"This is like something they'd do on a reality show!" exclaimed one of my traveling companions. And it was true - who, other than maybe the contestants on "The Bachelor," the winners of a challenge on "Survivor," or the competitors on "The Amazing Race," gets to load into a boat, take a leisurely cruise up the mighty Ayeyarwady River in the heart of Burma, disembark on a sand bar where you are greeted with cocktails and a buffet of local munchies, all against the backdrop of a Golden Hour sunset? Well I got to! For real.
We had arrived in Bagan by plane from Yangon early in the morning, and had spent the day surveying the land. From Lonely Planet: "Bagan fills a 26-mile plain of 4,000-plus temples that date back centuries. It's one of Myanmar's most wondrous sights and rivals Cambodia's Angkor Wat in terms of scope and jaw-droppability." Unfortunately for me, I knew this would be the toughest leg of my journey in regard to photography (I'm just no good at shooting architecture - no matter how stunning), but the side trips, like this sunset cruise, would help to provide some alternatives to the endless stupas. It was also the point in this trip where I really took to heart the notion of "being there" and living in the moment. Plus, a good view and a glass of stiff rum punch didn't hurt.
