Day 13

We came in overnight with JJ Express and I have to say, best damn bus service I’ve had in a while. The seas were super plush, blanket, pillows, snacks, water, wifi, and outlets were provided. Although I’m not a fan of air conditioning, it was at a comfortable temperature and the humidity was not whacky. Sad though that we arrived at 5 AM to work our way to our hostel and then immediately back out to the ruins to adventure for the day.

Often enough, Bagan and Angkor are compared. As Wikitravel puts it, “Angkor ruins are like a Chinese Lauriat banquet where food is presented in spectacular servings with a suspenseful wait between items which are hidden beneath curtains of forests. On the other hand, Bagan is served in Spanish Tapas style, the ingredients exposed to the customer and shown in small bite-size servings, with the next attraction close and visible at hand, in shorter intervals.” However, I’d like to extend the analogy by saying that the rowdy crowd in the banquet hall prevent you from taking the time to enjoy your feast, while the intimate nature of the tapas bar allows you to savor your small samples.

That being said, we spent around 7 plus straight hours out in the desert-like terrain and survived as Miriam e-biked around. To be honest, Miriam admitted often that it would have been better if I biked around and after the day’s experience, I couldn’t agree more. But hey, we’re alive.

Like Angkor, I know you guys can find out plenty on your own so my practical advice: bring extra water and snacks, pack sunscreen and bug spray, having a face mask and hat would be a plus, and drive around by e-bike.

Here are some of my favorite shots!