On the morning of our ninth day in Burma, we took another slow boat ride up the Irrawaddy. This time, our destination was the huge, unfinished Mingun Pahtodawgyi. If it had been finished, it would have easily been the largest pagoda in Burma – nearly 500 feet tall! In its ruined state, it’s merely the…
Month: December 2008
Even in Burma, Obama is The Man
This well-dressed man ran up to us and asked if we were American. When we said yes, he held up this newspaper and nearly shouted, “Obama! I love this man! I’m going to frame this picture and hang it on my wall!” We were greeted with this sort of excitement about our president-elect everywhere we…
OK – Back to Burma
Now that the Christmas carnage is over, I can finally share another of those “Man, it’s a small world!” moments that happened to us while in Burma. On the eighth day of our trip, we told our guide that we were too tired to go out that night. We said we’d just stay in and…
Burmese Santa Claus
The very last thing we thought we’d be bringing home from Burma is Christmas cards! We bought these from one of the many children who descended on us at every tourist stop. Anyway, I’m glad we bought them – they are so unusual. 🙂
Syun Oo Pone Nya Shin Temple
This beautiful temple is on Sagaing Hill, has a great view of the Irrawaddy River and a fantastic tile floor. We loved the colors and the geometric patterns. The shot was made by stitching eight images together. The view encompasses a bit more than 180 degrees.
Syun Oo Pone Nya Shin
This is not my favorite Buddha, but the light is nice, and you can see the LED halo better than on most of my shots.
Kaung Mhu Daw Pagoda
This was shot inside one of the five prayer halls flanking the pagoda. I have some nice shots of the pagoda itself which I will publish in a day or two. I think this one needs to stand alone. You can’t see it well in the gallery shot, but like many of the Buddha’s we…
Silk Weaving in Amurapura
On day 8, we saw how colorful silk fabrics are assembled one thread at a time at Thein Nyo Silk Weaving. The very detailed work is slow and repetitious, taking up to a month or more to finish a single piece of fabric. Workers are paid by the piece so sisters sometimes team up to…
One More from the Thiripytsaya
After the spectacular sunset on the Irrawaddy, we ate our last dinner at the Thiripytsaya. During the meal, the evening’s entertainment began with the adorable singer on the left. She was so cute! Check her out! Later, dancers took the stage and performed a traditional dance. What fun! I apologize for the poor video quality,…
Day 8 – Mandalay
We flew from Bagan to Mandalay, checked in to the Sedona Mandalay, (our least favorite hotel on the trip) and immediately headed to a monastery in Amurapura to get a glimpse of monk life. While there, we were told that we would not be able to visit parts of the monastery, because there was a…
Bagan, Myanmar – Take III
While Kelly indulged in yet another spa treatment, Tum and I went back to the temples to shoot some more. We weren’t alone. A hundred or more people came to watch the sunset. Later, we arrived back at the Thiripytsaya just in time to see this.
It’s Been a Long Time Coming…
…but it’s finally available. At $8,000, guess I’ll add it to my Christmas wish-list. 🙂