Myanmar 2011

[WujouMao]

Looks like a Christian Chapel


Gubyaukgyi


Thabeik Hmauk






Dhammayangyi Pahto. 12th century


top stairs are closed to visitors. so best seen from outside where you can see its size


Sulamani Paya. Built in 1181










A few more paintings










Rural countryside




Buddha inside Leimyethna Paya. Sadly the rest of the paintings are new and look like they have been painted by a blind elephant.




Tayok Pye Paya








Looks strangely Chinese in style


Payathonzu. Has 13 Century murals inside. Also has a 'Don't take photo sign too, but everyone was having a nap outside, even the painters.










Tons of square shaped buildings

[Scottish Gary]

Interesting pictures.
I would like to visit Burma but my conscience wouldnt let me. To much oppression and i couldn't enjoy myself knowing what the local people around me were going through.

[khmen]

^Well, sanctions and isolation have'nt exactly changed things for the better have they? Personally, I'd not hesitate to visit and try and put the cash I spend in local's, not the governments, pockets. The more visitors the better IMO.

Again, great thread Wujou.

[WujouMao]

Interesting pictures.
I would like to visit Burma but my conscience wouldnt let me. To much oppression and i couldn't enjoy myself knowing what the local people around me were going through.

It's taken me 4 bloody years to make up my mind to go. Sure the people are not as friendly as they are in other parts of Asia. They are more shy to talk to strangers, or are afraid people are reporting on them to the secret police. The locals in Hsipaw tend not to talk as much as they did in 2007, before the last Shan prince was arrested.

^Well, sanctions and isolation have'nt exactly changed things for the better have they? Personally, I'd not hesitate to visit and try and put the cash I spend in local's, not the governments, pockets. The more visitors the better IMO.

Again, great thread Wujou.

Well said. Only money that went to the government from me was my Visa, $5 to enter Shewdagon, $5 for Inle Lake, $10 for Bagan and $4 for a really slow boat to Bagan from Mandalay.



Strange, you would expect to see Ogres and what not on Christian Churches of Old, not Buddhist temples.




Some wonderful paintings inside Tayok Pye Paya






Had to lie in the pigeon crap for these two










Buddha with flames around him




Old Burmese or Pali writing


Thambula Paya Palace wall. Payathonzu at the end of the wall


Thambula Paya on the left


Thambula Buddha. Temple was locked


Odd shaped Temples




The closest i've got to seeing rubies and other gems


My last photo of Bagan. Its another fake 7-11. Look ot the right of the picture, the internet cafe


Now on a long bloody road trip to Inle Lake. Make sure you buy your bus tickets 24 hours ahead or you'll end up doing what i have done.


Road fixing Burmse style. They just add a small portion of tar and then a thin layer or small stones on top and volia!


WTF are they doing??


Transfered to this. I thankfully sat in the front. double money, but better.


Heavy weight as my Burmese passenger said to me.


Came across millions of Teak logs by the side of the road. Stretched for miles.




Morning of Inle. Seems the rain followed me from Bagan














Never did ask what the bamboo thing is for.






Tea leaves






I would normally say i'll eat anything once within reason. This is one of the reasons.


Thought they were tomatoes till closer inspection. Best thing i could do with them is feed it to pigs.








Hand made fags. Forgot to buy some for home.


Iron works


Not a toe nail clipper as i thought. More of a nut cracker in the form of a fish


Silver works


Selling "cheaper" silver right outside the workshop!




One of many floating villages on Inle Lake






Burmese snooker




Leg rower


Hitting the water to scare fish to swim into their nets

[Mid]

Only money that went to the government from me

Forgive me but I'll take issue with this statement , whilst I have enjoyed your pics and I appreciate the sediment of tourists attempting to patronise the locals as opposed to the junta dogs , you really don't know exactly how much of your money ended up in junta dogs pockets through legal and illegal fees , licences and so forth that the locals you patronised are extorted for .

I'm not berating you for travelling there just pointing out that junta dog has his paws into every facet of the locals lives

[WujouMao]

Another market in Inle before a 26 hour bus ride to Mawlamyine!


Who knows what they are for




Soy beans i think








Bus stop on the Inle Lake - Yangon trip


I refrained from eating bugs on this trip


Nice name for a bus company


Got to Yagon at stupid o'clock in the morning. [4], Had to wait until 7am for my other bus to Mawlamyine, another 10 hours or so....


well that's delayed us a bit


Sadly the "new tyre" wasn't much cop either


I sat around and noticed her making her mats with all the other bus passengers sitting down playing the waiting game.


