The group has all arrived in Yangon and we have started our 2010 Amazing Myanmar Photo Tour! Our first stop of the day was Yangon’s famous Shwedegon Pagoda, the largest and most important Buddhist in Myanmar.
Buddha images are everywhere, as are students, families, monks and the devout, praying, playing and enjoying the pagoda complex.
As we were leaving, on of the ticket collectors was sitting near an open door. The light was fantastic, so we were able to make several nice portraits. (see below)
After visiting Shwedegon Pagoda, we headed for Bago, the former capitol of the Mon and Burmese people dating from the 6th century AD. Bago is about 2 hours drive from Yangon.
On arrival in Bago, we visited Kyakhatwine Monestary, a little gem of a place, that our trusty local guide MM found for us. Kyakhatwine mosestary was devoid of tourists, and we had the opportunity to photograph the monks, lining up for lunch, and also took some time to interact with them in the dormitories. The monks, and novice monks were happy to be photographed and to practice their English.
We also visited a small local market where vendors, artisans and shopkeepers were working and selling goods. The lighting was fantastic!
In the late afternoon we returned by private bus to Yangon and spent an hour, revisiting Shwedgon pagoda, which is quite different at night!
We’re off to a great start with a wonderful group of fellow travelers. Stay tuned for more images and an update on our tour. Again, we wish you were here!
