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Friday, 17th May 2019
Friday was a day around the Bagan Clinic, although I did travel as far as Nyaung Oo Airport by car.
I was out and about the clinic about 7.00 a.m., taking photographs. The Clinic staff provided me with a fried egg, congee and a can of Coca Cola in the Staff area of the original clinic building while the satellite television was showing “Nim’s Island”. The sound was turned down and the subtitles were in Myanmar language but I was surprised to find the plot was fairly obvious, although I’d never seen the film. However, to protect cultural sensibilities, from time-to-time a small area of the screen would be deliberately ‘de-focussed’. On various programmes, I found this technique applied to smoking, drinking alcohol and too much female cleavage. Confusingly, on other channels, extreme violence, lesbianism and three-in-a-bed activities seemed acceptable (even at eight in the morning).
Doctor Hla Tun took his breakfast and started his ‘list’ by treating a number of monks. Doctor Hla Tun’s mother also had her breakfast, prior to flying back to Yangon. Hla Win Ko interrupted his work in the Dispensary to drive her to Nyaung Oo Airport and I went with them. We stopped near the airport so that she could buy some mangoes from a roadside vendor.
Buying mangoes at a roadside vendor in Nyaung Oo, en route to the airport.
This (plus various prior purchases) made her baggage overweight and at first I feared that the stern-faced man in charge of KBZ Airline check-in was going to levy an excess charge. But eventually it was all smiles, the pieces were labelled ‘Fragile’ and passed through.
Check-in at Nyaung Oo.
Hla Win Ko had another task before we returned to the Clinic. Medications are often shipped using an 'express parcel' service and he intended to collect two parcels of medication expected for Bagan Medical Clinic from a Freight Forwarder in Nyaung Oo. The parcels depot was a dusty, fenced yard with a couple of large trees, around which a number of cartons were arranged. A man relaxed under one tree with various handwritten records.
Freight Forwarder's Yard in Nyaung Oo.
The man searched through his records and concluded that one parcel for the Clinic was there – the second was yet to arrive. So the one parcel was signed for and loaded into the car.
Collecting medication at the Freight Forwarder's Yard in Nyaung Oo.
Knowing my fascination with the ancient pagodas spread across the Bagan plain, Hla Win Ko asked if I'd like to stop to look at pagodas during the short journey back to the Clinic. We selected a group of minor restored pagodas without visitors allowing me to explore alone. It was not yet 10.30 a.m. but the temperature was in the mid thirties.
Pagodas of the Bagan Plain.
We were back at the Clinic in time for me to participate in the distribution of the Free Lunch to patients and their companions.
I spent the rest of the day either sitting in on Doctor Hla Tun's consultations or wandering around the site watching the various activities. I still find it hard to believe how the site has expanded since the opening of the original, modest Clinic in 2011 (described in the post here).
The original Clinic in 2011, just before the Opening Ceremony.
Bagan Medical Clinic, May 2019: The original Clinic building is now just one of a complex of buildings.
Once the Clinic was opened in 2011, local and overseas donors could see the work being done and they were encouraged to contribute towards supporting and expanding the Clinic. However, the Reception and Dispensary area of the original building remains the 'nerve centre' of the whole complex. On arrival, it's where patients register to be seen by a Doctor and, after consultation and treatment, it's where patients collect any prescribed medication.
The Reception/Dispensary Area at Bagan Medical Clinic 2019
Related posts on this website
This is one of a series of posts describing my 14th visit to Myanmar. The post Return to Burma 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 2019 reports' link displays all the posts on this trip in reverse date-of-posting order.
All my Burma 2019 reports.
My pictures
My pictures including this part of the trip are in the album Burma 2019.
All my pictures on this trip are in the collection of albums also called Burma 2019 (apart from 'specialist' railway pictures: confusing, eh?).
[Text added, pictures added 21/24-Jun-2019]
Thursday, 16th May 2019
Sometime during the night, the noise of torrential rain woke me up but I was comfortable so I soon went back to sleep. On Thursday morning, everywhere seemed refreshed by the rain. Of course, because of Kalaw's altitude the weather is more moderate which is why the British developed Kalaw as a Hill Station, to get away from the unremitting heat of the plains in summer.
Around 6.30 a.m., we loaded up our car and drove from the Ramonar Hotel into Kalaw Town to have our breakfast.
Ramonar Hotel, Kalaw, Shan State.
