Ananda Temple - Old Bagan, Myanmar

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The most beautiful, the largest, and the most magnificent. Those are the words I can describe Ananda Temple, located in a corner of the ancient city of Old Bagan, which is beyond description. How can this temple still exist for thousands of years and remain one of the most popular and frequently discussed temples?

Try typing "best places in Old Bagan" and all you see are recommendations for the top-tier Ananda Temple. However, here we almost fell victim to a scam, something very oppressive, having to pay money because someone forced us to pay for tickets.

I don't know if we actually have to pay the entrance fee to Old Bagan.. We were force to pay 10,000 kyats for two people when we supposed to pay 20,000 kyats. Oddly,, he gave us one ticket, and did he clearly pay the money to the government? Do you think that's the right regulation?

Luckily, we weren't handed over to the police, and he took the money in exchange for allowing us to freely explore Old Bagan. But, if I only had one ticket, would that have worked? Of course, after that, we were in shock, and it was our last day in Old Bagan. In fact, Ananda Temple was our final destination.

As beautiful as this temple was, still in shock, we could only breathe a sigh of relief afterward and explore the interior of this most beautiful temple. Our joy turned to worry, but the surrounding people and the scenery were magical, calming our souls. Then, we finally forgot about the incident, just in case it was truly terrifying not to be able to return to Indonesia safely. Because, as you know, this country is truly difficult to travel to.

Wait, that afternoon the weather was very sunny, because we were traveling at the right time; getting the right timing is a stroke of luck. No rain, no overly warm sun, even cool but shining. That's how we felt in Old Bagan. Seeing the local people so enthusiastically praying at the temple. The noisy atmosphere seemed calming, despite the overcrowding. However, Burmese Buddhists believe that Ananda Temple is a place that can answer prayers.

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