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Postcards from Burma: Famous Sites and Cultural Icons

1/12/2016

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By John Roberts 

Burma is an enchanting land in the middle of a transformation. After decades of harsh rule under a military junta, the Burmese people are riding a wave of optimism as the country, also known as Myanmar, transitions toward a more open relationship with the Western world, and a new government promises more political and economic freedoms.  


I was lucky to visit Burma during an adventurous Irrawaddy River cruise with Avalon Waterways on its new ship Avalon Myanmar. It was an amazing experience, seeing a land with such a unique history and people unfailingly friendly and welcoming. Most Burmese people are as interested in new visitors to their little-seen farming and crafts trade villages as we are in seeing how they live and their proud traditions.  


In a five-part series on In The Loop Travel, I will offer my "Postcards of Burma" to showcase the country and its beautiful people. The series highlights photos that depict Burma's Children, Beliefs, Agriculture, Daily Life and Cultural Touchstones. 


Please enjoy, and always travel happy!
JR

Part 5: Cultural Touchstones

Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Burma, Myanmar
Shwedagon Pagoda is perhaps the most noted landmark in Yangon. The 325-foot-tall structure is among the most sacred sites in Burma and sits on Singuttara Hill. The centerpiece of a massive complex filled with numerous shrines and symbols of Buddhist faith, Shwedagon Pagoda is covered in gold and features a main spire said to contain 4,531 diamonds, including a single 72-carat gem at the top.
A vendor prepares betel leaves to sell at his open-air stand in Yangon, Burma (Myanmar)
A vendor prepares betel leaves to sell at his open-air stand in Yangon. A large portion of the Burmese population -- men, women, teens -- chew betel leaf. A popular preparation involves coating the leaf with lime paste and wrapping this around a chunk of areca nut. This induces a narcotic effect and is highly addictive. Red-stained toothy smiles greet you at every turn and are a clear sign you have met an avid chewer.
A banner displays the picture of Aung San Suu Kyi at a market in the village of Bhamo in Burma (Myanmar).
The image of national hero, Nobel Peace Prize winner and leader of Burma's National League for Democracy political party Aung San Suu Kyi hangs over a market in Bhamo, a village at the northern end on the Irrawaddy River. Burmese refer to Suu Kyi as "The Lady," and she has gained even more influence since her party won control of the government after a decades-long rule of the military.
Morning mist rises on the Irrawaddy River in Burma (Myanmar)
Early morning on the Irrawaddy River's northern reaches typically emits a ghostly calm as the mist rises and another day begins. The 1,300-mile river splits through the middle of Burma and plays a crucial role in the country's economy, culture and history. The river's alluvial plains provide rich soil for farming communities growing wheat, cotton, peanuts and rice, among other crops. The waters are vital for transporting goods and hold more than three dozen fish species as well as the rare Irrawaddy dolphin.
A fisherman starts at sunrise in the Irrawaddy River just south of the village of Bhamo, Myanmar
A fisherman starts at sunrise in the Irrawaddy River just south of the village of Bhamo. Fishermen have been making a living on the waters on the Irrawaddy River for centuries, delivering catches to village markets daily.
A large elephant greets visitors at an elephant camp in a teak forest outside the village of Katha, Burma (Myanmar)
A large elephant greets visitors at an elephant camp in a teak forest outside the village of Katha. Elephants are a symbol of mental and physical strength in Burma. The former logging camp is home to dozens of animals retired from the logging industry as well as pregnant elephants and youngsters who are receiving care under the guidance of a veterinarian. The facility allows tourism, in the form of short rides and interaction with the creatures, to offset expenses of care and food for the retired elephants, who might otherwise be released into the wild or euthanized.
Another popular place to view sunset and a cultural icon is the spectacular plains of Bagan in Burma (Myanmar)
Another popular place to view sunset and a cultural icon is the spectacular plains of Bagan on which more than 2,000 stone temples, shrines and stupas sit. The religious structures are connected with a series of dirt roads and trails within the Bagan Archaeological Zone. About 10 centuries ago, Bagan's wealthy rulers paid to construct the monuments in a bid to gain fortune from Buddha, and it is estimated that more than 10,000 were built.
U Bein Bridge, a 1.2 kilometer span that is made from reclaimed teak wood, over Taungthama Lake, a destination at sunset in Amarapura in Burma (Myanmar)
The iconic U Bein Bridge, a 1.2 kilometer span that is made from reclaimed teak wood, is an extremely popular destination at sunset. Sampan boaters take visitors around Taungthaman Lake in Amarapura and settle in for unforgettable views as the sun drops beyond the bridge as people walk across, many of them monks returning to their monasteries after their day's activities.
Shwezigon Pagoda in Bagan, Burma (Myanmar)
Bagan's golden Shwezigon Pagoda shines impressively in the midday sun. The famous Buddhist temple was completed in 1102 and is said to have a bone and tooth of Gautama Buddha (Siddhartha) enshrined in its structure.
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Postcards from Burma: The Rhythm of Daily Life

1/6/2016

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By John Roberts 

Burma is an enchanting land in the middle of a transformation. After decades of harsh rule under a military junta, the Burmese people are riding a wave of optimism as the country, also known as Myanmar, transitions toward a more open relationship with the Western world, and a new government promises more political and economic freedoms.  


I was lucky to visit Burma during an adventurous Irrawaddy River cruise with Avalon Waterways on its new ship Avalon Myanmar. It was an amazing experience, seeing a land with such a unique history and people unfailingly friendly and welcoming. Most Burmese people are as interested in new visitors to their little-seen farming and crafts trade villages as we are in seeing how they live and their proud traditions.  


