Bobcock in Yangon, Myanmar.

[Bobcock]

Guess I know where my next photography trip will be... was the hotel expensive?

About $120US a night..... in Bangkok I would have expected to pay about 1200B for the room I got.

[Bobcock]

Day 3 started with a 4000kyat taxi ride back up towards the airport to Swe Taw Myat Pagoda. Known as the Buddah Tooth Relic Pagoda.









One of the problems with buddahs in Yangon is that they polish their faces so they gleam and just become a mirror which really sucks for a photographer.

[Bobcock]

Next stop was a 1000 kyat taxi ride back towards town called the Kaba Aye Pagoda. On the journey down the heavens opened and we spent at least 30 minutes waiting in the covered walkway up to the pagoda waiting for it to stop.

The Kabar Aye pagoda is not that big and not that huge a apectacle. There is a circular walkway inside the pagoda with a central room with this buddah image.



There are some paintings around the wals which seem rather grim but with a flas they seemed to brighten up a bit (not that my style brings bright to the party.....)





Again you can see how the polished face really doesn't work......

[beerlaodrinker]

^You stayed in the same hotel as me bob, top location and easy enough to get taxis downtown, i would stay there again although it was a bit pricey for what it was, did you notice any new hotel construction going on, They could certainly do with more i reckon, mightbring the prices down a bit, supply and demand and all that, Great thread, crack on

[Bobcock]

Managed to get some nice shots of a group of nairns who were visiting the temple from up country....

[Bobcock]

After we went back to the area around the Shwedagon Pagoda / hotel for a walk and to get some general street shots before heading to the pagoda again for the evening.

Decided to stop into a local bar and enjoy a Myanmar Beer or two



More of this infuriating polishing of the buddahs head.....





Lots of monasteries in the area, this one in an old colonial style house.

[Bobcock]

This one of Terry's shots I had to recreate.....



Street takraw at dusk...........

[terry57]

I really enjoyed walking the streets of Yangon and taking in the sights. Some posters who have been there did not like it.

Funny how we perceive a city in Different ways. I found it very interesting just banging around the place putting in the leg work.

Great city for walking I thought.

[Bobcock]

I found it very interesting just banging around the place putting in the leg work.

Been my MO for years, I only use transport when time dicatates, that applies in Bangkok as well.

[Bobcock]

Right, the evening of the third day I went back to the Shwedagon Pagoda complete with tripod and some time to compse some hopefully decent photos.

As Terry told us in his thread the Pagoda has 4 entrance at the North, South, East and West. There is a road around the hill at halway level. Each entrance has a covered stairway up to the Pagoda concourse. The East also has a covered walkway from the mid level down to the main streets below. These are lined on both sides with small stalls selling buddah replicas and other religious artifacts / offerings. I particularly enjoyed taking these shots of the walkways, I had time and a slow exposure combined with manual flash rear curtain sync produced the effect I required.

[Bobcock]

I had to post this one even though it's not a great shot..... this is taken with a 400mm lens with a 2X converter so 800mm..... incredibly difficult with the weight to take off a tripod and get reasonably still.... right at the very top of the pagoda.

[Bobcock]

[Dead Metal]

Quality, seems you have a good "eye" for photos, thanks for sharing.

[Butterfly]

great pics, bob, as usual

but to be honest, I found the monuments in those pics quite ugly and without much interests. All over SE Asia, you see the same things. IMO, the Rangoon Grand Pagoda are over rated.

The only interesting thing in those trips is to watch people in the streets or at the markets, maybe a few monks, but all those Asia monuments are quite dull.

I am amazed how European ancient architecture are far more interesting than those,

[Bower]

More great images, thank you.
I also appreciate the fact that the buildings, carvings etc stand up to close inspection, real quality in the craftsmanship.

[terry57]

^^

Wow Butters, I thought they where stunning.

Just as well we are all different or there would be no monuments at all in this world.

[Bobcock]

Next morning we took a walk to another temple not far from our hotel. Along the road there was a lot of trading going on.





The first pagoda of the day was the Nga Htat Gyi Pagoda, located up on a hill just north of Bogyoke Park. We paid a two dollar entry fee, but were presented with a bottle of water and a warm greeting.

There isn't a huge amount there to be honest other than a rather large buddah wearing a nice shade of blue eyeliner and a natty waistcoat.

[Bobcock]

Just a short walk over the road is the Chauk Ntata Gyi Pagoda which again is somewhat plain other than a large reclining buddah which again is wearing a nice blue shade of eye makeup.

[ossierob]

Great photography Bob....you have become quite the master of capturing detail I reckon

[Phuketrichard]

the girls photo at the top post 24 is very very nice, one of ur best

also the one for the girl under circle line looking out the train window [post 23

I am heading to Mandalay in Jan, Haven't been to burma since 1988 an looking forward to seeing if there have been any chnages.

[somtamslap]

Good skills Bob.

The food pic in post 32 is stunning.

I want to nick it.

[terry57]

Bobs Photos are Quite inspiring.

He has the eye and the enthusiasm, also has the top quality camera Equipment, a match made in heaven.

There is another part of it though. This is too have the enthusiasm to actually put in the hard yards as a tourist or traveler.

Walk the streets, get amoungst the locals and away from the tourists

The best photo's just don't jump out at one by sitting in a tour bus full of tourists.

Look at Bob's photo's, Some of his best are pics of people.

These are the essence of a great Photographer.

Nice work Bob.

I must get my Mandalay thread up.

[Bobcock]

If I take two days off from work combined with the Bank Holidays at the biginning ogf december i can get a 6 day trip somewhere.......

The kids are in school so the wife has said she doesn't mind if I go off alone somewhere.....

Too long for Mandalay,.... maybe combine with Bagan?....or.....

I'm thinking Calcutta or maybe Varanasi (Benares).....

I'll think next week.... this weekend is Phnom Penh....

[terry57]

^

I've done 3 trips to India but have never been to Calcutta. My traveling partner and myself will be kicking off our next trip in India from Calcutta in January.

I have some incredible Pics from India on hard copy.

Need to scan them up on Teakdoor.

[Bobcock]

India is the photographers dream. I've been to Calcutta once, 1989