Firm but fair?
Public transport
The whole village came to make sure we were comfortable in their church.
Weird bikes draw a crowd
Totally tropical
The last bit of tarmac before Kalewa
Noodles and soup. You did want soup didn’t you?
Ox carts get their own lane
Longhis and leather jackets, A classic combination
“How do I look?” “OK OK”
Where do we start?
Waiting for the boat in Kalywa
The floating buffet
Loading up
Enjoying the cruise
Temple containing half a million Buddha statues (we didn’t count them)
Good roads and gold road signs
Thanboddhay Pagoda
Disco Buddha
Max loves to get a tow
….for a unique scarlet smile.
Especially if the driver gives out free melons
Our “rubbish” accommodation for the night
Bagan
Max enjoys the view
Typical Burmese straw house
Mount Popa
Aunh San Suu Kyi, the expectation is huge
Nats
A monk taking a photo of us taking a photo of him
A monkey with his “joint” – a twist of paper containing food
Meditating monkey
The Burmese love whisky and cigars, especially at breakfast.
Golden duck barge monastery
Birthday boy
Roadside water urns were everywhere if we got thirst
Cosy pagoda
Monks off to collect their alms
Fisherman on Inle Lake
Fisherman
Kopan monastery
Long necked women
Long necked woman
Adding gold leaf to amorphous blobs. There’s a Buddha in there somewhere.
Full throttle ahead for the weir.
Stupas at Inthein
Stupas at Inthein
Bikes on a boat
Houses on stilts, Lake Inle
Young monks washing in Lake Inle
Steep hills on the road to Naypyidaw
Monks make great hosts
Temple accommodation
Myanmar: a country with the most smiles and some of the worst teeth
The white face paint is made from wood pulp and serves as makeup and sunscreen
16 lane highway in Naypyidaw
White elephants.
An elusive market
Sugar cane being put through a mangle to make our new refreshment of choice: sugar cane juice.
Sugar cane juice
Burak, our host in Naypyidaw
Workers sweeping the central reservation on a deserted highway
Deep fried breakfast
..which are then wrapped with tobacco and chewed.
Christmas in Myanmar
Buddha reclines. Kirsty stands.
Hey You!
In front of the football
Pom pom hats
Pom pom hats
The old, long snake that once was a monk in Bago
Python worshippers
Always watching
Temple in Bago
Bago children resplendent in thanaka face paint
Muslim children in Bago
Christmas day in
Hiking with a hand/head bag
Colourful, tasty and we have no idea what it is.
Into the melee
The Golden Rock
Thousands of people camped out on the mountain top. It looked like a refugee camp.
Riding in style
Riding through the crowd to the golden rock
Keep your arms and legs inside the truck at all times
Into Karen State
To the Bat Cave Robin!
Jens (on the right, not dressed in gold) and Max
Bats at dusk
M to the O to the N to the K
The road to Sadan cave
Rock carvings, Sadan Cave
Buddha maintenance in Sadan Cave
Boat ride, Sadan Cave
Another Buddha being built, near Mawlamyine
Insurance
Health and safety…
Buddha’s eye view
The ‘Death Railway’
Warm greetings into our next state
The Andaman Sea
Sunset dip
Kids on the beach
Paper lanterns sail off into the New Year
Drying betel nuts
The ladies wear pink
The end of the ‘good’ road
Night time protection
Our military hosts on the way to the border
Dusty hills
Our last evening in Myanmar
The remote border crossing to Thailand
