Cafe had a
great garden setting & lovely food.
The next morning I was up and had a typical breakfast of fried rice and egg on
the veranda by the pool. I walked off to explore Ubud. I wandered down Monkey
Forest Road to the Monkey Forest, where hundreds of Monkeys were living. I sat
and pondered this park. I decided not to walk though the park and continued on to
Pengosekan, stopping at the Family of Artists and continuing to the compound
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where I met the artist and founder of the Pengosekan Community of Artists, I
Dewa Nyoman Batuan. He informed me that it was his mural I had seen at Puri
Lukisan. He took me to his gallery and showed me his mandala style art, several of
which I found to be extremely beautiful. I felt that his art was portraying states of
consciousness he had experienced while in meditation. He seemed to capture the
essence of Balinese spirituality. I bought a little book from his main gallery on the
Spiritual Deities of Bali, called “Storylines”, by I Nyoman Tantrayana.
Just down the road, I spent many hours at ARMA, the Agung Rai Museum of
Art. I absolutely loved I Wayan Taweng’s “Arjuna Tapa”, (The meditation of
Arjuna), from the Arjuna Wiwaha Story. I also really appreciated a piece that
incorporated nine women into the shape of an elephant. It was done in 1936 by the
artist I Wayan Pendet in Peliatan and was called “Gajah”. I Wayan Kaler painted a
beautiful piece, “Baung Sayan”, done in the blue tones, depicting Balinese village
life by a river. It hangs in the last room before you exit this exquisite Museum.
They have an outdoor tearoom on a terrace, and I sat down to have a cold
drink. One of the Administrators of the Museum stopped to chat with me and I
shared my appreciation of the pieces that I mentioned. He introduced me to the son
of the painter, I Wayan Pendet, who then led me to another building to watch a
young man busily completing his finishing highlights on an absolutely beautiful oil
of the Kokokan of Bali. The Kokokan are the white herons of Bali that are never
hunted or bothered in any way. They are sacred birds that live together. I asked the
artist how long he had been working on this piece. The translated answer was “Just
about one year, mostly in the mornings and afternoons, when the light is right.”
That evening I went to an extremely beautiful Legong Dance presentation by
the Sadha Budaya Troupe at the Ubud Palace in the early evening. The lovely
percussion music of the Gamelan Orchestra set the tone for this formal and elegant
dance. As the brightly costumed dancers move through their perfectly executed,
dynamically tense, and controlled movements you could really feel their taksu, or
spirtual energy, fill the air. I was completely amazed by their endurance and
devotion to this art form.
Wednesday, 11/3/99. I hired a driver who brought his friend along for the
day and we headed off to largest Temple on Bali, Besakih. We stopped at
Klungkung and had an extensive tour of the famous painted ceilings at the old
"Palace of Justice", and then we visited the school of painting in the village of
Kamasan. Their work was composed of stylized Ramayana scenes painted in red
and blue ink on papyrus and cloth. We passed picturesque rice terraces and viewed
vistas of green coconut palms on the way to The "Mother Temple", Besakih; Bali's
most holy and Indonesia's biggest Hindu temple. It was built in the 11th Century at
an altitude of 1,000 meters (3,000 feet) on the slopes of Mount Agung. It was
raining when we completed the walk uphill from the parking lot past dozens of
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souvenir shops to the Temple. I sat down inside the courtyard and observed
religious rites and offerings made in front of the three main pagodas; one for
Brama, one for Shiva, and one for Vishnu. The entire mountain behind these
temples is dotted with smaller temples and each family has a particular one that
they pray at.
My driver explained that in Bali people use a different language for talking to
Priests and immediate family than with friends and teachers. Hindu words are used
with Priests and family. “Om Swasiastu” is a holy greeting. “Om Santi Santi” is
used when leaving. “Mautur Suksima” means goodbye. Indonesian is used with
teachers and merchants in the shops. We then drove off the main road to the walled
"Bali Aga" village of Tenganan, a very old Hindu aboriginal mud street compound,
home to quite a display of the woven double Ikat pattern material. The skies
opened up with sheets of rain. We dashed back to the minivan and continued to
Candi Dasa on the East Coast. This is a seaside village with many seafood
restaurants and small resorts on the beach and a lovely pond with thousands of
pink lotus flowers. We drove through lovely town of Amlapura and went to the
water palace in Tirtagangga. Just past this complex, there were several guest
cottages up on the hill looking down on the rice paddies. It would be a nice place
to rest, but my instincts told me that I was getting myself a bit too far away from
Ubud. I stayed with the driver and his friend and we turned around to retrace our
path, stopping at the night market in Klungkung to have fried fish and rice, water
and cola.
