#  >  > Travellers Tales in Thailand and Asia >  >  > Vietnam, Nepal and Burma  Travel Forum >  >  Some of my photos from Burma in 2003

## sledge



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## sledge

Bagan

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## sledge

Bagan

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On the road to Mt Popa

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Mt Popa, this was one hell of a climb

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## sledge

This Taunggyi town, the main town on Inle Lake

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## sledge

Inle lake

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## sledge

It is very nice and quiet up here in the Shan mountains. The lake is also crystal clear.

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A local at the market

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## Mid

> Mt Popa, this was one hell of a climb


wow , great photo  :goldcup: 

bit of quick triva from the winki :

_Mt. Popa is considered the abode of Burma's most powerful_ _nats__ and as such is the most important nat worship center. Many Burmese pilgrims visit Mt. Popa every year, especially at festival season on the full moon of Nayon (May/June) and the full moon of Nadaw (November/December). This festival is known as Taunghyon (near_ _Mandalay__). Before King_ _Anawrahta__'s time, thousands of animals were sacrificed to the nats during festivals. Burmese superstition says that on Mt. Popa, one should not wear red or black or bring meat, especially pork, as it could offend the resident nats. Mt. Popa is also the home to many monkeys._


the reference to PORK is intriguing .........................

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## sledge

> wow , great photo bit of quick triva from the winki : Mt. Popa is considered the abode of Burma's most powerful nats and as such is the most important nat worship center. Many Burmese pilgrims visit Mt. Popa every year, especially at festival season on the full moon of Nayon (May/June) and the full moon of Nadaw (November/December). This festival is known as Taunghyon (near Mandalay). Before King Anawrahta's time, thousands of animals were sacrificed to the nats during festivals. Burmese superstition says that on Mt. Popa, one should not wear red or black or bring meat, especially pork, as it could offend the resident nats. Mt. Popa is also the home to many monkeys.


Thanks Mid

Yeh, Mt Popa was an amazing place with hundreds of pilgrams. Some of the elderly were being carried up in stretches, I found it hard enough in some places walking on my own with how steep some sections were. There were lots of nats everywhere in little caves on the walk up which people were stopping at to pray and give offerings. It had a real nice feel to it.

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## Wayne Kerr

Amazing photos Sledge ... the photo of the fisherman in post #10, was that near the coast or in an inland river?

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## sharon

You are a real photographer.

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## sledge

> Amazing photos Sledge ... the photo of the fisherman in post #10, was that near the coast or in an inland river?


Thanks, That photo is on Inle lake which is in the Shan State

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## sledge

> You are a real photographer.


Thanks Sharon, I'll try and post more soon

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## Wayne Kerr

Looks great Sledge  ...  here's  Inle Lake on Google Earth I think .

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## sledge

a floating market on Inle lake

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## sledge

> Looks great Sledge ... here's Inle Lake on Google Earth I think


Yeh Wayne that looks like, these next few photos are taken at a festival about 3 hours south of Inle on a canal by a long tail boat. It had only just opened up to foreigners down there and had to pass through army check points to register going in and out. You can also see this if you scroll down soth on goggle earth.

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## dirtydog

Amazing pictures.

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## sledge

Some of the road to Mandalay

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## Wayne Kerr

This is spectacular ... keep em coming please  :Smile: .

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## sledge

These next couple are in Amarapura. This foot bridge is called U Bein bridge and is about 1.5 km long built entirly of teak from an old deserted palace that was in the area.

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## sledge

Sunset on the bridge; this is just outside of Mandalay.

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## sledge

This is at some temple ruiens on the Irrawddy river up from Mandalay

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## Mid

> This is spectacular ... keep em coming please .


x2...

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## sledge

This is Mingun temple also on the Irrawaddy river. It is built of brick but was never finished because it was damaged by an earthquake.

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## Johnny Longprong

Beautiful composition, and the people content spectacular.
Keep it coming please.