The Doctor chose a tea house run by an Indian family in a busy area off the main road. Nearby, I noticed the 'Talkie House'. I presumed that this former cinema, now an Indian Restaurant, was one of the British innovations.
Kalaw, Shan State, Burma, 2019
After a pleasant meal, we headed north, initially following Highway 41 which, if continued, would have taken us back to Pindaya but instead we turned left onto Highway 411. After a further 20 kilometres, a ragged mountain appeared on our left with a row of large, standing Buddha images.
First view of Main Ma Ye' Tha Khin Ma Mountain.
I was told that the legend tells of a bride who, refusing to marry, threw herself off the mountain. A short access road took us to the base of Main Ma Ye' Tha Khin Ma Mountain and we took the customary group photograph.
Our Group at Main Ma Ye' Tha Khin Ma Mountain.
The morning was already warm and I realised I'd not be able to fully explore the site, but I followed my friends up the steep, concrete steps (fortunately provided with a central, stainless steel handrail) as far as the 'first level', which gave splendid views over the surrounding countryside.
Main Ma Ye' Tha Khin Ma Mountain: Red, white and gold pagodas, each set in a boat-hull shaped base.
Each of the large, standing Buddha images shows a different formal pose. There's an introduction to the significance of these poses and the different hand positions on the commercial website 'Buddha Statues Now' here.
Main Ma Ye' Tha Khin Ma Mountain: The nine large standing Buddha images, each in a different formal pose.
I didn't explore the upper levels at Main Ma Ye' Tha Khin Ma Mountain, Shan State.
We returned to the car and continued north for around 45 minutes to reach the town of Ywangan. Although I knew that the administration of Myanmar is complicated by the recognition of 135 ethnic groups, it was only afterwards that I discovered that Ywangan Township and our destination the previous day at Pindaya Township together form the Self-Administered Zone of the Danu ethnic group, together administered as part of the Taung Gyi District. One source quotes the total poulation as 115,000 and the Danu language is generally regarded as a dialect of standard Myanmar language. There's a little information on this coffee-growing Self-Administered Zone in 'Wikitravel' here.
I was told that we were near a well-known waterfall and Blue Lake. We parked by a small market that appeared to be for tourists, next to a lake that was pretty but certainly not blue. We set off into the woods passing more vendors' stalls and a tea shop.
Tea shop near Blue Lake, Ywangan, Shan State.
We were then on an undulating walking track that was immediately difficult and so the Doctor decided that it was not practical for us all to walk to the main waterfall. Instead, we walked to what appeared to be a bathing pool at a very pretty location.
Bathing Pool near Ywangan.
Nearby, a modern undershot water wheel was spinning merrily. The water wheel was designed to work two water pumps which delivered the water via blue HDPE pipes to some remote location but I was puzzled that the drive belts had been removed so the water wheel was spinning uselessly.
Ywangan: Water wheel near bathing pool.
We made our way back to the tea shop and decided to take lunch (the Monk is not allowed to take food after noon). Despite the rather basic conditions, the cheerful lady proprietor quickly produced food for us which was both attractive and tasty. It was a very pleasant interlude.
Shan lady preparing food at the tea shop near Blue Lake, Ywangan.
After the meal, the Doctor led us to the Blue Lake via a broad track which ended at the entrance to a narrow ravine in the woods. Steep concrete steps provided with a wooden handrail led down to a small viewing terrace overlooking a small pool, no more than 40 feet long and less in width, surrounded by trees.
Sun shining through the canopy of trees showed the pool to be a water-filled cleft in the rocks, quite deep, with a number of fallen tree trunks underwater and various fish languidly patrolling. But the most remarkable feature was the vivid, ethereal blue colour of the water, almost as if it were emitting blue light. The effect was hypnotic. I was reminded of film I'd seen of cooling ponds containing radio-active materials where a rather similar blue colour could be seen but the Blue Lake seemed somehow different. I expected to be unimpressed by the Blue Lake but, in fact, I was quite moved by the experience. I can quite understand why numerous local beliefs grew up around this phenomenon.
The Blue Lake, Ywangan, Shan State.
We walked back to our car as a second tourist bus was arriving. I noted that all the visitors appeared to be Myanmar people.