The open-air market was alive and teaming with shoppers and families out
for an evening stroll. The Balinese Lady sitting next to me was wearing a
traditional light yellow-laced top with skirt and sash and her husband was wearing
a hat and sash and carrying their young boy in his arms. I asked her the name of
her son. She squared off her lips to pronounce his name, “Way-an”, with such
energy and strength and tonal reverberence that I felt shattered and aware of her
lovely taksu that came from deep inside her spirit. I bought a small hand woven
palm basket filled with flower petals and leaves to put outside my cottage that
evening.
The next day was spent moving into the Artini III Guest Cottages in
Pengosekan, where I really liked the room and the people and the setting. They
offer a free service to come and pick you up anywhere in Ubud and drop you off
anywhere you like between the hours of 9 a.m and 9 p.m. I unpacked and took a
ride to the Bridge Café across town and walked on up the hill to spend the morning
at The Neka Art Museum, founded by Suteja Neka and Garrett Kam, from Hawaii.
The variety of different art forms including photographs and sculptures makes
Neka an interesting experience.
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This is where I saw the 1988 “Unfinished Life in Bali” by I Nyoman Lesug.
It was so unusual to see a piece that showed every step of the painting process,
from the pencil sketch, to the inking in, to the shadowing, to the coloring. A young
man from the Gallery offered to take me to meet the artist at his home the next
morning. I accepted. There was another work that I liked very much called “Tirtha
Amreta” (the Water of Life). The Neka Art Museum has a wonderful bookstore
and a selection of art postcards. I enquired as to the price of their book, “The
Development of Painting in Bali”. The cost was 250,000 Indonesian Rupiah. At
approximately 6,950 IDR to $1.00 U.S., I paid $35.97 for the book. Walking down
the hill a whole construction crew had gathered to fix the sidewalks. The women
were carrying the bricks on their heads and the men were preparing the mortar and
laying the bricks in place. I stopped at the Bridge Café and had a fruit smoothie.
I called Artini III and they came and dropped me off on in Ubud, where I
went to have a massage and stopped at a clinic to get some medication for a
blotchy rash on my leg. Medical care is not inexpensive. Then, as evening
approached, I stopped for a snack at Swasti's Warung, almost next to The Monkey
Forest, upstairs. A traveling artist tried to sell me some of his small watercolors.
In the morning the young man from Neka Art Museum, I Nyoman Budi, and
his brother, came to take me to the home of the Matu (Priest) and famous artist, I
Neoman Lesug. We drove to a small village on the outskirts of Ubud and found the
house right away. As we entered the small Gallery in front of the living quarters
two young men where discussing a painting. These were the sons of I Neoman
Lesug. The artist came in shortly with a young boy, maybe a Grandson. In a few
minutes Matu Lesug brought in a very large painting which took up most of one
wall. It was an absolutely incredible, delicately detailed traditional portrayal of the
Cremation Ceremony. The experience of being at the Ceremony was portrayed
vividly in the painting and we all just sat and looked at it for almost forty minutes
in absolute silence. We said our good-byes and I left a small donation for their
time. I felt truly honored to have had that experience.
Later that evening I went to the Pura Dalem Ubud to see the marvelous
Kechak Ramayana Dance. Instead of a Gamelan Orchestra, the men of the group
kneel in a circle, chanting and waving their hands in unison, creating a Kechak
rhythm, which is the background music for the dance. This was an invigorating
and enthralling performance by the most talented Kram Desa Adat Ubud Kaja
dance troupe. At the end of the performance, one of the men, in a trance, danced
with bare feet through a very hot fire. The couple who sat next to me were from
Chittagong, Bangladesh. They had just arrived in Bali. I was leaving this magical
Island.
The next morning I went to a mini-bus Station that took us to a larger
Bus Station, and rode this bus on to the Airport in Denpasar. I would like to let first
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time visitors to Bali know about the wonderful day tours offered at almost every
small travel agency on the Island. You can see lovely temples, botanical gardens,
visit Mount Batur and Lake Batur, Mount Agung, go rafting, take an Elephant
Safari, or go on a Rice Paddy Trek, all for very reasonable prices.
I departed Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia on 11/6/99 by Garuda Indonesia, and
arrived in Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia, at 1150 a.m. I was picked up at the Airport
by Hanafi and his driver from Mitra Persado Travelino Travel & Tours. We
chatted in English as they drove me across town to check in at the Mercury
Guesthouse. This was an attractive and clean, inexpensive accommodation,
without air-conditioning, but breakfast was included. After finding a nearby
laundry, I showered and dressed to go to the Purawisata Theatre for a dinner buffet
and a very lovely outdoor Ramayana dance drama presentation. Javanese dancers
wear different costumes than Balinese dancers and their style is smoother and more
flowing. It was a totally different dance form than the Balinese rendition of this
famous story.
