In the post Around Indawgyi Lake (part 1) I described the first part of my boat trip around Indawgyi Lake, up to our arrival at Nyaung Bin just after 3.00 p.m.
The main shopping area was formed of terraces of small shops, goods displayed across the raised floor fronting the dirt street, protected by awnings supported on bamboo poles. As usual, the range of goods on offer was extensive. The small cheroots and clay dish candleholders I saw were probably locally made but most manufactured items, from wellingtons to children's toys, were imported from China.
Indawgyi Lake (part 2): Shopping centre, Nyaung Bin.
Part of the village was formed from a number of fenced compounds. One compound we entered had a wooden house in good condition built on short stilts with a rusting galvanised iron roof, fronted by a small garden with potted plants and a grassed area. The rest of the space was taken up by a store room, kitchen area, simpler open sided living accommodation, a pig pen with four large pigs and a rather basic toilet.
Indawgyi Lake (part 2): House, garden and outbuildings in Nyaung Bin.
In one compound, July spotted a lady making white posies of flowers which she thought would be appropriate for our later visit to Shwe Myitzu Pagoda. She purchased two posies and we chatted to the lady, a mother of six children, for a minute or two.
Indawgyi Lake (part 2): Lady making posies, Nyaung Bin.
Opposite, four children were playing a spinning top game. I gather it's common throughout Myanmar, but I don't remember seeing it before. In the traditional form we saw here, the coned top is wooden but I'm told you can nowadays you can get moulded plastic ones. A cord is wrapped around a smaller-diameter almost parallel sided top section allowed the top to be spun at sufficient speed for it to balance on its pointed end whilst the opponent attempts to topple it by throwing a projectile.
Indawgyi Lake (part 2): Children playing with a spinning top in Nyaung Bin.
We returned to our waiting boat and our boatman poled our transport astern into clear water before shattering the village calm by cranking the engine into life. We headed south then south west, throwing up impressive spray from the engine-cooling water discharge, passing a number of fishermen in smaller boats either man-powered or provided with a smaller engine driving a simple propeller via a 'long-tail' drive shaft. We passed the village of Lwemun close to the shore, where we watched the evening ritual of ablutions and clothes washing. The many children in the water seemed to be enjoying the fun to be had.
Indawgyi Lake (part 2): Lwemun, the evening ritual of ablutions and clothes washing.
Our southerly heading was now taking us to Shwe Mykitzu Pagoda, surrounded by the lake because we were visiting in the rainy season and twinkling in the evening sun like a golden ship. At the north-eastern corner of the solid pagoda platform, an ante-room standing on wooden piles and covered by a galvanised iron roof had been constructed. This ante-room was connected to the pagoda platform by a diagonal gangplank.
Shwe Mykitzu Pagoda, Indawgyi Lake, Myanmar. The covered ante-room and landing stage is on the left.
A wooden landing stage extending west from the ante-chamber with steps down to the water allowed boats to land and embark pilgrims.
Shwe Mykitzu Pagoda, Indawgyi Lake, Myanmar: A group of pilgrims about to leave the landing stage by boat. Note the weed on the raised propeller.
Male pilgrims can transfer from the ante-room to the pagoda platform using the gangplank, in order to pay their respects. However, ladies are not allowed on the pagoda platform so female pilgrims must (and males may) pay their respects from the covered ante-chamber. July walked along the gangplank to hail a man already on the pagoda platform, asking him to place her white posies of flowers at the shrine, which he did.
Because of the time of year, there was a raft moored to the eastern side of the pagoda platform which carried a large, three-dimensional armature covered in scales made from bands of shiny coloured paper of various colours representing a fish but I didn't discover the significance of this custom.
Shwe Mykitzu Pagoda, Indawgyi Lake, Myanmar: 'Fish' Raft.
Looking down into the water from the ante-chamber, I could see the decorated tiling of the lower pagoda platform which would become exposed in the dry season. To the west, the setting sun provided a colourful backdrop to a very special pagoda.
Sunset at Shwe Mykitzu Pagoda, Indawgyi Lake, Myanmar.
Our boat then completed the journey back to Lonton and, having said 'good-bye' to the boatman, July and I walked the short distance to the Guest House. Tired after the exertions of the day, I backed-up the pictures I'd made, took a cold shower and went to bed.
Related posts on other websites
There's a useful description of the Indawgyi Lake area on the Go-Myanmar site here.
Related posts on this website
This is one of a series of posts describing my 12th visit to Myanmar. The post Starting out is the first post in the series.
Clicking on the 'Next report' link displays the post describing the next events. In this way, you may read about the trip in sequence.
Next report
Alternately, clicking on the 'All my Burma-2017(2) reports' link displays all the posts on this trip in reverse date-of-posting order.
All my Burma-2017(2) reports.
My photographs
Where necessary, clicking on an image above will display an 'uncropped' view or, alternately, pictures may be selected, viewed or downloaded, in various sizes, from the album listed:-
Indawgyi Lake (part 2)
[Revised, links added 03/01/2018: Minor changes, pictures added to test 07/01/2018]
