2015 - THE IRRAWADY of MYANMAR - Pagodas at Sagaing

HERE WE ARE, OFF UP INTO THE HILLS BEHIND SAGAING - BARBARA, ANN & NANCY ON THE LEFT, Mr SO HANGING ON BEHIND AND ARTHUR

ALTHOUGH I CAN DISTINCTLY REMEMBER ARTHUR HANGING ON OUTSIDE TOO - TOO MUCH BEER MAYBE.

THERE ARE SIX OF US IN THIS TRUCK - THEY SQUEEZE WHAT SEEMS TO BE TWENTY MYANMAR PILGRIMS INTO THE SAME SPACE ..

IT IS A BEAUTIFUL SPOT - COMING IN ON THE BOAT, ANN COUNTED 56 GOLDEN PAGODAS ON THE HILL BEFORE SHE GAVE UP COUNTING ..

THE RIVER IS SOMEWHERE DOWN THERE ..

UP HERE, IT'S ALL BUDDHA & PAGODAS ..

AND PILGRIMS .. YOUNG & NOT SO YOUNG ..

SOME SOUVENIRS FOR SALE ON THE STEPS LEADING DOWN ..

WE HAVE MOVED ON TO ANOTHER PAGODA NOW - HERE ARE SOME OFFERINGS ..

THERE ARE LIGHTS IN THE CROWN ABOVE THE BUDDHA, THEY CHANGE COLOUR & APPEAR TO MOVE ..

MORE COLOURED LIGHTS AROUND THE BUDDHA ..

AND SOMETHING FOR THE KIDDIES ..

MORE LADIES WANTING THERE PHOTO TAKEN WITH THE STRANGE TOURIST, ALTHOUGH THEY DID NOT WANT ONE WITH MIKE. NOT STRANGE ENOUGH I EXPECT..

OUT ON THE STREET NOW, THE GROUP HEADS IN ONE DIRECTION & I HEAD IN THE OTHER TO FIND SOME SHADE & A CUP OF TEA ..

WHICH I FIND AT THIS LITTLE SPOT ..

A FEW VERY YOUNG NUNS COLLECTING ALMS. THEY DO NOT GO OUT SO OFTEN AS THE MONKS - ONCE EVERY FEW DAYS.

FAR MORE NUNS HERE IN MYANMAR THAN I EVER SAW ANYWHERE ELSE IN SOUTH EAST ASIA ..

WE ARE NOW ABOUT TO ENTER A NUNNERY & ON THE BUS, I ASKED Mr SO WHAT THE RULES ARE FOR PHOTO TAKING INSIDE.

HIS ANSWER WAS THAT I WAS NOT PAYING ATTENTION FIFTEEN DAYS AGO WHEN HE SAID WE CAN TAKE PHOTOS OF ANYTHING & ANYONE WE LIKE & LET THEM SAY NO.

EVEN POLICE, EVEN MILITARY.

FIFTEEN DAYS AGO! I BARELY REMEMBER FIFTEEN MINUTES AGO.

JUST ABOUT THE FIRST THING WE SAW AS WE ENTERED WAS THE ABSOLUTE BEST PHOTO OPPORTUNITY I HAD THIS TRIP - & THERE WAS A SIGN -- NO PHOTOS HERE.

BUT HERE WE ARE IN THE NUNS KITCHEN & INTERRUPTING SOME GIRLS HAVING LUNCH .. & IT'S OK TO TAKE PHOTOS ..

THESE NUNS ARE SAYING A PRAYER FOR US - WE HAD JUST DONATED A FEW DOLLARS FOR THE NUNNERY BUT EXPECT THEY WOULD HAVE SAID A PRAYER FOR US ANYWAY.

WE HAD BEEN INVITED INTO THE DOORWAY BEHIND. IT LED TO THEIR LIVING QUARTERS & IN ONE ROOM THEIR ELDERLY MOTHER SUPERIOR WAS ASLEEP ON A BED UNDER MOSQUITO NETTING. THEY DID NOT NOT MIND OUR BEING IN THE ROOM EVEN THOUGH THE NUN WAS NOT WELL.

ON THE BUS I MANAGED TO GET A SHOT OF THE FORBIDDEN - IT'S SOME OF THE NUNS LOVELY PINK LAUNDRY HANGING ON A LINE. THAT LOOKED WONDERFUL BEHIND THE FORBIDDEN SIGN. IT WAS NOT THE LAUNDRY THAT WAS FORBIDDEN BUT THE NUNS BATHING AREA WAS JUST BEHIND, NOT VISIBLE IN THIS SHOT FROM THE STREET.

THINKING OF IT NOW, I SHOULD HAVE ASKED ONE OF THE NUNS TO PHOTOGRAPH THE LAUNDRY FOR ME.

LEAVING THE NUNS, WE GO SEE GOLD BEING HAMMERED INTO EVER MORE THIN LEAVES ..

MY DAILY GIRL IN YELLOW .. THEY WERE VERY CUTE & QUITE CHATTY TOO.

AFTER THE GOLD RUSH WE HEAD TO A WEAVING FACTORY - A FULL DAY THIS ..

... AND IT'S NOT OVER YET - SUNSET OVER THE U BEIN BRIDGE IS NEXT .. BUT I WILL LEAVE THAT FOR ANOTHER PAGE ..