I used a mosquito coil just outside my room that night as well as my net, and
slept soundly. The next morning I hired a young bechak driver. A bechak is just a
small coach on the front of a bicycle. We visited the Kraton, a city within the city.
We saw the Museum Kereta (Royal Cart Museum) at the Royal Palace, stopped for
pastries and coffee at a small bakery, and walked through the Traditional Bird
Market. The ruins of Taman Sari Water Castle and the once royal Mosque, Samur
Gumuling, I found to be very interesting. My bechak driver then insisted that we
visit the area near the Museum of Wayang (Leather Puppet Museum) to see the
finely painted finished leather Puppets. It was a full morning and I returned to the
International District to pick up some fruit, water, and snacks at the open market
and take a little nap at the Guesthouse. Midday in Indonesia is just too hot for me. I
woke up to the afternoon “Call to Prayer” from the local Mosque, blaring over a
loud speaker.
The next morning I took a mini-bus with my guides, Robert and Andy,
students of Tourism, to Prambanan temple complex, 16 km from Yogyakarta, built
in honor of the Hindu gods Civa, Brahma, and Vishnu, (the Trimurti). It is said to
be the most perfectly proportioned Hindu temple in Indonesia. Forty-one stone
frames of the Ramayana Story can be found at the Civa Temple. In the square there
are three smaller temples; Garuda, Nandi, and Angsa. There were three even
smaller temples; Apit, Kelir, and Sudut. The sun was beating down on us as it was
midday and an umbrella provided some relief. We drove on another two hours and
I stayed in Solo overnight at the Hotel Dana, an older classical motel with
television and a mini bar, air-conditioning, mosquitoes, and a very nice breakfast
buffet. There were many high school students there on holiday.
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That evening I went to the Batik Market and made my way through the
narrow isles of fabric vendors, admiring many lovely patterns and textures, and
then saw a Circus setting up in the square across the street from the market.
11/9/99 Early in the morning I took a private minibus directly from Solo to
Borobudur through a beautiful mountain pass, where bamboo groves and terraced
corn and rows of beans grow. It was on this road that I noticed a small Buddhist
Monastery off to the right. As we passed through the village of Selo we followed a
truck full of women and baskets filled with produce from the market. We stopped
at a market to buy some bottled water and snacks. In front of the store were eight
different birdcages tied in a tree. They were lovely, colorful, local birds.
That night I stayed at the Pandok Tingal Hostel near Borobudur. The next
morning I simply walked down the road to Borobudur, probably the largest
Buddhist sanctuary in the world. It contains more than 5km (3 miles) of intricate
stone relief carvings. What an awe-inspiring experience. My guide was absolutely
the nicest, most relaxed, most informative, interesting, and kind person that I met
while in Indonesia. At the top of this monument there are three circular terraces
supporting 72 latticed stone dagobas, each dagoba containing a Dhyani Buddha
seated in lotus position with hands in the Dharmachakra mudra, or hand gesture,
symbolizing the turning of the wheel of the law of cause and effect. They were all
facing out. I walked three times around the central stupa and then turned to look
out at the most beautiful landscape as far as my eyes could see. I thought to myself
that if I could hold the tranquility of Borobudur inside my inner temple then
I would surely see beauty everywhere I look.
I walked the short distance back to Pandok Tingal and had a lovely, wellprepared meal, outside in their pretty dining area. I found a lovely book of poetry
and photographs of Java, by Eka Budianta and Boediardjo, in the giftshop. I set up
my mosquito net again before retiring.
11/10/99 Early the next morning I hired a bechak driver and explored
Mendut Temple, home to a fine stone statue of Buddha and the site of the annual
Vaicak Ceremony during the full moon in May or June. Robert and Andy arrived
to take me back to Yogyakarta, where I stayed at Wisma Gadja Guesthouse, which
is just behind Mercury Guesthouse, and has the same owners. Wisma Gadja has
air-conditioning and a pool. That evening I watched some of a classical
presentation of Wayang (Puppet Shadow Play) at the Sonobudoyo Museum, near
the Kratan. Rama, Shinta, and Laksmana were backed with bright lighting and
sweet singing. Then I roamed around touring the nearby batik sellers and I had the
opportunity to see a demonstration of the traditional batik processing.
