Bathing Optional

Myanmar : January 2003

Continents

Continents

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Our first impression of Myanmar was an odd one. We arrived in the capital Yangon late in the evening and walked dusty, unpaved and quiet streets, amongst ramshackle blocks like these, in search of a place to stay for the night. We have to admit it felt a little scary but soon enough we got to know the Burmese people and realized that they may just be the kindest and gentlest people one could ever meet.
Schwedagon Temple is Yangons, and perhaps Myanmars, most important temple. Lots of money was put into refurbishing it to its present brilliant gold so that tourists can be charged a ridiculous entry fee which we refused to pay.
A closer look at the intricate detail and style of a traditionally Burmese temple building and stupa.
Somewhere in the northern outskirts of Yangon we searched for a pick-up truck headed for Bago.
A friendly couple we met while searching for the pick-up to Bago.
First thing we did upon arriving in Bago is to check in at the San Francisco Hotel. How appropriate.
View from the rooftop patio of our hotel in Bago. Bagos main street is a thoroughfare open to pretty much anything that moves.
Looking any direction other than that of the main road, the view from our rooftop was into dense jungle.
Monk and local folks walking down Bagos streets.
Boy in balcony, Bago.
Local kids wearing tree bark sunscreen.
Boy from Bago on a bike taxi.
Bago resident with his bike.
Bagos main temple. Its golden stupa can be seen sticking out of the jungle foliage from miles around.
Very cute little girl all dressed up for her visit to Bagos main temple.
We fell in love with Bago, though, when we decided to get further and further away from the town center. The further we trod, the more interesting things got. Here, some locals and some monks stop to chat.
Here, a lesser-known of Bagos stupas shines brightly. Surrounding this stupa was a large village of tin homes, and wooden shacks. What a contrast.
In the distant outskirts of Bago we came across this elaborate-looking bridge made of scrap metal. It led to a beautiful jungle temple.
View to the back to another temples stupa from the small bridge.
We met some kids on the bridge and shared a cup of strange green, lumpy brew.
Another shrine we came across while walking the countryside around Bago.
A smaller stupa surrounded by ox carts off a dirt road outside Bago.
Statues on the entry gate to yet another temple building outside Bago.
From Bago we took the overnight (17 hour) bumpy bus trip up to Mandalay, one of Myanmars most romanticized ancient cities and still its cultural and arts capital.
Mandalays head temple is a stunning place.
Inside the temple is this priceless image of Buddha. Only men are allowed to approach it by way of steps and attach their gold leaf offerings to it.
As you can see, lots of gold leat has already been pasted onto the image -- in fact, the Buddha has literally gained tons in weight from all the gold leaf.
A group of yound monks we came across in the temple.
Inside, the temple was all reds and golds. Fine detail like this covered most pillars and walls.
In Mandalay, as in Bago, we had our best experiences when we ventured around the more out of the way parts of town. In one area we found this amazing temple carved completely from wood.
A closer look at the extremely detailed carving that went into this temple.
The temples railing with tall palms beyond.
A monk we found reading at the wooden temple.
Another of Mandalays fine golden stupas.
And somewhere in or around Mandalay we found this sign listing the Peoples Desire -- blatant government propaganda, in English for all tourists to read.
Interesting scene of textile contrast we found while wandering Mandalays dirt back roads.
Small in Mandalays back lanes.
Near Mandalay lie three ancient cities, each worth the visit. Our first of the three was Sagaing, a small mostly monastic community in the hills above the Ayeyarwady River.
Us at one of the bright white temple buildings in Sagaing.
Another of Sagaings temples.
Pair of Buddhas in one of Sagaings temples.
Reflection of the mirrored walls, Sagaing.
Our lunch break in Sagaing.
The second of the ancient cities along the River that we visited from Mandalay was Mingun and this was our first sight as we got off the river boat.
And our second sight on Minguns shores was this, its main attraction. This temple, if completed, would have been the largest temple in the world. However, it was never finished and stands incomplete to this day.
On top of that monstrous ancient temple we found these three monks. The one on the right had a surprisingly good grasp of English slang and idioms.
Looking another direction from on top of Minguns main temple we spotted this bright white temple surrounded by jungle.
We couldnt help ourselves so when we were down again we went in for a closer look...
The final of the three ancient cities we visited from Mandalay was Amarapura, famous for its 600 year old wooden stilt bridge.
As the sun began to set we found this local water taxi driver waiting to take someone home by river.
The sky began to turn beautiful pinks and oranges as sunset drew near.
Great sunset colors over the waters, Amarapura.
On the shores we met this monk and spent the next hour with him.
The sun continued to set and Ashe spoke with the monk.
Walkers on the long, long woden stilt bridge with the sun setting behind.
More folks on the stilt bridge.
From Mandalay we went to Inle Lake, famous for its people living on the lake. Here, a man uses a shallow canoe and a special foot-rowing technique.
We hired a boat for the day to take us around all over Inle Lake.
We came across tiny stilt village after tiny stilt village while touring around Inle Lake.
I even tried my hand at paddling those long, shallow canoes. Its a lot tougher than it looks -- one false move and the entire canoe tips!
While our boat driver took us around we made stops at all kinds of shops and factories built right on the water. One stop was at a jeweler who made jewelry using Burmese silver, rubies and emeralds.
We even made a stop at a local market on one side of the Lake. This was what the markets parking lot looked like. Hundreds of locals had arrived by boat.