We continued north, passing Myo Gyi after about one hour. I was told there was a dam here but it wasn't until I returned home that I discovered the Myanmar Government website for the Ministry of Electricity and Energy (English version here) which gives comprehensive information on electricity generation and distribution in Myanmar, state by state. The water feeding the dam at Myo Gyi is dammed at Zaw Gyi further east in Shan State. There are now two hydro-electric power plants at Zaw Gyi Number 1 (opened in 1995 with three 6 Megawatt turbines) and Zaw Gyi Number 2 (opened in 1998 with two 6 Megawatt turbines). The water discharged at Zaw Gyi then enters the Zaw Gyi River, flowing through the mountains on a very convoluted course generally heading west until empounded by the dam at Myo Gyi to feed Myo Gyi hydro-electric power plant (opened in 2016 with two 15 Megawatt turbines). The Myo Gyi turbines are vertical Francis type. Francis turbines were designed in 1848 using a scientific approach to improve efficiency and remain the most common turbine used in hydro-electric installations. There's a Wikipedia article here.
About 5 kilometres beyond Myo Gyi, we came to the border between Shan State and Mandalay Region. On our right, the Zaw Gyi river discharge from the dam came close to our road and had the appearance of any fast-flowing river.
Zaw Gyi River near Shan State/Mandalay Region border.
The map showed that it would eventually join the Myitnge River, south of Mandalay. On our left, was a village with tea shop but it was too early for afternoon tea so we pulled up on the right of the road, under the shade of large trees, to rest and watch the river. Two or three other vehicles had paused here, one a police cruiser which departed with a lot of noise a few minutes later. A few wooden tables and chairs were laid out under the trees and it was remarkably relaxing. There was a little conversation between ourselves and with the other travellers but mainly it was a companionable silence.
Shan State/Mandalay Region border.
Doctor Hla Tun had been watching two local ladies and, eventually, he drew my attention to their activities. They had come from the buildings on our left and had probably been shopping. One lady had a young baby perched on her shoulders, the other had what looked like a bag of shopping balanced on top of her broad-brimmed hat. Both calmly descended the river bank, waded into the water and crossed the river. The force of the current meant that they emerged on the other side some distance downstream from their point of entry, baby and shopping intact. They then climbed the opposite bank and plodded off across the fields to where we could see a few simple houses.
Ladies crossing Zaw Gyi River near Shan State/Mandalay Region border.
After an enjoyable break in our journey, we climbed back into the car, left Shan State and headed west in Mandalay Region for around two and a half hours until we came to the town of Myingyan, a few kilometres from the confluence of the Chindwin and Irrawaddy Rivers. By now it was late afternoon so we stopped at a large teashop in the town for a cup of hot, sweet tea.
We stopped at a large tea shop in Myingyan.
I discovered that Doctor Hla Tun's mother intended to make a brief visit to a relative in Myingyan so it was arranged that I would be dropped off at the railway station, to allow a brief photographic survey. However, the Doctor insisted on our driver staying with me as a 'chaperone'/Whilst Doctor Hla Tun's mother visited a nearby relative, I made a quick survey of Myingyan Station. Of course, there was no train but each visit to a station gives a little more information.
Myingyan Railway Station.
A final 75 kilometers driving south west would take us through Nyaung Oo to the Bagan Medical Clinic, where we were received by the Abbott to give a brief account of our adventures before moving to the staff area of the original building for refreshments.
The Doctor said that about 100 patients had already registered and that he intended to undertake consultations for a few hours on Thursday evening before going to bed. However, the combination of walking and climbing throughout the day in often high temperatures had left me exhausted. Even at 9.00 p.m., I noticed that the outside temperature at the Bagan Medical Clinic was still 35 degrees Celsius so I retired to my room to work on my laptop computer.
Related posts on this website
This is one of a series of posts describing my 14th visit to Myanmar. The post Return to Burma 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 2019 reports' link displays all the posts on this trip in reverse date-of-posting order.
All my Burma 2019 reports.
My pictures
Burma 2019.
Main Ma Ye' Tha Khin Ma Mountain.
Ywangan and Blue Lake, Shan State.
Myingyan Station.
All my general pictures on this trip are in the collection Burma 2019.
[Text added, pictures added 19/20/21-Jun-2019]
Wednesday, 15th May 2019
I slept well at the Hotel Myat Nan Taw and enjoyed breakfast with my friends in the restaurant. In Myanmar, accommodation is often on a bed-and-breakfast basis and, in built-up areas like Taung Gyi, hotels are often five stories tall or more with the restaurant on the top floor. Our Hotel followed this layout and, with my room on the same floor, this was convenient provided the lift continued to work (which it did but with an ominous throbbing for much of the time suggesting that we were running from a standby generator, rather than mains). Both my room and the restaurant provided interesting views of the rather modern city whose population is well over 400,000.