If and when I do return to Java, I would like to see the colored pools and visit
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the 7 Century Hindu temples up on the Dieng Plateau and then fly up to northern
Sulawesi to dive on the beautiful coral reefs at Manado Bay and Bunaken Island.
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On Thursday, 11/11/99, I took an early morning taxi to the Mirota Batik
Shop, at Jl.A.Yani 9, to buy two very pretty scarves and then went on to the
Airport. I departed Yogyakarta just after noon and arrived in Jakarta at 1:35 P.M.
I stayed at the Sanno Airport Hotel, which was acceptable. The next morning
I left Jakarta at 7:40 and arrived in Singapore at 10:20. I took a bus and the very
efficient MRT system to a stop near the Singapore Mariners’ Club.
Singapura, the Mer-Lion City, is a lovely city. I have visited here many times
and always find someplace new to discover. On this stopover I took in the Jarong
Bird Park with its very special rain forest aviary, featuring pheasants, mynas,
parakeets, parrots, peacocks, and lories. On another day I went to Clarke Quay and
the Great Singapore Duck Race on the Singapore River. The Singapore Business
Times showed a picture of a canoeist and some of the 70,000 ducklings with the
caption “Getting soaked for a good cause”, as the skies unleashed sheets of rain
just after the starting gun went off. Each sponsor had adopted a duckling, at
$10 a piece and the first duck past the finishing line won their sponsor $10,000
cash. The proceeds benefited various charities.
I left Singapore on Monday, 11/15/99, for Bangkok, Thailand. Here I
stayed at The Grand China Princess in Chinatown. It is a long taxi ride from the
airport to downtown, but I found the location central and just right for exploring.
The hotel was lovely and the food, service, and room was very enjoyable. I visited
the temples Wat Traimit (home of the Golden Buddha), Wat Pho (a large complex
with ornately decorated chedis, a huge reclining Buddha, and an interesting
fortuneteller), and Wat Benchamabophitr (The Marble Temple). My guide taught
me how to give offerings and pray in a Buddhist temple. After this tour, which I
booked at the airport, I was taken to a National gem and jewelry outlet, which
gives the tour operators some kind of a credit.
11/17/99 I walked down to the Cho Praya River and took a boat down a few
stops. Then I ferried across the river. I visited the lovely Temple Wat Arun
Rachawararam, where I met Vassicu, a friendly monk. He spoke some English and
wore a dark golden cotton robe and carried one blue bag. Vassicu took me to visit
Wat Rakang, (the Bell Temple), after which we took a taxi together and walked up
to the top of the Golden Mount at Wat Srakes Rajavaramahavihara. Sitting high on
a hill, back on the other side of the Cho Praya, this beautiful and important
monastery dates back to the first King of the Chakri Dynasty. The next day on the
way to the airport I spent several hours at the Ancient City outside of Bangkok,
located on the road to Pattaya Beach. It reminded me of the wonderful Sankien
Gardens in Yokohama, Japan. However, the landscaping of the Ancient City is still
in progress.
I Departed Bangkok on Nov. 18th and flew to Yangon, Myanmar. The cab
driver on the way into Yangon suggested changing money at a shop he knew of,
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where he could get me a very good rate of exchange. There are hundreds of
moneychangers in Yangon and just as many rates. That night I got a very low
exchange rate for my hundred-dollar bill.
Here are two simple phrases that assisted me in so many ways.
To say "Hello" in Myanmar, they say: "mingalar par"
To say "Thank you!" in Myanmar, they say: "chei-zu tin-bar-te"
I stayed at the Winner Inn in the diplomatic area of the city, relaxed, watched
television, and slept. The next morning I had the most delicious breakfast of spicy
fish curry with noodles. I spent three or four hours that morning at Shwedagon
Paya or Temple. It is one of the wonders of Golden Temples, with over 8,000 gold
plates covering the stupa, which rises 326 feet above its platform. In the compound
surrounding the pagoda there are 82 other buildings, and hundreds of Buddhas. On
this morning they were having a weaving competition of Monk’s robes in one of
the courtyards. My guide explained that there is a Buddha representing each day of
the week, as the day that you were born on has a special symbolic animal to protect
you. You honor this by pouring water over a statue of your marble Buddha and
reciting certain prayers. This is a place where community is felt.
