Burma (Myanmar) Gallery

This was the real reason for my visit to Burma. To see for myself the wonder that is Shwedagon. The entire stupa is covered with plates of gold and tonnes of gold leaf. The top is encrusted with thousands of diamonds and other precious stones, the very tip being a single 76-carat diamond. This image best demonstrates the scale of the mighty stupa, dwarfing nearby streetlights and vehicles.

Four covered walkways lead up to the vast platform on which Shwedagon stands. This is the southern entrance, guarded by two imposing half lion - half dragon figures.

This was taken on my very first day in Yangon. Late afternoon, bright sunshine. I decided to wait until the following morning before I climbed up the stairway to the main platform. Big mistake. It was wet and grey for the remainder of my stay in Yangon. Even in the rain, though, it was a wonderful experience to walk around the many shrines, stupas, statues, and pavilions. But the miserable weather only allowed for some very mediocre photography.

Ananda Pahto is one of the best-preserved and most revered temples in Bagan. At each of the faces of its central square stands a 10-metre high gilded Buddha figure.

Another of the standing Buddha figures.

Over two thousand stupas and temples of all sorts of shapes and sizes are to be found in the 40 square kilometres known as the Bagan Archaeological Zone. Some, like Ananda Pahto, are world-renowned, while others are identified only by a simple number. The structures date from roughly the 10th to the middle of the 13th century, representing 240 years of religious zeal.

Sunset behind several Bagan temples.

It used to be possible to climb to the top terrace through a maze of inner passages. Now that honor is accorded only to visiting dignitaries and top military officials. This picture was taken through the doorway of a neighboring temple, Nathlaung Kyaung.

People in Bagan are incredibly friendly. Bicyclists shout 'hello' or 'good morning' as they pass by. Schoolchildren smile broadly. I met Aye-Aye and You-You (nine and ten years old) outside one of the larger temples. On their faces is a paste called thanaka, the local version of sunscreen.

Nyi-Nyi tried very hard to sell me some lacquerware, but her prices were a little too steep. She and her young cousin and some of their friends were very friendly and happily posed for photographs.

These two ladies were returning home after delivering lunch to men working in the fields. The 'paint' on their faces is called thanaka and is used to protect against the sun.

After days of waiting for the weather to improve, I had to take my last opportunity to go to Mt Popa, supposedly the core of an extinct volcano. The weather did not improve. In fact, the closer we got, the more it rained. Regardless, I was determined to climb up the steep winding walkway to the shrine at the top. I'm told that the views from the summit are spectacular. Visibility during my visit was down to a few feet.

You come across many monkeys on the steep climb up to the shrine at the top of Mt Popa. They are fed by the monks and by visitors. Although the monkeys are friendly and interesting, there is one unfortunate by-product of their presence. You have to remove your shoes at the entrance to the walkway at the base of the mountain. Which means that as you climb up, in the rain, your bare feet get covered in liquid monkey excrement. I had to wash my feet several times that evening.