Myanmar (Burma) 32 years later is still a phenomenon onto itself!
This blog is mostly about people: the local farmers, the variety of travelers, the pleasant shopkeepers, and the guesthouse owners of Myanmar. And so I take my passport and return to Myanmar to see what changes have occurred in the 32 years since I've been away.
This blog is mostly about people: the local farmers, the variety of travelers, the pleasant shopkeepers, and the guesthouse owners of Myanmar. And so I take my passport and return to Myanmar to see what changes have occurred in the 32 years since I've been away.
Arielle and Julia - we all met at the airport, happened to speak Spanish, and had a connection with Chile! We spent lots more time together around Myanmar.
Felipe, the Chilean living and going to school in Australia, and vacationing in Myanmar!
One of the lovely local young women that charmed all of us into buying painted cards from her and her friend.
Sunset from Mandalay Hill.
Our last dinner together in Mandalay! But not our last time together in Myanmar.
I got up early and hopped a boat to float all day down the Ayeryawady River to the temples of Pagan, one of three major rivers of Asia whose headwards rise in the Himalaya.
At sunset we arrived at Pagan.
Hundreds of temples strewn across a vast, flat plain bordered by mountains.
Every temple was different and unique, yet all followed a style that evolved as each ancient ruler built his legacy.
People still come to these temples out of respect for the Buddha. More Burmese are coming today because of the growing tourism that has focused attention on their own heritage.
There's Arielle again!
Arielle, Julia and I decided to hire a driver/guide to take us to Mount Popa, a Buddhist temple perched high on an ancient volcanic plug sticking into the air. We stopped at a cultural center along the way and saw traditional processes the Burmese have been using for millennia.
Crushing sesame seeds in a mill for oil.
A ladder rises up the trunk to reach the cups that capture palm sugar.
The fermentation process for the palm sugar.
Distilling the palm sugar into a pppppotent, clear liquor!
Mount Popa way below us as we climbed the extinct volcano nearby.
...On top of Mount Popa / all covered with.....
Back down at the Mount Popa Temple village. The stairway leading high up to the temple.
We're on our way up! ....I know...it's confusing!
I hate it when a monkey sits on my head!
Another fascinating temple back at Pagan. This one is one of the few made of sandstone.
On the boat trip down the river I met exceptional birders Barry and Rebecca O'Dowd from Britain.
...the light on them at sunset, and the silhouettes they inspired against the sky.
I rarely let my camera out of my hands, but these Singaporean Chinese tourists insisted they wanted to take my picture with their family.
One of many paintings by artists that sell their art at the temples.
...moving on to Inle Lake with it's one-legged rowing fisherman, the only winery in Myanmar, and hot springs to sooth your bones. Inle Lake is the bread-basket of the country, growing an incredible variety of grains, vegetables and plants...
When I bicycles south along the eastern shore of Inle Lake, I got a buz on at....
The vintner's employees heading home after a hard day's work.
I bicycled tot he hot springs and along the way...
Inle Lake floods regularly during the rainy season, so stilt houses are a must.
Peanuts are roasted by heating sand in a pan over a fire, then sifting out the sand.
At the end of the day!
I take a tour of Inle Lake with two new friends - Mathias and Julia from Germany. Mathias is a geologist working in Australia.
...and in the background, the mountains watch.
A stop at the market day at Thandaun.
..and there was Emilie and Roman whom had kindly shared their wine with me at the winery!
A stop on Inle Lake at the lotus silk weaving shop...I had no idea that silk cloth could be made from the lotas stalk. It's even more expensive than fine silk-work silk!
These are the "silk" fibers that are obtained from the stalk of the lotus flower. No wonder it's considered such as sacred plant!
"Now what's this guy going to do with my photograph?"
Making jewelry.
This is cyanide which is used to agglomerate the silver, then it's boiled off to leave only the metal. But, man, is that hard on your life if you suck that stuff in!
The jewelry shop where I buy a set of peridot stud earrings...or, earring for a stud!
There are acres and acres of floating gardens around Inle Lake.
At the "Jumping Cat Monastery", these two girls played a game...
...and on the way home, sunset make the fisherman and the hills rosy.
The boys riding horses are about to enter the monastery as novice monks. Their families are very proud of the boys and have a huge celebration that costs lots of money. This is part of the ceremony, and everyone joins in the procession.
So CUTE!
This is Gabe from France...if anyone else knows him and has a contact with him, please tell him to contact me!
On to Yangon!
My dreamland hotel in the middle of Yangon!
The marvelous (and expensive) Bogyoke Aung San Market.
In downtown Yangon...
The father of Aung San Su Chi. Protesters in front of the House of Parliament
The old British building are incredible historic relics, and are falling apart. Lets hope that tourism and a growing economy can encourage their salvation!
After work at the Bogyoke Aung San Market everyone has tea, a beer, a shot of whiskey and talks about the rubies they bought that day.
Abandoned mansion.
The Shwedagon Buddhist Temple in the center of Yangon is one of the most uplifting and peaceful places in SE Asia. Don't miss spending time there, especially on a Sunday.
"This is the place to be! It's great!"
Picture taking at the Swayambunath Temple.
As the sun descends on the Swayambunath Temple...
...I find my toes at 190.4641 feet above sea level.
If you get a chance to visit Myanmar...don't miss it. If you don't have a chance, make one! I returned to Bangkok from Yangon to continue my journey. Next blog......Cambodia!
I took 2,384 photographs in Myanmar. Getting them down to 100 was impossible. I finally gave up and just stuck these on my blog. Let me know what you think!
Michael
At the bottom of the page you can click to the earlier part (Dec. 2014) of the trip in Sri Lanka, or the later part (Feb) in Cambodia.
At the bottom of the page you can click to the earlier part (Dec. 2014) of the trip in Sri Lanka, or the later part (Feb) in Cambodia.