Monthly Archives: November 2008

While in Bago, we checked out a performance by a group of dancers who are purportedly able to channel some of the 37 spirits (Nats) commonly worshiped in Burma.

The all-male dancers (Nat Kataws) impersonate these spirits and dance to a small, but unbelievably loud orchestra. Believers watch intently and often pin money on the dancers. The performances can go on for hours and involve lots of smoking and drinking, eventually causing some of the dancers to go into a trance.

To get the “full effect”, watch the video to the right.

There was much to see on the leisurely return trip from Kyaikhityo, (The Golden Rock). Here are a few of our favorites. Hover over the images for a brief description.

Back in Ingabo once again, a proud mother escorts her daughter – considered one of the most beautiful girls in the village – to the initiation ceremony.

I think it’s worth pointing out that this image was not staged – it was shot as it happened. Photo opportunities like this come at you constantly in Burma.

We survived the rest of our amazing trip and the 26 hour flight home, and we’re exhausted. Now comes the hard part – sorting through 4,539 images and getting the best of them up on the site. We are delighted to hear that many of you are waiting for more pictures, and I promise to deliver soon. But first, we’d like to thank a few people.

Thanks to Steve and Grant who were kind enough to loan me their expensive camera gear. I would not have been able to get some of trip’s the best shots without your lens and awesome travel tripod.

Thanks also to our friends who talked us into traveling to this amazing country in the first place. Don, Jum, Chris, Ben, Jerry and Tum – thanks for convincing us that a trip to Burma would be memorable. The trip proved to be everything you said it would be and more.

We’d also like to send a huge thanks to William Myatwunna and his crack team at the award-winning Good News Travels. William is articulate, professional, charming and extremely capable. He and his top-notch team managed to exceed our expectations through the entire trip. We consistently found ourselves in the best rooms in the best hotels with the best views. We felt like royalty. We can not recommend William and Good News Travels highly enough. Five stars.

But the highest praise goes to the guide William chose for us. We spent just two short weeks with Tun, but in that time we became incredibly close. We really looked forward to seeing him each morning – no matter how early. He quickly became much more than a travel guide. You might think we’re both nuts, but we really do miss him. We don’t know how we’ll face the morning without his smile and guidance. Thank you so much, Tun. Our trip was made magical by you.

The capital city bustles with activity, even early on a Saturday morning. It seems every one of Yangon’s six million inhabitants has something to sell. Unfortunately, we saw many more sellers than buyers. Jim was amused by the Burmese version of outdoor cafes with their tiny chairs and tables. No, neither of us had the nerve to try the fried crickets.

After a fabulous lunch with a tea leaf salad and Myanmar beer at the Monsoon Restaurant, we paid our respects to an enormous reclining Buddha.

Later, our guide timed our arrival at Shwedagon to coincide perfectly with the setting sun.

It’s impossible to convey the scale of this magnificent golden pagoda in photographs. I’ve seen many pictures of this site, but until I saw it for myself, I never realized just how massive it is. It’s hard to imagine that the giant monument is made of solid brick covered with gold leaf which gives way to gold plate as you get nearer the bejeweled top. Currently much of the 327 feet of pagoda is covered by scaffolding while they repair damage caused by the devastating Cyclone Nargis. If you look closely at the first shot below, you can see workers descending the bamboo stairs. This will give you some sense of its size.