On this Friday afternoon I flew on Yangon Airways Flt.015 and arrived in
Bagan, Myanmar at 2:30 P.M. I met Pia Brok, from Germany, on the flight. Pia
works as an editor with a Teenage Magazine called Fruendin in Munich. That night
I stayed at the Golden Express Resort, located between Nyaung U and the
Archaeological Zone, and met Jean-Marc Lanteri, a professor of Theatrical
Playwriting, from Lille, France, the next morning. The three of us got together and
explored a sampling of the 5,000 temples and ruins by taxi. The first thing that I
immediately experienced was the tranquil and extremely quiet atmosphere of this
area. Bagan first flourished between 1057 and 1287, after King Anawrahta
conquered the Mon capitol, Thaton, and brought back artists, artisans, monks, and
30 elephant-loads of Buddhist scriptures. Pagan, as it was called, became the first
capitol of a United Burma. Thousands of pagodas and temples were constructed
between 900 and 1100 A.D. Kublai Khan and a few thousand Tartar horsemen
sacked the city in 1287. It also suffered an enormous earthquake in 1975, when
restoration of these magnificent monuments, with U.N. participation, began in
earnest.
We visited the morning market in Nyaung U, Ananda Temple (dedicated
to the endless wisdom of Buddha), Thatbyinnyu Temple, Dhammayangyi Pahto
(finest brickwork), Sulamani Temple (built in 1183 by King Narapatisithu;
beautiful frescoes in the arches), Manuha Paya (in the village of Myinkaba),
Gubyaukgyi, Migalazedi Pagoda (the Blessing Stupa), and Tayok-Pyi. Spread
across miles of semi-desert terrain, these pagodas created a feeling of awe and
majesty in my being. This is a truly beautiful place. We shared a delightful lunch
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by the river, on the veranda at the Si Thu Restaurant in New Bagan. That evening I
went to the Tripipyirsaya Hotel for dinner and listened to classical Burmese music
under the moon on the Ayeyarwady River. One of the instruments being played
was the enchanting Burmese Harp.
11/21/99 Ah, to sleep in. I took a swim in the pool and a walk to the
Shwezigon Pagoda to see the 37 figures of the pre-Buddhist Royal Nats. I had tea
with a local family; a Monk and his mother, on the floor of their main room in their
tin covered house, and then caught the magnificent sunset at Bupaya Pagoda,
overlooking the river. What a fine day. It was so quiet in this magical place that
you could hear the voices of the children singing as they walked along through the
countryside. On this evening, you could hear the Monks chanting at the full moon
celebration taking place at Shwezigon.
Now, here is the funny story about the Great Ayeyarwady Floating Palace,
where I told Pia that I was going to stay the next time I came to Bagan. I hired a
horse cart and Pia joined me as we headed off in the early evening to find this
magnificent Palace that I had envisioned in my mind’s eye. After nearly half an
hour we had meandered quite a ways down a narrow dirt road. The driver told us
that we would have to walk the rest of the way, as the road was too pitted and
dangerous for the horse and cart. The moon was a bright torch in the night and as
we neared the river. We heard the singing of the workmen and the pounding of
nails in a lovely grouping of buildings that we found out later was a monastery. Off
to the right was an interesting group of ruins and Payas, with different levels of
intricate brickwork. We vowed to come back and explore this area. The moon gave
us enough light to maneuver over wooden boards leading to a rickety pier that lead
us out to two antique passenger ships which were anchored side to side in the
Ayeyarwady River.
There were no bright lights, a generator and electrical cord in our path, and it
took several minutes until one of the Seamen appeared. He did not speak English
and my sign language did not make much sense to him. As several other men
appeared we were to find out that, indeed, one of these ships was the famous
floating Palace. There were salons for dining, a wooden poop deck for sunning,
and spacious, wired and plumbed, staterooms for the comfort of passengers. We
had the grand tour of both empty ships and thanked the seamen for their time. Pia,
I take it back. I will not be staying here on my return trip to Bagan. Thankfully, the
horse cart, driver, and his brother, who followed us on a bicycle, were waiting for
us to return.
We went to the Mya Ya Dana restaurant and enjoyed beer and refreshing
cuisine and learned all about the experience of the sister of our hostess, who had
gone to Paris to sell Laquerware from Bagan.
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The next day, Pia, Jean-Marc, and I shared a wonderful fresh coconut noodle
chicken soup at the restaurant where we had gone the night before, down the road
from the Golden Express. Pia and I went to a Lacquerware shop and then walked
along the dirt roads to some of the Payas nearby. That afternoon I flew back to
Yangon. Tears streamed out of my eyes as I boarded the plane. Pia and Jean-Marc
were so kind. Bagan and the full moon were bewildering. I did not want to leave.
