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In 1993, there were three approaches from the then capital Yangon to Mandalay Bagan.

1. By Airplane (old propeller plane made in Russia).
Are there enough parts in stock and is it properly maintained?

2. By Train.
It is 700 km one way. Railways were built by the British during the colonial period. It seems that the line was not properly maintained. It would take more than 12 hours without air conditioning. I can’t imagine what they’ll serve on the way. I doubt the cleanliness. Can I stand all that?

3. By Private Car.
Japanese made used cars. No highways. Route 1, no gas refuelling station along the way. Had to load gasoline fuel drum into the car.
However, the quality of gasoline is poor, so it might run out on the way.
It is necessary to clean the carburetor frequently each time. At your own risk.

Due to these transportation conditions, it was difficult to get to Bagan and that is why there were very few tourists.

Deserted ruins of Bagan, Photo by author, 1993

Part of a huge wall that collapsed due to an earthquake or lightning strike.
Feel the beauty of the destruction brought about by nature.

Photo by author, 1993

Part of a huge wall that collapsed in an earthquake. See the beauty in the remains of the dreams of warriors.

Photo by author, 1993

It is thought that there must have been arches on both sides of these huge walls. The aim was to create a visual effect of the temple suddenly appearing from the entrance gate. Although the arches have been lost, the architectural design intent remains.

Photo by author, 1993

The corbels on the top of the first floor have collapsed, exposing the bricks of the building.
Each exposed brick seems to have a certain beauty that is making a statement.

Photo by author, 1993

The untouched architectural heritage of exposed brick (foreground) and the restored white-painted pagoda in the distance create a nice contrast.

Photo by author, 1993

The spire curves in a nearly parabolic arc, creating the visual effect that, when viewed from below, the tower surface disappears into the sky.

Photo by author, 1993

After 600 years, the lime plaster that covered the bricks has worn away over time, leaving only a small part behind. You can really feel the history.

Photo by author, 1993

Photo by author, 1993

Photo by author, 1993

Photo by author, 1993

Corner pillars and ceramics. A unique to here and beautiful decorative design.

Photo by author, 1993

Away from direct sunlight, vendors sell drinking water and souvenirs.
I wonder how many customers do they have per day?

Photo by author, 1993

Photo by author, 1993

Photo by author, 1993

A local English-speaking guide who showed us around Bagan.
She was dressed in Western clothes, which is unusual for a Myanmar woman. Having a guide was  helpful as there were no guidebooks at that time.

Photo by author, 1993

Photo by author, 1993

Photo by author, 1993

Photo by author, 1993

The design of ventilation openings unique to Bagan.

Photo by author, 1993

Photo by author, 1993

Our group and the guide during the tour.
There were very few tourist and we had Bagan to ourselves for the entire trip.

Photo by author, 1993

The original plaster walls are crumbling, exposing the underlying bricks, but the work is so well done that it looks more artistic exposed.

Photo by author, 1993

The lower part of the temple is a three-dimensional internal passage like this.

Photo by author, 1993

Photo by author, 1993

Photo by author, 1993

The following photos show various Buddha sculptures. They are worth admiring.

Photo by author, 1993

Photo by author, 1993

Photo by author, 1993

Photo by author, 1993

Photo by author, 1993

The last king, Narathihapate, was building a lavish temple with forced labour.
His people whispered behind him: “When the pagoda is finished, the king shall die”

In the late 13th century, the Pagan Dynasty was invaded by the Mongol from the Yunnan region, and the king of Pagan was asked to pay tribute and submit to the throne four times, but he refused.
As a result, military invasion by Kublai Khan’s between 1277 to 1287 toppled the Pagan Empire. He was allowed to continue to rule after that, but…

After visiting the ruins of Bagan, there was finally a popular square nearby. Facing the square, there was a hut with a thatched roof that seemed to be well ventilated. It was a workshop that produced various kinds of lacquerware.

Photo by author, 1993

Inside the workshop, young men and women were working earnestly in groups. It was a lacquer painted items unique to Myanmar.

Photo by author, 1993

These women are concentrating on their work. This is the finishing process.

Photo by author, 1993

The skeleton that forms the base of the bowl is a bamboo sticks. Both sides are coated with clay and shaped, and lacquer is applied to complete the bowl.

Photo by author, 1993

Making a mould from clay.
This is the traditional process that has been passed down.

Photo by author, 1993

Photo by author, 1993

Photo by author, 1993

Photo by author, 1993

My travelling group.

Photo by author, 1993

Photo by author, 1993

Photo by author, 1993

As you can see, it’s a simple hotel room.
It”s fine as long as I can get a good night’s sleep.

Photo by author, 1993

On our first trip to Mandalay Bagan, our van had many problems.
One time, it stalled in the middle of a pitch-black field.
Poorly refined gasoline clogged the carburetor. Drivers in Myanmar are more than just drivers. They are well versed in car mechanics and has the ability to do simple repair works. They can fix simple problems themselves.

The driver disconnected the carburetor pipe, suck the gasoline clogged in the filter in his mouth and spit it out.
After many repetitions, he finally cleared the clog in the carburetor.
It was an amazing act.

In the meantime, I was lying in the grass near the car, resting and looking at the night sky. The sky was filled with stars, and the stars looked very low and bright.

The unpolluted air makes the stars shine so beautifully.
It was my first experience. I have never seen a starry sky like this since then. Eventually, I got tired and fell asleep in the grass for a while, and the good news came when I was sleeping.
When I woke up, the car was starting up.

I went to Mandalay for the second time because there is a site for a new hotel there. This time it was for business, so the flight took less time. A small plane was waiting at the airport in Yangon.
It was a single-engine propeller plane of unknown model (probably Russian?).

After taking off, we started flying at low altitude. The weather was good and since we were flying at a low altitude, the topography of the land below unfolded in three dimensions as if I was holding it in my hands.
It is a unique topography, different from the topography of other parts of Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent.
Traces of mountain building activity caused by ancient earthquakes and erosion activity caused by rainwater unfolded below me just like in a textbook.

Event: 1
The in-flight announcements were only in Burmese throughout the entire flight. After a long flight, we landed. I followed the other passengers into a hut-like facility. After a lot of confusion as they couldn’t speak English, I found out that we were not in Mandalay but the airport before, so I hurriedly returned to the plane. There were only four of us foreign passengers on the flight.
I personally felt that Myanmar had been in a state of isolation for a long time.

Event: 2
When the return flight landed on the runway of Yangon’s airfield, there was a loud thud.
Then the window of my seat peeled off and slipped out. It was an unbelievable happening !  
The duct tape on the inside of the double-glazed window had came off. I told the flight attendant about it and got off the plane.

I was almost certain that the lack of funds and parts to maintain the aircraft caused this situation.

Myanmar Transportation in 1993
Domestic air routes using Russian-made planes.
The railway was made in Britain during the colonial era.
The passenger car is a used car made in Japan.