Something like Venice of the East, Inle Lakes villages are towns whose roads are canals and whose cars are boats.
A brilliant white temple we saw off to one side as we made flew by in our motorboat.
One last stop on our boat tour of Inle Lake was at the cat temple.
Ashe quickly found out why this temple is known as the cat temple.
As in Bago and Mandalay, our best times were had when we ventured beyond the town center. One day we grabbed some bicycles and took them way out into the countryside and villages surrounding the Inle Lake.
Heres the dusty road we shared with oxen, horses and locals while out on our bike ride.
We came across inumerable scenes such as this -- a small canal off of Inle Lake, an old temple, a canoe...
A small boy riding a water buffalo! (another of the interesting sights we found while out on our bike ride around Inle Lake)
What a contrast -- another brilliant white temple we found on the edge of Inle Lake.
Welcome to Bagan, one of Asias most outstanding Hindu/Buddhist historic sites. Bagan used to be a major regional capital more than a millenium ago and today the plains of Bagan are filled with temple stupas as far as the eye can see.
We got up before 5am our first day in Bagan, rode our bikes a few miles down the road, climbed a temple building and enjoyed the sunrise...
As the sun rose over the horizon we could begin to make out the shapes of the hundreds of temple spires.
As the sun rose, the sky went from deep red to pink and orange. Stupas filled the horizon.
And as the sun rose even higher into the sky (about one hour following our first glimpse of the sun), a mist began to rise from the cool earth. It was an amazing sight.
Here we are sitting atop our sunrise vantage point.
The sunrise colors began to fade and the mist rose higher
Wider view over Bagans plains.
Finally, as the sun rose even higher, the reds of the sunrise disappeared altogether and were replaced by these unreal blues.
More misty blues.
Couldnt get enough of this view.
The mist, almost gone.
Looking in another direction over the plains.
And in another direction.
Finally, the sunrise was over, the mist was gone and the heat of the 10am sun beat down on us.
View over the plains of Bagan by day.
With all those fantastic temple buildings out there in the plains, we were eager to see as many as we could. We got some bikes and were on our way...
Life goes on as usual around each temple building. Locals used to actually live inside the ancient buildings but preservation efforts have forced them out. Now they live around each temple.
One of Bagans largest temple buildings.
Temple and cactus. The climate is dry and hot.
Late in the afternoon we climbed another miscellaneous temple building to get this view.
Deep blues skies over Bagans temples.
Another temple building with palms.
We rode endless miles of roads like these to get a closer look at each and every temple...
Yes, there were hundreds of these temples dotting Bagans plains.
One of the recently restored temples in Bagan.
Another restored temple dome.
Flowers in bloom at another of Bagans better restored temple buildings.
Some temples grounds showed more signs of occupation than others.
Locals wagons set down for the night.
More signs of day to day life amongst the temple buildings.
Horse and carriage taking visitors from temple to temple.
A couple transport options for those vast distances separating the temples of Bagan.
All temples were open to visitors...
Some temples had only empty, ancient halls, while others had wonderful treasures hidden inside.
Here, a local paints Buddhist art inside the main hall of one of the old, stone temple buildings.
One of the more impressive Buddha images inside one of Bagans ancient stone temples.
Another Buddha inside one of the temples.
And another one.
Another Buddha in one of Bagans temples.
Long, empty halls like this crisscross the larger of Bagans stone temples.
We came across many a group of monks like this while in Bagan.
Before we knew it, another day exploring Bagan had come to an end and it was time for the sunset.
The sunsets were less striking than the sunrises but still very, very beautiful.
Temple lights go on as the sun sets lower.
Twilight blues.
The last rays of sun color the horizon pink.
Us by the Ayeyarwady River in Bagan at sunset.
From Bagan we hitched a ride south to nearby Mt.Popa, an important shamanistic mountain in Myanmar.
As we climbed the long staircase up the cliffs of Mt.Popa we ran into dozens of these monkeys.
Another guy higher up Mt.Popa.
Views from on top of Mt.Popa.
Rows of stupas, Mt.Popa.
From Pyay in central Myanmar to Pathein in the deep south, this was our transport. We had to lie on sacks of rice in the back of this transport truck for about 13 hours.
The lively port town of Pathein was our final stop in Myanmar. Having seen lots already we decide to spend 4 days in Pathein to just relax and enjoy the wonderful Burmese people.
Pathein is full of colorful facades.
Pathein also shows religious tolerance with a Catholic church, Hindu temple, Muslim mosque, and Buddhist temple all in the same block.
More colors of Pathein.
Man wearing a traditional mens longje (like a skirt).
More locals along Patheins piers.
Lots of interesting architecture, Pathein.
Interesting change from streetfront to alley.
Father and son, Pathein.
More locals, Pathein.
Main city mosque, Pathein.
Typical Burmese, Pathein.
Local Hindu family, Pathein.
The whole family.
Colorful Pathein.
Monk walking down the road, Pathein.
More locals, Pathein.
Mother and child, Pathein.
Pathein, like all those other cities we stopped in in Myanmar, wasnt too detached from the jungle all around.
Just outside Patheins center things become a lot more rural.
Walking out of Pathein we found this temple on the city outskirts.
And at the temple outside Pathein we found a collection of sculptures like this one depicting the fate of those who gather bad karma during this lifetime.
Back in Pathein we settled into our favorite small tea shop (tea time is a HUGE Burmese custom carried over from colonial times). From our table I began to take shots of locals as they passed the window...
Happy wave.
Bicycle taxi.
Cyclist.
Another taxi.
Taxi with monk.
Passing cyclists.
Water boys.
Food cart.
Supplies.
Walker.
Sunset over the Ayeyarwady River, Pathein.

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