In a five-part series on In The Loop Travel, I will offer my "Postcards of Burma" to showcase the country and its beautiful people. The series highlights photos that depict Burma's Children, Beliefs, Agriculture, Daily Life and Cultural Touchstones. 


Please enjoy, and always travel happy!
JR

Part 4: Daily Life

A fishmonger's wife on the island on Kyundaw in Burma
A fishmonger's wife carries baskets and pots through the village of Kyundaw on the Irrawaddy River. The fishing village of about 250 families is considered one of the more well-off spots in the northern region of Burma. 
Buddhist monks arrive in the street of Katha in Burma for daily alms at daybreak
Buddhist monks take to the streets at daybreak in the village of Katha in a ritual that plays out all over the country. Monks in Burma come out to receive alms because they rely on the charity of villagers for their meals.
Oxcart oxen in ceremonial dress with oxcart driver in Bagan, Burma
Oxen are covered in ceremonial dress. The animals are decorated and used to pull carts for important ceremonies, such as funeral rites, weddings and novitiation ceremonies for young Buddhist monks.
A woman prepares fish to sell at a market in Katha, Burma
A woman cuts up tiny fish at a market in Katha. Markets are crucial to daily life in Burma because of the lack of refrigeration. People typically head to the market twice a day to get fresh food for their family meals.
A raft of bamboo logs floats on the Irrawaddy River in Burma
A large raft made of tied together bamboo logs floats along the Irrawaddy River. Workers collect bamboo upriver and float the rafts down to Mandalay to deliver the commodity to market. Rafts such as this can hold sleeping quarters and small structures as people live on them for two weeks or more while floating downriver.
A woman helps her father craft a clay pot in the village of Kyauk Myaung in Burma
A woman and her father work together to make large pottery jars. The Alibaba jars are the primary industry in the village of Kyauk Myaung. Most of the 15,000 residents work in the industry. This woman went to college to receive a degree in physics but returned home to help her family. 
Workers apply black lacquer to crafts at a shop in Bagan, Burma
Workers in a lacquerware workshop in Bagan apply the black shiny coating to crafts made with fine strips and coils of bamboo. Lacquerware is a top industry in Bagan, which from the ninth to 13th centuries was the capital of the empire that would unite what is modern Burma.
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Postcards from Burma: Agriculture Drives the Economy

12/31/2015

2 Comments

 
By John Roberts 

Burma is an enchanting land in the middle of a transformation. After decades of harsh rule under a military junta, the Burmese people are riding a wave of optimism as the country, also known as Myanmar, transitions toward a more open relationship with the Western world, and a new government promises more political and economic freedoms.  


I was lucky to visit Burma during an adventurous Irrawaddy River cruise with Avalon Waterways on its new ship Avalon Myanmar. It was an amazing experience, seeing a land with such a unique history and people unfailingly friendly and welcoming. Most Burmese people are as interested in new visitors to their little-seen farming and crafts trade villages as we are in seeing how they live and their proud traditions.  


In a five-part series on In The Loop Travel, I will offer my "Postcards of Burma" to showcase the country and its beautiful people. The series highlights photos that depict Burma's Children, Beliefs, Agriculture, Daily Life and Cultural Touchstones. 


Please enjoy, and always travel happy!
JR
 

Part 3: Agriculture

A farmer drives oxen hauling hay across a sandy beach on the island of Kyundaw in the Irrawaddy River in Burma
A farmer drives oxen hauling hay across a sandy beach on the island of Kyundaw in the Irrawaddy River. Agriculture accounts for about 60 percent of the economy, with farmers growing rice, peanuts, corn, sesame oil, palm oil, cotton and sugarcane. 
A fisherman casts his net at dusk in a lake just outside Mandalay in Burma
A fisherman casts his net at dusk in a lake just outside Mandalay. Burmese fishermen have mastered the art of wading into shallow lakes and nabbing fish in nets. 
A fisherman gathers up his final catch of the day just before sunset in the shadow of U Bein Bridge on Taungthaman Lake in Amarapura in Burma
This happy fisherman gathers up his final catch of the day just before sunset in the shadow of U Bein Bridge on Taungthaman Lake in Amarapura.
A farmer brings his powerful and graceful white oxen to the water's edge for a dip and watering at the end of another day of labor in Amarapura in Burma
A farmer brings his powerful and graceful white oxen to the water's edge for a dip and watering at the end of another day of labor in Amarapura.
Youngsters in the village of Shwe Pyi Thar in Burma gather peanuts from vines. The village is a major producer of peanut products and candies made from toddy palm oil
Youngsters in the village of Shwe Pyi Thar gather peanuts from vines. The village is a major producer of peanut products and candies made from toddy palm oil, and almost everyone takes part in the work to keep things humming along. 
A farmer climbs a toddy palm tree to swap a pot that catches the sap that drips from a slit cut into the tree. The pot tender climbs twice a day to the top of as many as 30 trees to grab the bounty that is the key ingredient in the sweet treats are a traditional favorite found in most homes in Burma.
A farmer climbs a toddy palm tree to swap a pot that catches the sap that drips from a slit cut into the tree. The pot tender climbs twice a day to the top of as many as 30 trees to grab the bounty that is the key ingredient in the sweet treats that are a traditional favorite found in most homes in Burma. 
Women use flat baskets to toss peanuts to remove dust and husks in the village of Shwe Pyi Thar in Burma
Women use flat baskets to toss peanuts to remove dust and husks. The village of Shwe Pyi Thar buzzes with activity throughout the day as children play, farmers tend to animals and workers produce candies and peanut products. 
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