lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

woodcarvings abound, some of which arepainted afresh in original design.Another mile or so south of Shinpinsarkyo(most taxis won’t drive it, but it’s aneasy 15-minute walk) is Temple 99, an unassuming13th-century shrine that features578 painted Jataka scenes inside. The last 16paintings to the left as you enter representthe ‘16 Dreams of King Kosala’.Other SightsAn interesting aspect of Salay is the fadedcolonial-era buildings dotted around town,a few of which still feature the Royal Crownhigh up on their facades (look around themarket area, about 220yd west of the museum).This area is especially worth visiting,as few buildings in Myanmar still sport thelion-guarded crown.In the complex about 500yd west of thePaya Thonzu, the Mann Paya is a modernpagoda housing a 20ft gold Buddha made ofstraw lacquer. As the story goes, the Buddhaimage was originally located near Monywaand was washed downstream during an 1888monsoon – all the way to Salay. Ask for a peekinside from the latched door at the back.North 500yd of the Paya Thonzu, themonastery and meditation centre of SasanayaunggyiKyaung (a stop-off point forday-trippers) features a lovely 19th-centuryglass armoire with painted Jataka panelsand 400-year-old scripture in Pali inside. Themonks are chatty and friendly, and will askfor a donation for their on-site school.8Getting There & AwaySalay is 22 miles south of Bagan on a road that’soften fl ood damaged. You pass through thelarger town of Chauk on the way. From Chauk,another road goes east to Kyaukpadaung, with aturn-off for Magwe.A hired taxi for a four- or fi ve-hour trip to Salayfrom Nyaung U runs from $45. It’s technicallypossible to come by pick-up truck from NyaungU in three hours (not including a change inChauk), but it’s not advisable, as some sites inSalay aren’t close to the drop-off point.Pakokkupxukû†%062A transit point for wayward travellers on thewest side of the Ayeyarwady River, Pakokkuwas a quiet backwater until 2007, when itfound itself front-and-centre in internationalheadlines. Monks from the Myo Ma Ahlemonastery here kick-started the nationwideprotests against rising petrol prices that becamethe ill-fated ‘Saffron Revolution’.Since then Pakokku – famed for its tobaccoand thanakha – has reverted to typeas an interesting and friendly place, even ifyou just have a couple of hours before catchinga bus to Monywa or a boat to NyaungU. Should you choose to linger, there’s ariverside homestay that’s basic, but whichmany guests rank as a highlight of their trip.One of the town’s biggest pwe festivals, Thihoshin,is held during Nayon (May/June).A new bridge – the longest in Myanmar –across the Ayeyarwady is under constructionand, when completed in the next couple ofyears, will speed up connections between Pakokkuand Bagan, which is only 16 miles south.1SightsIf time is limited, you’ll get the most out ofPakokku by seeing its market, checking outsome of its temples and monasteries – includingone monastery with a giant clocktower– or just wandering its picturesquelydecrepit, slightly tropical side streets, whichfeature old homes backing onto the AyeyarwadyRiver.About 17 miles northeast, on the way toMonywa, are the remains of Pakhangyi, a19th-century wooden monastery. About 3miles east of Pakhangyi (via the road behindthe big modern pagoda) is the destroyedframe of Pakhanngeh Kyaung, which wasonce the country’s largest wooden monastery.Many of its 332 teak pillars still stand,and the area – near the fork of the Ayeyarwadyand Kaladan Rivers – makes for interestingexploration. A taxi here from Pakokkuis K25,000 to K30,000.4SleepingoMya Yatanar Inn HOMESTAY $(%21457; 75 Lanmataw St; r per person K6000, withshared bathroom K5000) Charming, Englishspeakinggrandma Mya Mya, her daughterand four granddaughters will welcome youto their 100-year-old home on the river, acouple of blocks east of the market. Roomsare super-basic and grubby, but bearableonce you fall under the hospitable spell ofthese women. Electricity is mostly off duringthe day (as with all of Pakokku), and mostrooms share the cold-water bathroom andsquat toilet. They can rustle up a deliciousmeal for under K1000, help you get a taxi129AROUND BAGAN & BAGAN CENTRAL 8MYANMAR 8 PAKOKKU