Next day i went to Nwa-la Ba Pagoda, 12 miles north of Mawlamyine




Some nice views of the valley below

[WujouMao]

Only money that went to the government from me

Forgive me but I'll take issue with this statement , whilst I have enjoyed your pics and I appreciate the sediment of tourists attempting to patronise the locals as opposed to the junta dogs , you really don't know exactly how much of your money ended up in junta dogs pockets through legal and illegal fees , licences and so forth that the locals you patronised are extorted for .

I'm not berating you for travelling there just pointing out that junta dog has his paws into every facet of the locals lives

True, i know that. I love drinking Myanmar beer, but who knows if its a side company with joint ventures with the Junta? Seems the locals drink it too, not to mention Chang, Singha and Tiger.

I'm just saying that's all the money WHICH i knew went to the Junta. As for the other stuff, who knows. But i only stayed in guesthouses not government owned. Didn't pay the bridge toll at every bridge we came too. As for the bigger bus companies, and trains, who knows.

I could of flown everywhere if i wanted too and that would of all gone to the Junta. I just tried to limit my spending on what the Junta gets. The Junta get more from the Chinese digging for Steel and other shit like that.

Its ok, i'm not planning on going back there anytime soon. Its about as likeable as Vietnam.

But i do understand what the locals have been going through. Ever since i heard about Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from my guide book 4 years ago, i've been going to Irrawaddy.org every other day to read about the news of whats happening in Karen state etc. So i do feel for the people and i have apologised to a few of the people i had a few quiet words with to say i'm sorry for how the British treated you when we colonised you.

Maybe if the British didnt come stumbling in, the Military wouldnt be in power now. But who knows.









Unlike the Lacquered Bamboo Buddha in Little Bagan, Hsipaw, This is still just Bamboo. Taung Pauk Kyaung [Bamboo thread Buddha image]


Win Sein Taw Ya, Its 560ft long. still being made after 20 years!!


Entrance to the hillside is a long row of standing Buddha statues.


Inside are some statues about early life, i think


And some vision of hell. As the Buddha isnt finished, there's still dust floating around and no lights








I wonder what the monks think of this? Mind you, i had to use flash as it was very dark in there. And there's pussy hair too!!!


As i said, still not finished




Some random pics around Mawlamyine








A rather curvy Buddha, with lighting in the correct place for a cigarette


Buddha resembles the one in Yangon


Got his dick hanging out?


When is a tree not a tree? When its a Chimney


Kaladan Mosque


Soorti Sunni Jamai Mosque


Small Tuk-Tuks outside the market

[WujouMao]

Next day i found a motorcyclist to take me to Saddar Cave












Lake at the back of the cave.


Then took a ride out to Kawgun Cave. A secret gallery of sculpture and cave art dating from 7th Century.














Look at the "Chinese face mask" at the top






Inside the cave are lots of Stalagmites & stalactites, some as big as trucks








Selection of "ghosts"






Directly above me










On the way back to Mawlamyine, a few more pics






I risked taking this photo. Thankfully not another bike or car or any Junta to notice. Anyway, not a good road to cross on a motorbike


They use ladders to climb coconut trees over here


Kyauk Kalap




Public market in Mawlamyine. There's 3 markets all in the same area.


Some red bananas. Actually pretty tasty too.






Things for Monks


Bitter nuts




Something else you wont really see in Thailand. Its a Bangladesh thing


Kept staring at me. Never said a word, not even in Burmese










Sausages i think


Dried fish heads




Tribal Mon Med???


Fish i think








Skinned frog leg


Don't ask what the black 'fur' is. I dont know




Thought they were eels, but its a type of fish


These trucks are more present in Mawlamyine than anywhere else in the country

[WujouMao]

Some more old trucks. A good eye can tell what they are








Like the stop sign on the lights at the back


Back at my guesthouse in Mawlamyine


My Muslim motorcyclist clearly struggling with an exhaust pipe that's got going to fit on his bike. Muppet!


But he does drink beer. Note the Myanmar Beer poster on the wall. What's it say about European Lager?






Back of Daddies Place, Yangon.


Front of Daddies Place, Nice pavement

[buycondojomtien]

Sad, can't see your photos now, maybe tomorrow ?

It says Bandwidth exceeded instead of showing the photos.

[bobo746]

^ same same ??

[UdornLA]

ditto, what is your account name on photobucket, would love to view you pics, thanks

[diaomaa]

I have been to some of these places.
Really good to see it all again. Thanks.

[WujouMao]

ditto, what is your account name on photobucket, would love to view you pics, thanks

http://s541.photobucket.com/albums/g...yanmar%202011/

Bagan - http://s541.photobucket.com/albums/g...%202011/Bagan/

Start from page 10, which is the beginning. also have the sub folder Bagan in there too

my name of photobucket is wujou_mao

[UdornLA]

thanks, excellent pics, looks cleaner than parts of thailand, except all the damn pigeons in one pic, LOL. like the old trucks, amazing what still runs here and there.

