Sunrise Over the Center and Northern Plain Temples

I traveled by pick-up truck, horse and cart, bicycle, and taxi while in Bagan. This view was courtesy a taxi, as I didn't fancy cycling or taking a horse at 5:15 AM to a temple with a good view of the sunrise.

The damage was 8,000 kyat to go, wait a few hours, then come back. If I could do it again, I'd go way later, right at sunrise, since I was after the morning light, not the actual sun. I know what the sun looks like.

It's not like getting up at 5 was any great chore. The monks across the road were already chanting by then (it's like living next to a mosque, but every day is Friday). But sitting for two hours in the dark was kind of chilly, and then the driver was more than ready to go at 7, when I'd rather have hung around to keep shooting photos of the hot air balloons.

But wasn't it all worth the effort? Look at that view. (I think I used the high definition setting on my new Lumix Z-15, then lightened it with a levels adjustment layer in Photoshop, that I flattened into the jpeg when I was satisfied we had the right balance of shadows and light.)