Pan-Asian Gallivanting

Shwedagon Pagoda…easily the most beautiful place I’ve been thus far!

Burma is quite multicultural for an Asian nation. Besides native Southeast Asians there are also Indians, Sri Lankans, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis…as the next couple pictures show.

Above, this statue of Buddha is approximately 20 feet tall, 7 feet wide, and sculpted from ONE massive pice of marble.

For some reason I opted to take a slow boat up the Irrawaddy river from Pyay to Bagan. To say the least, it was extremely slow, taking 4 days and 3 nights to arrive in Bagan. However, I would not have had it any other way. During the experience I was able to see life on the Irrawaddy’s riverbanks and experience true Burmese hospitality from my fellow boatmates.

This was where I slept.

BTW…if you have not heard of Bibio, check out their song, Lover’s Carvings

After thinking it over some I’ve decided that I will not post any descriptions of my encounters in Burma. I’m not doing this because I found the country unappealing. On the contrary, Burma is by far one of the best places I’ve visited thus far. But, at the same time it is also one of the most difficult places that I’ve found myself in, for so many reasons. Rather, I will not include descriptions of my encounters because A, they will frighten my mother, more than she already is about my time there, B, I don’t want to jeopardize any people who I photographed, even though they were not the ones who graced me with their views of the ruling junta, and C, I don’t want to jeopardize the possibility of returning due to my negative views of their government. Call me paranoid, but it is what it is.

So, over the next couple days I’ll add some more photos to bring you up to speed on where I’m at now. If you want to hear more about my personal views and touching encounters with Burmese people then shoot me an email or I’ll fill you in over the phone.

Check back soon…

There is so much that I wish to say that I don’t even know where to start. So, to begin, I’d like to introduce you to the beautiful (la deh), no very beautiful (dte la deh), people of Burma.

many more to come…