In downtown Yangon I explored the morning market, changed money,
bought a real Burmese Harp, some small jade pieces, and left for Bangkok that
day. I stayed overnight at the Comfort Inn near the airport. I flew on to Hong
Kong early the next morning, took the airport express train and a taxi to the Hong
Kong Mariner's Club in Kowloon. This is a great gathering place for seamen from
all over the world. I ran into a group of Burmese Sailors who were looking for
inexpensive meal. I walked them over to the Food Court, near the Silvercord
Cinema in the Tsim Sha Tsui area. I then took the train back to the H.K. airport for
my flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
As evening came I touched down and took a one hour taxi ride through miles
of palm trees and open land to the Sheraton Subang Hotel and Towers. This
accommodation was definitely first class and very comfortable. I had a lovely
sautéed noodle dish in my room and settled in for an evening of television movies
at the hotel. Early the next morning the hotel took me back to the airport. I bought
a few lovely Malaysian silk scarves at a shop in the fascinating KULA
International terminal and flew on to Phuket.
Phuket, Thailand is absolutely beautiful by air or sea. Flying along the coast
of Malaysia was a visual treat of turquoise blue waters and green islands inviting in
every way. After passing through immigration and customs at the airport, I was
again delighted to see a little sign with my name on it, and had a pleasant and
interesting drive to The Pop Cottages in Kata Beach. The much anticipated sail and
dive adventure to the Mergui Archipelago off the coast of Myanmar had been
cancelled and I prepared to make alternative plans for my ten days in Phuket.
On 11/28/99 I checked into the Sawasdee Village Bungalows, which are
newly constructed and sit in a nicely landscaped garden. You must pay in advance
in cash, as they do not accept credit cards. The bungalows are clean and airconditioned with a refrigerator and hot water shower. I walked over to the beautiful
beach by the Kata Resort Hotel and then caught the songtheow (local bus) to
Chalong Bay to watch the launching of Maxim Jurgen’s new catamaran. Lunch at
Jimmy’s Lighthouse was just delicious. I bused on to Phuket and bought a piece of
Thai silk and some cotton batik material before heading down to Nai Harn Bay and
my first swim in the warm salty Adaman Sea. Nai Harn is a lovely beach, where
you may rent a chair and umbrella, buy bottled water, or have a massage in
between dips in the sea. There are no fresh water showers.
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Monday and Tuesday where devoted to laundry, internet, booking day trips
with travel agents, massage sessions, and some fun in the sun. In the evenings I
tasted the fares of different Kata Beach restaurants, starting at the Boathouse,
which is top of the line. Continuing south along the beach the prices dropped and
the food was comparable. It was just so nice to sit by the sea and dine under the
stars listening to the gentle surf. I did experience two monsoon showers, but they
seemed to start after I had ordered dinner and finish just as I was completing
dessert. Perfect.
On Wednesday, I was picked up in a mini-bus at 8:30 A.M. and driven to
Chalong Bay for a very fast speed boat ride to the island of Koh Racha Yai,
sometimes spelled Ko Rajah Yai. Our very sweet guide, “Yahyah”, with Do-Do
Marine, made us all feel comfortable as we prepared to spend the day snorkeling
and swimming and sunning on a lovely beach on the island.
At lunchtime the group of 16 met at the dining room area of the rustic Koh
Racha Resort and shared a lovely family style lunch of Barracuda, fried rice, sweet
and sour vegetables, and a tofu & mushroom dish. It was very nice, and they do
have fresh water showers. The couple sitting next to me was from Norway and
shared stories of previous dive trips that they had made to the Great Barrier Reef in
Australia and the islands of Northern Sulawesi. After lunch part of the group took
the boat to another snorkeling spot where there were definitely more fish. I saw a
beautiful flower like purple coral, several starfish, large black holothurians, pencil
fish, wrasse, striped tangs, and a variety of butterfly fish (Chaetodons).
Thursday was busy with a bus trip to the Aquarium at Phanwa Cape, a taxi
tour of the Butterfly Garden, the Gems Gallery, and several other tourist oriented
souvenir stores. I made it back to Kata by sunset and had an excellent Green Prawn
Curry and Pad Thai Noodle dish at the New World Café in front of the bungalows.
Friday morning at 7:30 A.M., I was picked up for a day tour to Phang-Nga
Bay, one of the true natural wonders of the world. The striking rock and limestone
formations create the spectacular scenery of this bay. We stopped at the Cave
Temple and received blessings and a small orange-wool string bracelet from a
monk to protect us on this day. A reclining Buddha, the cave protector altar, the
Bodhi tree, and the monkeys on the cliff made you feel like you might be at Vaisali
in India when Buddha was sharing his enlightenment. We all got back in the minibus and shortly we reached the launching spot for our long-tail boat ride through
the bay. A young man, who was a personal guide for a couple from Beijing, China,
sat next to me in the front of the boat. I enjoyed the ride, the scenery, as we ducked
through tunnels in the limestone, the stop for a climb to see the caves in the cliff,
and our family style lunch at the Muslim Stilt Village. The families that I ate with
were from Kuala Lumpur and Malacca. We shared stories and enjoyed the feast
presented to us. We had lovely, warm, and slightly windy weather.