View of Taung Gyi from my hotel room.
After breakfast, we set off by car, travelling east through Hopong to our first visit of the day which, I discovered, was to be another natural cave pagoda, this time Myittar Kham Tan Caves, known as Hathtipala Dhammacakka - 'the light of Buddha's Sasana cave' (although Google Maps show it as Htem Sann Cave). This was clearly an important pilgrimage site and there were lots of Myanmar visitors. At many of the more important religious sites, foreign visitors are required to pay an admission fee and the charge here for me was 20 U.S. Dollars.
The entrance to Myittar Kham Tan Caves.
Once inside the caves, it was cool and quite wet but a decent tiled floor had been provided and we made our way through a series of huge caverns, some well over 30 feet in height with fantastic rock effects hanging above us, some cone-like stalactites, others vertical sheets of rock.
Inside Myittar Kham Tan Caves.
We walked past numerous gilded Buddha images before pausing for the compulsory 'group picture'.
Our Group inside Myittar Kham Tan Caves.
Emerging from the cave complex, Doctor Hla Tun pointed out the large, covered eating area where free meals are available to pilgrims throughout the day, provided by the Abbott responsible for the caves.
Myittar Kham Tan Caves - distribution of Free Lunch.
The popularity of Myittar Kham Tan Caves was made clear by the long row of vendors offering food and gifts to the pilgrims. The Doctor purchased strawberries which were later turned into 'strawberry smoothies'.
Myittar Kham Tan Caves - area for vendors.
We re-traced our route to Taung Gyi, stopping to visit the modern pagoda whose design is based on the Ananda Pagoda at Bagan.
Taung Gyi modern pagoda (design based on the Ananda Pagoda at Bagan)
Internally, the circulating passages with rows of niches mimicked the appearance of the Ananda Pagoda.
Taung Gyi modern pagoda
Electricians were installing plastic trunking in the circulating passages and, as I passed, they were testing a long string of LED lights prior to installation. The urge to adorn pagodas with all sorts of lighting effects seems irresistible to Myanmar people.
Electricians testing LED lighting prior to installation: Taung Gyi modern pagoda.
Near our hotel, we stopped at a suitable tea shop to take lunch, before checking out from the hotel finally.
The Monk and our driver take lunch in Taung Gyi
It was a few minutes before all formalities has been completed so, waiting at the entrance to our hotel, I became fascinated watching the operation of a small drilling rig in use at the hotel immediately opposite. The objective appeared to be to drill a vertical hole, two or three inches diameter and perhaps a few feet deep in the concrete outside the other hotel but I couldn't discern for what purpose.
Drilling a Hole, Taung Gyi
We left Taung Gyi and this time headed west, passing through Shwe Naung and continuing to Heho, where we turned right onto a minor road heading north. For a time, I could see the control tower at Heho Airport, from where I've flown a number of times. Then the country roads were unfamiliar to me.
Eventually. we emerged at the main road from Kalaw to Lawksawk at the town of Pindaya. West of the town, situated on a limestone ridge, we arrived at the Pindaya Caves. There's a Wikipedia article about these famous caves here. The caves are approached by a rising road flanked by vendors' shops. Originally, it was necessary to climb one of the flights of covered steps to reach the actual cave entrance, high on the cliff face but two massive electric elevators now take visitors without effort.
Approach to Pindaya Caves (Shwe Oo Min Natural Cave Pagoda).
A rather odd-looking giant spider faces visitors as you approach the elevators. This is a representation of a legend that seven princesses bathing in a lake were captured and held the cave by a spider until released by Prince Kummabhaya of Yawnghwe.
Approach to Pindaya Caves (Shwe Oo Min Natural Cave Pagoda). The old legend is represented by the Prince (left, with bow), spider and (behind) seven princesses.
On leaving the elevator, splendid views of the surrounding area are provided.
Pindaya and Pone Taloke Lake, viewed from Pindaya Caves Elevators.
Whereas Myittar Kham Tan Caves had been spacious allowing the geology of the caves to be studied, by contrast, every available space within Pindaya Caves is filled with gilded Buddha images, with only narrow passageways and cramped steps allowing pilgrims to move around. The effect is impressive, if somewhat claustrophobic.
Shwe Oo Min Natural Cave Pagoda
Our group at Pindaya Caves.
