Bagan, Myanmar is an ancient city located on the banks of the Ayeyarwaddy River, approximately 300 miles north of the capital city of Yangon. Thousands of temples, pagodas and shrines were built in Bagan from the 11th to the 13th century, and remain well preserved today, making it one of the most extensive archaeological sites of the period any where in the world. In addition, Bagan is considered to be a very significant religious site, as it claims to be the resting place of several relics of the Buddha. Although Myanmar’s reputation on the international front is certainly not great, the people are remarkably friendly, and the political situation is improving, albeit at a relatively slow pace. However, Myanmar remains one of the countries least affected by Western culture.