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I slept in on Saturday morning and then went to the beach, ate fried fish with
chili sauce at the Onion Restaurant in Kata, and repacked for the King’s Cup
Regatta Race.
On Sunday, 12/5/99, I took the passenger ferry to Phi Phi Island, had lunch,
transferred to a ferry to Krabi, and took a long tail boat ride to Au Nohn Bay and
the King’s Cup Committee’s Desk at the Krabi Resort Hotel. This was the first
time I had met my skipper, Mr. Chris Edwards. He was an interesting Chap, born
in India to an English family, and he spoke that subtle small boat knowledge
language that I immediately identified with. We had a short chat and proceeded
down the beach to the opening night festivities, complete with music, dancing, and
a very bright fireworks display. I met the rest of the crew; Bob Kupps from the
U.S.A., Rob Mason and Mr. Garreth Morris from the U.K. In England a Doctor is
addressed as Mister.
The next morning, we sailed on the lightest of airs in the beginning day of the
Regatta. Chris Edward’s yacht, the well-appointed “Xiphias”, is a twenty-eight
foot Bristol Channel Cutter. She looked like a wooden boat, but her hull was
fiberglass, and she was built in 1980. She was entered in the Classic division. It
was terrific to be back on the water and I hope that I was of some help on the two
days that I crewed on “Xiphias”. My small boat seamanship is a little rusty. The
crew was very supportive. We had an unusual event happen while hoisting the
drifter the first morning out on the water. Bob Kupps, a retired Dentist who had
lost two fingers, took a swing over the water with both hands holding on to the
Spinnaker Pole. He made it safely back to the deck and our skipper named him
“Superman”. It was a day of very light air, almost no wind. We slowly made our
way through the marks and finally anchored in Ao Ton Sai Bay on Phi Phi Don
Island. I immediately donned my mask and snorkel for a lovely swim through the
most beautiful corals; staghorn, mushroom, brain, purple, large soft pink, green
w/white dotted tops, and a species that was brown with white ripples on top. I saw
Puffers, Wrasse, Neon Gobies, and many Parrotfish. The black spiny urchin,
(Crondrocedaridae s. Gigantia), was abundant. I had some careful maneuvering to
do in and out of the shallow reef. It was so refreshing.
That evening, after cleaning up at the Bay View Resort Bungalow, I walked
along the beach to join the rest of the crew and our skipper for another King’s Cup
Regatta Social Gathering. Ao Ton Sai is an unusual place in the evening, home to
many dive operations, bars, small shops, and restaurants, all located along a narrow
dirt path, giving the appearance of a traveling carnival that had just set up the night
before.
Tuesday we had a perfect start at the beginning of the race, but alas, the wind
died off and we just barely moved along at one quarter of a knot for most of the
day. The colorful spinnakers bobbing along the horizon made a beautiful series of
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pictures. These light airs also created the opportunity to get to hear a little about
our very interesting skipper, Christopher Edwards, and his travels. He is a British
writer/photographer and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society London and
to his credit has written numerous published articles on The Andaman and Nicobar
Islands, located off the coast of southern Myanmar. He is very interested in the Hill
Tribes of Thailand and Myanmar (the Karens, the Kachins, the Chins, and the
Shans) and their negotiations with the governments to maintain their native
customs and beliefs.
We dropped out of the race this day and motored to Kata Beach to anchor
just as an evening monsoon wind was starting to blow. And blow it did. Our
Skipper stayed on the boat, and the crew went ashore for wine and excellent pupus
on the lawn behind the Kata Beach Resort. I said my farewells and wished them
well in the rest of the races. It was great fun, and I so enjoyed their company.
On the afternoon of December 8th, I rented fins, a mask, a snorkel, and a
long-tail boat with driver and deckhand at Kata Beach. I was off to explore the
coral reef at Yanoi Beach; a beautiful sheltered bay framed with large rock
formations. Here I saw my first Lionfish, and a large variety of other reef fish.
Then we headed around to Ao Sehn, a small bay lying northwest of Nai Harn
Beach. The beach is small, clean, and dotted with rocks large and small. There are
some patches of dead coral here, but the starfish came in every color.
12/9/99 The next morning I waited four hours and was forgotten by the tour
agency for the bus trip to Satun. I took a songtheow to Phuket and slept on the
floor in a downtown hotel, because the mattress was too wiry.
