Back to Yangon

We spent three nights at Inle Lake. The first full day we travelled by boat and visited various workshops some of which feature in the previous post. Of course there was also the odd pagoda and/or monastery to visit.

On the second day we went on what was described as a light trek organised by the hotel. As well as our guide, we had a Pa-O guide who was able to tell us a lot about village life in that area. I was impressed with the number of plants which had practical or medicinal uses.

Washing

Washing 

 These bamboo chairs look like Queensland Squatters chairs and are comfortable.

 The crumbling stupas at Indein which date from the 17th and 18thC, although some maybe  even older dating back to the time of Ashoka.

The famous five Buddha images at Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda on the shore of Inle Lake. They have had so much gold leaf applied that they are now just amorphous blobs.

 Nga Hpe Kyaung Monastery - also known as Jumping Cat Monastery as the monks have trained the cats to jump through hoops.

 Some of the cats relaxing.

Instead of jumping cats we saw part of a ceremony in which boys are dressed as princes, then have their heads shaved, spend the night in the monastery and exchange their attire for that of a monk, just as the historical Buddha did.

Nyaung Pin Pha village has its own sugar mill.

Crushing the cane.

Boiling and evaporating the sugar syrup to make molasses.

A cane cutter. The cutters earn about 2500 kyats a day ($3) which is good money..

 Winnowing the rice crop.

 The road we were following had been badly washed away and when we came to a stream still running over the road, we thought we would have to take off our shoes and socks, but fortuitously a bullock cart came by and we were able to hitch a ride through the water and mud. However on the stony rough road the solid wooden wheels and no springs mean the jolting makes for an uncomfortable ride but we were very grateful.

Our Pa-O guide carrying part of our lunch.

Cooking the vegetables for our lunch. Each morning, enough rice is cooked for the whole day. All cooking is over a wood fire but there is no chimney. The smoke escapes through a window.

Traffic between villages.

 However the buffaloes are being replaced by Chinese buffalo!

The oval windows of the teak ordination hall at the Shwe Yaunghwe Kyaung monastery.

Monks assembling before setting off to collect their food around the town.

 Back among high rise buidings in Yangon - food stalls outside the Bogyoke Aung San market.

Whipping up clothes in the market.

 In Yangon, the bus conductors lean out and shout out the direction/destination of their bus. 

We are back home in time for Christmas so there will be no more posts until we set off for another trip. Thanks for visiting my blog and I hope it has entertained you.