2015 - THE IRRAWADY of MYANMAR - Sale

STILL HEADING NORTH - WE ARE APPROACHING SALE & THE START OF THE PAGODA TRAIL - LOTS OF PAGODAS ..

THE ENCAMPMENT BEHIND THAT PAGODA IS WHERE PEOPLE ARE EXTRACTING OIL ..

AND THESE DO INDEED LOOK LIKE OIL CANS ..

UP ON THE HILL IS WHERE WE ARE HEADING ..

PILGRIMS ARRIVING ..

ADDS A WHOLE NEW MEANING TO THE EXPRESSION ' GASSING UP '

WE HAVE NOT REACHED THE SUMMIT YET BUT TAKE A SIDE TURNING TO SEE THESE PLACES ...

NOW WE ARE AT THE TOP ...

SOME OFFERINGS ...

A PASSENGER, WHOSE NAME WILL COME BACK TO ME - ONE OF A PARTY OF SIX, TWO LIVE IN THE UK & FOUR OWN A TEA PLANTATION IN KENYA.

NOTE THE BARE FEET. AT EVERY PAGODA EVERYONE GOES BARE FOOTED.

AND MY GIRL IN YELLOW .. MAKE THAT GIRLS IN YELLOW .. LOTS OF THEM UP HERE ..

LOOKING DOWN FROM ONE PAGODA TO ANOTHER ..

HERE'S A SEQUENCE OF PHOTOS SHOWING EXACTLY WHAT I MEAN ABOUT MYANMAR GIRLS NOT SMILING.

THIS ONE - A COUPLE OF SHY LITTLE GIGGLES ..

NOW THEY ARE ALL SMILING -- VERY NICE, GIRLS ..

AND ONE LOOKS AT ME AND THE SMILE DISAPPEARS ..

AND I SAY THE MAGIC WORD 'MINGALABA' & THE SMILES RETURN ..

CAN YOU SMELL THE INCENSE BURNING ..

ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT MYANMAR IS THAT THERE ARE SO FEW WESTERN TOURISTS, THE PLACES WE GO TO ARE FILLED WITH REAL PEOPLE. PEOPLE GOING ABOUT THERE LIVES, VISITING THE PAGODAS NOT JUST FOR A PHOTO OPPORTUNITY .. BUT AS PART OF THEIR RELIGION, THEIR WAY OF LIFE ..

WE ARE BACK NEAR THE BOAT NOW & ARE TREATED TO A LITTLE THEATER & MUSIC ..

PILGRIMS ON THE WAY HOME .. LOTS OF YELLOW HERE TOO ..

DID WE SEE THE GIRL IN ORANGE TWO DAYS AGO? MAYBE WE ARE FOLLOWING HER AROUND ..

IT WAS ADVERTISED THAT WE WOULD TRAVEL BY JEEP BUT IN THE EVENT HAD A MORE COMFORTABLE CAR ... ===Your subheading here...===