Incidentally, back in 2016 I visited a cave pagoda in Kalaw which I believe also shares the name 'Shwe Oo Min'. My pictures of the Kalaw cave pagoda are in the album here.
We then set off south on Highway 41 to cover the 50 kilometres through Aungban to Kalaw. We made one stop in the hills above Kalaw at a Sunrise/Sunset Viewpoint but visibility was not very good. A group of young people were amusing themselves by letting off small rockets. This appeared to be particularly hazardous as the small firework charge came without a 'stick' which the user had to supply and tie to the firework before launch! Although these fireworks were for entertainment, the Doctor explained that, traditionally, fireworks were let off to induce rain. Perhaps it works because that night it rained.
Sunset at a viewpoint overlooking Kalaw.
In Kalaw the Doctor arranged accommodation at the Ramonar Hotel which is situated in the hills above Kalaw and constructed as a series of semi-detached villas. As usual, after the exertions of the day, I was keen to retire to my room and collapse. When it was realised that my room had no air conditioning, it was suggested that I might prefer to re-locate to a room with that facility but I guessed (fortunately correctly) that in Kalaw I'd be comfortable without A/C so stayed where I was.
Related posts on this website
This is one of a series of posts describing my 14th visit to Myanmar. The post Return to Burma 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 2019 reports' link displays all the posts on this trip in reverse date-of-posting order.
All my Burma 2019 reports.
My pictures
Burma 2019.
Taung Gyi, 2019.
Myittar Kham Tan Caves.
Pindaya Caves (Shwe Oo Min Natural Cave Pagoda).
All my pictures on this trip are in the collection Burma 2019.
Tuesday, 14th May 2019
Despite the title of this post, we spent Monday night and much of Tuesday in Myanmar's smallest state, Kayah, before re-entering Shan State. A good sleep at the Thingaha Hotel in Loikaw left me restored on Tuesday morning. I didn't appreciate the hotel's charming location until I met my companions for breakfast. Although within a few hundred yards of the main features of Loikaw, the hotel is situated on a quiet stretch of the northern bank of the Balu Chaung River and the open-sided pavilion on the terrace where breakfast was served overlooked the river. Both the proprietor and his wife made a point of personally welcoming me to their hotel.
I'd enjoyed a brief visit to Kayah State previously in 2017 (reports here).
After breakfast, our first visit was to Taung Gwe Zedi, the improbable group of pagodas built on a series of rock pinnacles overlooking the city. I'm afraid that, on this visit, I was content to use the elevator both to ascend and return to ground level.
Visiting Taung Gwe Zedi, Loikaw (Burma 2019).
The 'group shot' Taung Gwe Zedi
We drove south out of Loikaw, passing the display of strange white-painted Kutopoe Pillars I'd first seen two years earlier. Although Buddhism and Christianity are both widely practiced in Kayah State, I'd learned that Animism still exists and the Kutopoe Pillars form part of this tradition. There's an album of pictures of the Loikaw Kutopoe Pillars, taken in 2017, here.
Kutopoe Pillars, Loikaw (Burma 2019)
We continued on Highway 5 (which eventually leads to Taungoo, in Bago Region) for about twelve kilometres, pausing at Ngwe Taung lake and dam which supplies water for irrigation.
Ngwe Taung lake and dam, Kayah State (Burma 2019)
Two elephants were attracting a lot of interest and rides were being offered on the older elephant, in a simple 'howdah'. These were almost certainly the same pair I'd seen two years previously. After the compulsory 'group picture' we toured nearby Ngwe Taung Market. The Doctor's mother is a discerning and determined market shopper.
Our group at Ngwe Taung lake and dam, Kayah State (Burma 2019)
Shopping at Ngwe Taung Market, Kayah State (Burma 2019)
Returning to Loikaw, we checked out of the Thingaha Hotel and drove through Loikaw selecting a suitable tea shop for lunch. The Doctor is always careful in his choice of tea shops, understanding that any 'Western' digestion (not just mine) is far more easily upset by typical kitchen hygeine practices in Myanmar than a resident's would be.
Typical Kitchen of a Loikaw Teashop (Burma 2019)
View of Balu Chaung River from the Loikaw tea shop where we took lunch (Burma 2019)
After lunch, we headed out of Loikaw again to a country area south-east of Ngwe Taung where Seven Steps Lake is located. This is a series of lakes interconnected by streams and it is a favourite destination for Myanmar people. In 2017, I'd visited Seven Steps Lake in a rainstorm and that visit is described in the post here.