[WujouMao]

thanks, excellent pics, looks cleaner than parts of thailand, except all the damn pigeons in one pic, LOL. like the old trucks, amazing what still runs here and there.

Yea the old trucks were grand. still running after 70 years!!

Lots of Chevrolet there in Mawlamyine. Only saw the one Morris next to the Chevrolet though.

[YorkshireMan]

Yea, a good bunch of photo's. Really captured the flavour, good on yer mate!

[cdnski12]

Great Pics. One wonders how they could ever find enough money to construct so many Temples In Myanmar over the centuries. Even more amazing is that these Temples were not leveled by earthquakes, or the many wars over 1000 years! Did you have to carry a lot of small denomination USD? Could you change Thai Bhat everywhere? Liked the old Chevy & Morris Trucks (thot it looked Pommy). Probably ex Military leftovers from WW2?

[WujouMao]

Great Pics. One wonders how they could ever find enough money to construct so many Temples In Myanmar over the centuries. Even more amazing is that these Temples were not leveled by earthquakes, or the many wars over 1000 years! Did you have to carry a lot of small denomination USD? Could you change Thai Bhat everywhere? Liked the old Chevy & Morris Trucks (thot it looked Pommy). Probably ex Military leftovers from WW2?

No doubt like nowadays they used forced labour to build the temples. Most of these Temples are from the 6-13 century.

During the last major earthquake, some 2000 temples with either destroyed, leaning over or the tops have broken off the lesser stupas.

As for money, you have to bring MINT USD with you. A $100 bill gives a better exchange rate than a 20. Certain guesthouses in Yangon can exchange at the unofficial exchange rate. Keeps going down daily.

When i went there, $1 = 855 kyat. When i left and was able to check in on irawaddy.org the rate was 825, or 17 days ago.

2 years ago when my book was published, it was 1200 kyat to $1.

Now back to the notes. They have to be mint, with a capital M. No crease notes, no markings, no tears, no specks like you get on aged paper. The slightest tear in a note would render it useless. I had a $100 note rejected cos it has a 2mm grey scratch on the mustache om the bloke on the note. Looked part of the note, but he still wouldn't take it. Some folks or money exchangers in Mandalay were less fuzzy, but then again the rate was also much lower. Compare 855 in Yangon and 830 in Mandalay.

For one month i spent about $700.

[Neo]

A thread so good it nearly crashed my browser!

This reclining Buddha is superb, better than the one in Wat Po, Bangkok.. IMO


and this picture is sublime...


I tend to get 'templed out' very quickly, but the brick built ones are fascinating.

Thanks for sharing.

[porno frank]

Good job. One of the most interesting set of photos i seen i a while. From the Buddhist temples to the countryside and villlage shots.

[serene1]

Good job. One of the most interesting set of photos i seen i a while. From the Buddhist temples to the countryside and villlage shots.

Ditto. Really makes you want to go there. Thanks.

[blackorchid]

Wow! Great Pictures, Thanks, really enjoyed looking at them. Really portray
the real Burma, the food in your pics does not look too appetizing, but actually
burmese food is very tasty once you acquire the taste.
The muslim grave stone, using expiring is funny, after renewal like a passport, it
will come alive or something, ha ha. But actually I think it is The Kings enlish
sort of. As for the snakes, we can across the same in Phyapone, the python's
fir sine reason like to coil themselves on the Buddha statue.
Also I love that reflection of Mandalay mote on the water, the relection looks
more real than the actual picture. You should enter these pics in a photo
competition. I hope you enjoyed the Burmese Thingyan. I downloaded some
pictures, I hope you don't mind. Thanks, I will visti this page again.

[WujouMao]

Wow! Great Pictures, Thanks, really enjoyed looking at them. Really portray
the real Burma, the food in your pics does not look too appetizing, but actually
burmese food is very tasty once you acquire the taste.
The muslim grave stone, using expiring is funny, after renewal like a passport, it
will come alive or something, ha ha. But actually I think it is The Kings enlish
sort of. As for the snakes, we can across the same in Phyapone, the python's
fir sine reason like to coil themselves on the Buddha statue.
Also I love that reflection of Mandalay mote on the water, the relection looks
more real than the actual picture. You should enter these pics in a photo
competition. I hope you enjoyed the Burmese Thingyan. I downloaded some
pictures, I hope you don't mind. Thanks, I will visti this page again.

The water festival was great fun. I've had the same effect in Thailand, but never had the party around a moat before. As for the hangover in the morning, it was a killer.

[sangsom]

Nice pics, I'm going next month, Got any suggestions for places to stay in Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay and lake Inle? Don't mind paying up to $30-40, a bit more in yangon.

Also any info on Yangon nightlife? Any good places for hooking up with chicks, paid for or otherwise?