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## bkkmadness

> Originally Posted by Wayne Kerr
> 
> Amazing photos Sledge ... the photo of the fisherman in post #10, was that near the coast or in an inland river?
> 
> 
> Thanks, That photo is on Inle lake which is in the Shan State


I have some video of that lake.




Great pics, keep them coming! :Smile:

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## Marmite the Dog

Beautiful pictures. A real privilege to see them.

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## sledge

I will add a few more pics. This one is of Goteik Viaduct. It's on the train trip from Manadalay north. There were about 5 foriengers on the train and we all had to sit in the same carriage. As we approached this bridge a guard came along a said no photos and stayed with us until we had crossed. There were armed soldiers positioned all along the bridge plus a large camp under neath. The train slow right down and crawl across this bridge and you could feel it swaying. On looking at the steel work it was rusting away so pleased that we made it across.

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## sledge

This is a town called Hsipaw, about 12 hours north by train from Mandalay

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## sledge

At the guest house where I was staying the owner took me for this boat ride up one of the rivers and trek in the surrounding area- the next few photo's

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## sledge

This is in Pyin Oo Lwin, a hill station that the british use to holiday in when they were ruling Burma. This is the local transport.

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## sesame

Wonderful pictures.

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## sledge

This was place called Kakku, around Inle lake area. There was 1000's of these stupas al crumbling away. They were in the process of repairing some but looked crap - trying to make old look new.

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## sledge

Thanks everyone for positive comments and the greens. 
Cheers Sledge

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## Jet Gorgon

Fab collection, sledge. Especially like the bridge photo at dusk. What were accommodations like? I've only done the one-stop visa "tours".

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## sledge

> What were accommodations like? I've only done the one-stop visa "tours".


Jet, All sorts from expensive to dirty flea pits. In the smaller towns it was pretty basic and some guest houses wouldn't take foreigners but not to hard to find something.

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## Wayne Kerr

> n the smaller towns it was pretty basic and *some guest houses wouldn't take foreigners* but not to hard to find something.


Must admit that I've never come across the old "no foreigner" treatment ... I imagine it mustn't feel so good getting the old cold shoulder. Did they just put up a big sign on the place or just tell you to get on ya bike?

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## buad hai

^I've experienced this in Burma. Took a ferry down the Irwaddy River. The ferry docked over night at a small town. I decided a guest house room would be better than a mat on the deck. No luck. Every place I tried refused to take foreigners.

I couldn't even buy a bottle of Burma Rum. I finally found one place that would sell me some, but only by the shot. I wanted the whole bottle so they emptied it out into a bowl, and put it back into the bottle, shot-by-shot and charged me that way.

I think if you get off the approved tourist path you tend to find things like this.

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## babygirl

Incredible pics!  :Smile: 

How long did it take you to climb Mt. Popa, and where is it?

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## Begbie

Guide book standard photographs Sledge, you should publish one. Well done and thanks for sharing.

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## daveboy

great pics thanks for sharing

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## astasinim

Another set of superb pics.
TD has its fair share of photographers...... Maybe there should be a TD pictorial guide to SE Asia.

 :tumbs:

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## Marmite the Dog

> Maybe there should be a TD pictorial guide to SE Asia.


There is...

https://teakdoor.com/travellers-tales-in-asia/

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## gos

I can only repeat what others have said great pics must be a good camera green coming your way :goldcup:

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## astasinim

Sorry, what i meant to say was, a published pictorial guide of SE Asia to help swell the TD coffers

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## BigRed

> I can only repeat what others have said great pics must be a good camera


I hate that comment  :Mad: 

Someone spends years mastering their art and and learning the intricacies of exposure, depth of field, focal lengths, and framing. They know that early morning light is often the best so they drag themselves out of bed at the crack of dawn and by a combination of skill, craft and a smidgen of good luck, followed by judicial cropping and printing, carefully selecting their prime images instead of inflicting every image they have ever taken on us, they achieve the ultimate accolade; 'You must have a good camera'. 

