anika & chuck - because i was wearing a knee-legth skirt, i had to borrow a sarong from the ticket counter to enter the Shwe Dagon. i liked my sarong!44 views
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a perfect spot to relax. the big golden peacock structure in the back on the other side of the lake is another floating restaurant42 views
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walking around Scotts market - huge place with warren of shops37 views
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us in Scotts market37 views
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these carvings were more mischievous looking than the regular serious ones37 views
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chuck liked this funky building with its stained glass like window panes36 views
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the Shwe Dagon is the main conical gold stupa in the back, although all the hundreds of temples set in a circle around make up the entire Shwe Dagon complex35 views
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Jeffrey (my uncle's driver) with Chuck. His mother's Scottish - she left when he was 15 around the time when Burma was closed off to the world and he never heard from her again. super nice guy (used to be in the army, hard to believe)35 views
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35 views
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monks hanging out35 views
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carved ceilings and walls of the stairway34 views
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close up of a temple pillar. you can see how much detail goes into each part of each temple34 views
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Chuck and I with Lubna Aunty (Khalu's wife) at the Commonwealth cemetary for the soldiers who died in World War II (very similar to the Mainamati commonwealth war cemetary in Bangladesh - i have pics of that in the Comilla section)34 views
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on the steps to the entrance of the great Shwe Dagon temple complex33 views
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praying at one of the many temples. people spend hours just sitting, hanging out, meditating, praying - it was really nice33 views
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many many buddhas meditating33 views
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this guy was literally hanging in a basket from the back of the truck on the highway, incredibly bizzare32 views
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you have to walk in a clockwise direction around the Shwe Dagon. there are areas for each day of the week - you light candles and give offerings for the day of the week you were born.31 views
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this woman is fanning the Buddha for merit (see the long string she's pulling that moves the fan over the buddha's head)31 views
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Chuck and Khalu (my uncle)31 views
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smiling vendors at the temple31 views
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chuck resting in the shade of a temple with some devotees30 views
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30 views
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chilling out with Myanmar beer, a long leisurely lunch by the lakeside. Yangon has many lakes, and wide tree-lined boulevards - such a green old-world city30 views
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Burmese are always celebrating some Buddhist festival - one of the most spiritual countries i've been in, their lives truly revolve around religion. it was full moon day, everything was closed, & here's someone in a costume collecting alms30 views
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29 views
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29 views
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this bell was stolen by the british (they loved looting artifacts). but it sank in the river & they were unable to pull it up. finally they told the burmese they could have their bell back; the burmese put logs under & floated it29 views
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29 views
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29 views
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