12/10/99 I flew to Penang, sometimes spelled Pinang, and stayed at the
Hotel 1926 on Jalan Burma. This was an old immigration holding house that had
been recently renovated. I found it quite charming, and enjoyed the dinner buffet of
Malaysian dishes very much. My taxi driver told me that Penang is the meeting
place of all cultures, living in harmony, and the real heart of the One World
concept.
12/11/99 Exploring Georgetown, Penang, the next morning, we drove
through the Colonial section of town, stopped at the Kwan Yin Teng Temple, the
old Kapitan Kling Mosque, and the Burmese and Thai Temples. Inside of the
Burmese Temple, just across the street from Wat Chayamangkalaram, stood an
exquisite marble Buddha standing 30 feet high in a teaching mudra position. After
my prayers, I was soon to find the answers to many of my questions in a
passageway behind the Buddha. Here stood over 20 different Buddhas each
representing a place and a time in history. The Buddha in the Vitakka Mudra was
labeled “Indonesia, Borobudur, 8th Century”. The Buddha in the Uttarabodhi
Mudra (left hand over the right with the little finger touching the thumb, held in
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front of the heart) was labeled “Pagan Dynasty, 11th Century”. This Temple is a
learning place, a place to study Buddhism in Southeast Asia.
I then took the Keretapi Bukit Bendera (funicular train) to the top of Penang
Hill and visited the gardens and aviary at the Belleview Hotel. This is the place
where Buckminister Fuller would come to have conferences when he was not in
Bali. I had a nice long talk with Tineke Roelfsema, from Wageningen in the
Netherlands. Tineke manages the hotel. She had collected the Art from Bali, on
display in the lobby and dining room. I found her quite enchanting as she shared
her perceptions of Balinese life, somehow bringing the experience of this trip full
circle.
12/12/99 I boarded a fast Catamaran with the Langkawi Ferry System for a
90 minute ride to the island of Palau Payar, near Langkawi. I snorkeled for hours in
the coral bay, ate my box lunch, and visited with a Singaporean Chinese lady and
her Indian husband, who live in San Francisco. It’s a small world. I came back to
Penang and wandered along the Esplanade, snacking at the open-air food stalls. I
then wandered down through the maize of narrow streets and found a very good
Chinese Seafood Restaurant.
I departed Penang on 12/13/99, a Monday, and arrived in Hong Kong at 2
P.M., went to Hong Kong Seaman’s Club in Kowloon and rested. Then I was off to
take the film and laundry to the appropriate shops.
12/14/99 I picked up pictures and laundry and ironed my clothes. I took
Linda and Johnny Kong to dinner, after which, they took me to the Regent Hotel
for a glass of wine and a beautiful view of the Christmas and Dragon Lights on the
buildings of Hong Kong. It was a magnificent display, millions of lights forming
Snoopy, Santa, Trees, Sleds, Elves, and Dragons. Somehow the Chinese have
managed to combine Christmas with Chinese New Year.
12/15/99 I made phone calls and checked my email on the computer after
breakfast. At noon I checked my luggage at the Kowloon Airport Express Train
Station and then went to the Hong Kong Art Museum and saw the “Warring States
Exhibit”, “The National Treasures of China Exhibit”, and the “Hand Scrolls
Exhibit”, which I thought was particularly lovely. I bought a book on the Hand
Scrolls and a book on the Eight Immortals. One of the curators of the museum, a
lovely young lady, stopped to talk to me and share her time.
I did a little last minute shopping, had dinner in my favorite food court and
caught the courtesy bus to the train and the train to the airport. A young man from
India spoke to me of his experience as a first time traveler. We agreed that we were
very lucky, indeed. The stewardess on Cathay Pacific was very helpful and found a
place for my Burmese Harp in the coat closet. It was a long and somewhat restless
flight back across the blue Pacific Ocean. The journey was completed. It was quite
an experience. I hope that you enjoyed it too.
16
And here is the tally.
Total Costs
Cathay Pacific Airways $1,275.00
Forty-three nights of Hotels at an average of $35.00 a
night
$1,510.00
Other Airline Fares in the U.S.A.
$ 134.90
Thai International Airlines
$ 324.00
Burma Airways Corporation / Yangon Airlines
$ 210.00
Garuda Airlines, Indonesia
$ 189.00
Buses, Taxis, Airport Sundries, Departure Taxes, Entry
Fees
$ 650.00
Meals for 44 days
$1,000.00
Gifts
$ 400.00
Travel Insurance and Travel Agency Fees
$ 250.00
Total Cost
$
Total Air Fares
5,942.90
$2132.90
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