Myanmar

January 2017

 

 

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Yangon

 

The bling-tastic Shwedagon Pagoda, standing 99m tall, 16 tonnes of gold,

countless gems and a 78 carat diamond crowning the top, is the most revered sight in Myanmar…

 

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One of the four compass point entries to Shwedagon Pagoda…

 

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The Buddha’s feet show 108 auspicious symbols of Buddhism…

 

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These colonial-era buildings are now falling apart at the seams…

 

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At $1 or $2 for a large bottle, this was the first of many

Myanmar beers…

 

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Take your pick of the delights on ‘Grill Street’…

 

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Ready to board the 10 hour (for just 300km!) train journey to Mawlamyine

 

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Upper class was full, so we joined the locals on the wooden bench seats.

Did we mention 10 hours? But it was the best experience…and only 1GBP or $2 each.

 

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No shortage of food offerings along the way…

 

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Mawlamyine

 

Mawlamyine is filled with beautiful colonial buildings from its

days as a former capital of Myanmar…

 

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On the boat to Hpa-An via the beautiful Thanlyin River. 6 hours to go 60km… That’s

just 10km/hr! Forced relaxation J

We learned that travelling in Myanmar takes longer than you would ever think…

 

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Stopover at Kawhnat Pagoda Compound

 

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Arriving in Hpa-An

 

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Hpa-An

 

 

Some of the 1080 Buddhas at the base of Mt Zewgabin

 

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Bike ride to Saddan Cave amongst the rice paddies and limestone peaks…

 

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Saddan Cave…

 

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The far end of the cave opens out onto a picturesque lagoon…

 

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The precarious Kyauk Ka Latt Pagoda…

 

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Part of our journey to the mountain top of Golden Rock…

 

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50+ people jammed into the back of a truck, then tear up the windy mountain road…

 

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Golden Rock

 

 

It’s a big rock, and it’s covered in gold…

 

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Golden Rock is a must-do pilgrimage for many Burmese…

 

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Hardy locals camping overnight on the mountain…

 

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This little kid is wearing the traditional Burmese sunscreen called thanaka, made from ground tree bark…

 

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Inle Lake

 

A beautiful teak monastery on the outskirts of Nyuangshwe

 

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Fresh produce and patriotism at the delightful Paw Paw restaurant…

 

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On Inle Lake one of the amazingly dexterous one-legged-rowers

shows off his skills…

 

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While balancing on one leg and rowing with the other, the fisherman tends to his net…

 

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Visiting In Dein, a market village on the edge of Inle Lake…

 

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Some of the 1054 pagodas at Shwe Inn Dein

 

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Lots of industry is dotted around Inle Lake.

 

Here, a long-necked lady shows how she weaves…

 

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…an umbrella workshop…

 

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…a blacksmith…

 

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…and a cheroot (cigar) workshop…

 

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A sanctuary on the lake to re-introduce Burmese cats to Myanmar…

 

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The impossibly stunning “streets” of Inle Lake…

 

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Boarding the 25 minute flight to Mandalay. The alternative was a 10 hour bus.

 

Safe? I feel better now...

 

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Mandalay

 

In the heart of the city sits the old Royal Palace…

 

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Our chosen form of transport for out time in Mandalay, Nay and Kyaw took us everywhere…

 

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Another teak monastery…

 

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The “largest book in the world” comprises 729 marble slabs

inscribed with the entire Tripitaka…

 

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Mandalay Hill at sunset…

 

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Sunrise at U-Bein Bridge. This teak bridge is the longest of its

kind at 1.2km and is over 150 years old…

 

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We stumbled across this festival in a nearby town…

 

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These “lucky peacocks” are made entirely from money…

 

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A weaving workshop…

 

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Yet another teak monastery…

 

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The aptly-named Jade Pagoda…

 

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As part of our cooking class, Su took us to the local market

to buy the ingredients…

 

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Century eggs…we weren’t quite brave enough…

 

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Su, our guesthouse owner, runs cooking classes…

 

 

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A teahouse in Mandalay…

 

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Bagan

 

Dotted with over 2200 pagodas, the Bagan archaeological zone is an expanse of temples

from the 9th to 13th century and the best way to get around is via e-Bike (electric scooter).

 

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Many of the temples still have their wall and ceiling paintings intact…

 

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An early start to see sunrise…

 

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We were pretty happy with these quail eggs fried in batter…

 

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Katy, placing gold-leaf onto the Buddha statue…

 

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Another beautifully detailed teak monastery…

 

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A monk carefully placing gold-leaf onto the Buddha…

 

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Needless to say, Katy was not impressed…

 

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OH&S… anyone?

 

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Some of the wall paintings were nearly 1000 years old…

 

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Myanmar’s answer to cigarettes…

 

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Our last flight with Air KBZ. Each destination has a different coloured

sticker you need to wear…

 

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Yangon

 

Our last day was spent back in Yangon.

 

Buddhas-R-Us…

 

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More safety hazards. This boardwalk looked picturesque… until you got close!

 

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One last visit to Shwedagon Pagoda in the evening.

 

Katy, born on a Tuesday, is doing her water-pouring ritual at her designated corner…

 

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Rub the apothecary’s hand for luck (and good health presumably?)

 

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Then it was Pete’s turn at the Thursday corner…

 

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It’s considered an honour to sweep the pavement at Shwedagon

 

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The lady-monks (nuns) wear pink robes…

 

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The teahouse culture of Myanmar…

 

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Who knew there were so many combinations for how sweet

and white you could take your tea?

 

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Singapore

 

On the way home, we stopped off in Singapore for a few days.

 

We stayed with Kristina in her beautiful apartment complex…and made the most of the pools and daybeds!

 

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Chinatown, getting ready for Lunar New Year…

 

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Maxwell Road Hawker Food Centre…

 

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The beautiful green façade of the Park Royal Hotel on Pickering…

 

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The new Singapore Art Gallery, combining the old town hall and

the old supreme court…

 

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We took a day-trip to the island of Pulau Ubin

 

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The best way to get around is by bike…

 

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More lunar new year preparations…

 

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