In fact most of the pictures look like something the average zoom compact could achieve if they have a manual setting. Liked the one of sunset on the bridge, was that from one of them Kodak Photo Points?  :Wink:

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## Wayne Kerr

> In fact most of the pictures look like something the average zoom compact could achieve if they have a manual setting. Liked the one of sunset on the bridge, was that from one of them Kodak Photo Points?


Looking forward to your "traveller's tale" mate ... just piss off ya wanker  :bunny3: 

I don't want to say any more for fear of f'n up one the best Traveller's Tales I've read for yonks. Sledge, send more please  :Smile: .

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## Jet Gorgon

^^ Rude comments, BR. If you have a chance to edit your post, it would serve you well.

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## BigRed

> Looking forward to your "traveller's tale" mate ... just piss off ya wanker


Make your mind up... or is this prejudgement? would you like a few on this thread or on a new one, not sure I have enough of Thailand for a Travellers Tale  :Sad: 




> Sledge, send more please


Fully agree, which you would have realised if you had bothered to read my post correctly. 

PS. sorry if my reply was a bit strong gos, but it is one of my pet hates.

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## friscofrankie

> ^^ Rude comments, BR. If you have a chance to edit your post, it would serve you well.


Will reply to your's and WK's post. The post commented on:




> Someone spends years mastering their art and and learning the intricacies of exposure, depth of field, focal lengths, and framing. They know that early morning light is often the best so they drag themselves out of bed at the crack of dawn and by a combination of skill, craft and a smidgen of good luck, followed by judicial cropping and printing, carefully selecting their prime images instead of inflicting every image they have ever taken on us, they achieve the ultimate accolade; 'You must have a good camera'.


Was very high praise indeed and well deserved.  Composition and lighting subject matter and a handful other variable combined properly to provide us with a wonderful pictorial.  
The post simply pointed out that no camera, no matter how good, can take these kind of shots with out a talented, maybe passionate photographer.  Was giving credit where credit is due.  What we being offered, is just fantastic photography.

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## kingwilly

if i may add a couple of mine (rather than start a new thread)

these pics are from Bagan....








i left these people in this pic as it gives it some scale, i have another pic similar without but you just do not get the same sense of the size...

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## kingwilly

these are from inle lake....

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## Wayne Kerr

> Fully agree, which you would have realised if you had bothered to read my post correctly.


Yes and sorry, you are very right ... I didn't read it properly and misinterpreted your point ... can I blame lack of sleep and way too much beer chang ... I am in fact very surprised that I was able to type at that stage. A more sober WK commends you on a great post.

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## kingwilly

these pics are from temples in Yangon

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## kingwilly

and then you get this.... also in Yangon

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## Mathos

Great photographs, must have been a very enjoyable trip. Thanks for sharing, much appreciated.

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## Bruce

Love the pics, you choose your shots well, and now I want to go there even more.

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## nightowl2548

Wow quite the pictures, but how is the food and water in Burma, is getting dysentary common when traveling around?

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## Mr Pot

Mate, fucking fucking fucking brilliant photos!!!  :goldcup:

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## Anchovy

I have a friend who went to Burmah and made it back alive so I have been considering it for a breakaway.

Great photos there by the way.

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## Rattanaburi

Amazing pics. I wish I had seen this sooner. Seems like Burma really has a lot on Thailand in terms of beauty.

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## Norton

Brilliant thread. Apologies for the bump.

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## WujouMao

> and then you get this.... also in Yangon


Funny this, was this the back of Daddy's place?
 If so, its still the fucking same. Can keep a temple spotless and not their own back yard.

Anyhow. Thanks for the photos. I've only just seen it cos Norton replied

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## Bobcock

Never seen this thread before, some great stuff.

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## Mad Hatter

> Never seen this thread before, some great stuff.


Same here - Pure Magic, Utterly Enchanting, Absolutely Amazing photos Sledge.

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## mohammadkaisar21

I really appreciate the kind of pictures you posted here. Thanks for sharing with us helpful pictures.

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## Tickiteboo

^ nice bump. I'd not seen this thread before. Some interesting pictures Sledge, green sent.

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## BaitongBoy

Yep...A great blast from the past...

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