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Rollercoasters
My last stop in Myanmar surprised me so much. My travel fatigue was blasted away by Yangon in an instant. The city bursts many colonial style buildings and sometimes feels like Budapest or Barcelona when I strolled through the alleys and streets. The rollercoaster ride of my emotions culminated in a 14Km day long stroll…
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Worshipping Ganesha
The night I came back from the monasteries I watched the movie “Victor Frankenstein” in a small tea shop across the street of my hotel. When I left, the sound of drums and flutes came to my ear. I walked down the alley only to find me in a procession of Hinduists worshipping a truck loaded…
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Monasteries and thoughts
I am in Mwalamyine (Moulmein) right now. When I arrived here by boat some two days ago I was already feeling it. The cruise down the river impressed me no question, but the euphoria appeared very tuned down. The day after it hit me like a brick. Travel fatigue. This must sound strange to all…
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The tributes of Hpa-an
We arrived to Hpa-an (thank you Danny for the tip) after visiting the Golden rock further north. The small town is very quiet and the scenery on the shore of the crossing Thanlyin river compensates for the stress of traveling from Nyaungshwe all the way down south. The environment of Hpa-an is defined by huge…
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Gravital paradoxon aka the golden rock
After arriving to the top it is a short 10 minute walk to the pagoda itself. You can make the rest of the way in a palanquin if you’re not up to the walking. The pagoda itself is a spectacular sight. Legend says the rock is held only in place by two hairs of Buddha…
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Lotus Weaving and Cheroot Cigars
People on and near the lake produce a variety of goods that are not be found elsewhere in the world. Shops spin and weave a yarn made out of Lotus fibers. The fibers are manually collected from the stems of the lotus flowers and the process is very laborious. The price of the fabric produced…
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Pagoda market on Inle Lake
Southeast Asia really is a gem to see loads of local markets. When we explored the Inle lake we were able to visit one of the bigger local markets on the lake which takes place near the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda on Saturdays. Fishermen are selling their catch of the day as well as local farmers…