This is a serious post, and it’s not all about the beauty of Myanmar (of which there is much to be said). It’s about something gone horribly, heart-achingly wrong. The picture says it all:

This modern “viewing tower,” out of all proportion to the harmonious landscape around it, was built as a part of the hotel we stayed at. I blush to admit we had anything to do with it. This structure is such a monstrous parody of its surroundings that if buildings could be evil, this just might qualify.

To put this in perspective: The plains of Bagan are punctuated with thousands of ruins of millenium-old temples and stupas whose delicate spires reach skyward, bestowing a rhythm and grace on the landscape. At ground level, this viewing tower, built in brick, mirrors some of the traditional forms. But rising from its center is not a graceful bell-shaped dome ending in a spire, but rather a thick, phallic metal cylinder ending in a tourist restaurant and an observation deck (US $10 entry fee).

Welcome to the Aureum Palace Resort Hotel, built by a rich Burmese entrepreneur reputed to be close to the country’s powerful ruling regime. The fact that permission was ever granted to build this monstrosity suggests strongly that such rumors could be true.

As for the Aureum Palace Resort Hotel itself–we couldn’t wait to get out of there. Despite the manifest luxury and the friendly, young staff, nothing seemed to work–either physically or systematically.

Here are the good points:

• Very friendly staff, as mentioned above
• Beautiful design (not counting the abomination at the entrance)
• Open, breezy lobby
• Large, attractive rooms

On the down side:

• The first room we were given smelled of sewage
• There was no water pressure, so water only trickled out of the shower
• When we asked to change rooms, we were promised a new room when we returned in a couple of hours. But the new room was not forthcoming.
• When we insisted on a new room, the new room in the same building also smelled of sewage and had the wrong type of bed. (This hotel was nearly empty, so there was no shortage of rooms.)
• When we insisted on another new room, it took some time to “make one ready.” (Have I mentioned that the hotel was nearly empty?)
• This new room was close to the hotel’s generator, and so was quite loud when the window was open and the generator on. But it was in a different building and did not smell like sewage. We accepted it.
• The generator came on whenever the electricity failed, which was often. This was not the hotel’s fault; blackouts are normal in this part of the country, where there’s not enough electricity to go around. However, the air conditioning was not hooked up to the generator circuit, so there was no air conditioning when the generator was on. And it was loud when we opened the window (see above). And–get this–the air conditioning did not come back on when electricity was restored!
• The bathroom door wouldn’t stay shut
• The shower was stuck on the lower shower head, and the switch to the upper shower head didn’t work
• The water ran hot and cold intermittently
• They neglected to give us our wake-up call
• While we sat in the lobby, a man began polishing the marble floor near us, using a loud machine. He polished and repolished the same square of marble for over an hour.
• The driveway (which we had to walk across to get to the lobby) was paved in a stone so rough it was unpleasant both for walking and for driving. Not exactly a warm welcome.
• And, by the way, this was the only hotel we stayed at in Myanmar that maintained a police presence much of the time. Hmm…

Well, Ive finished my diatribe now. This was the only ugly spot on our whole trip. Next post, on to the beautiful and interesting places again!