Seven Steps Lake
Not too far way, we reached the intriguing Umbrella lake where venting gas from geothermal activity periodically lifts the mud of a small lake into one (or sometimes more) visible domes thought to resemble umbrellas. This is another location I'd visited in 2017, described here. On that trip, I took a picture of an archway being built on the approach to Umbrella Lake. In 2019, that archway appeared to have been dismantled but an impressive, painted archway had been completed near the lake.
The approach to Umbrella Lake in 2017.
The approach to Umbrella Lake in 2019.
Our group at Umbrella Lake.
We returned to Loikaw where we visited a tourist initiative called a 'Kayan Traditional Village' - a large area of beaten earth with two rows of stalls made of bamboo and thatched. There were a number of the traditional Long-Necked Padaung women (and children) manning the various stalls, plus additional heavy, brass neck rings, carefully sliced in two and provided with tapes to allow visitors to create their own 'Long-Neck' pictures. I had visited the Padaung village of Pan-Pet in 2017 (report here), so I'll not re-iterate my distaste regarding the Long-Neck tradition which I believe is tending to die out.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, male Padaung fashion involves no heavy or permanent adaptations and our driver was happy to appear in male traditional attire.
Our driver in traditional dress at the Kayan Craft Village.
We then left Loikaw for the last time, heading north on the NH5. At the junction with the road from Phe Khong (the road we'd arrived by the previous day), we stayed on the NH5, heading north on the road which would eventually lead to Taung Gyi. We turned right off this road to reach a well-known series of waterfalls and place of pilgrimage, a beautiful spot which remained tranquil despite quite a few visitors from Myanmar.
The Waterfalls.
The various falls were interconnected by ornamental bridges, there were bathing places and inflated lorry inner tubes could be hired for young people to swim.
Burma 2019: Waterfalls showing swimming place with inflated lorry tyres.
There was also a large shrine with a huge gong outside which I was told commemorated the deaths of a large number of soldiers but I'm afraid I didn't get the details.
Burma 2019: Waterfalls, showing main shrine and huge gong.
We re-traced our route to the main road after a fascinating visit to the waterfalls and continued north, re-entering Shan State and passing through Hsihseng. After pausing at a tea shop in Loisawn for a cup of hot, sweet tea, we turned left onto the minor road which would take us to Kakku with its 2,478 Myanmar-style pagodas.
I first visited Kakku during my second visit to Myanmar in September, 2008, described here, not long after foreign tourists had been allowed to travel to what were still called 'The Long-lost pagodas of Kakku'. I thought the area very special then, as I did on my second visit in 2017 (described here), when I was able to watch a ceremony dedicating replacement 'Hti'. The 'Hti' is the delicate metal 'umbrella' which crowns the tapering spire of the pagoda. By the time we arrived at Kakku for my third visit, the sky had turned dark and the late afternoon sun produced dramatic lighting effects so that I was no less impressed than on my earlier visits.
Kakku Pagodas, Shan State.
There is one large, modern pagoda at which my friends paid their respects. Internally, there are four decorated niches with Buddha images. I was fascinated watching three work people (two men, one woman) re-gilding one of the niches.
Burma 2019: Re-gilding one of the four niches with Buddha images at the large, modern pagoda at Kakku.
I still enjoy wandering through the serried ranks of small pagodas at Kakku, with their stucco now a kaleidoscopic array of colours - various browns, white, pink - as the damage of centuries has been repaired by donors.
Burma 2019: Rows of pagodas at Kakku, Shan State.
But after a long and fairly active day, with the weather still hot compared with what I'm used to, I was tiring. We still had a drive of 46 kilometres to reach Taung Gyi, the Shan state capital, where we stayed the night. It took a little while for the Doctor to select suitable accommodation but his final choice, the Hotel Myat Nan Taw was excellent.
Related posts on this website
This is one of a series of posts describing my 14th visit to Myanmar. The post Return to Burma 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 2019 reports' link displays all the posts on this trip in reverse date-of-posting order.
All my Burma 2019 reports.
My pictures
I've uploaded lots of pictures to 'Flickr' but they're not all sorted and titled. I'll get onto it as soon as I can.
Burma 2019
[Pictures added 17-May-2019: Edits and pictures embedded 6-Jun-2019: Further edits, pictures added 14/15-Jun-2019]
The original Clinic in 2011, just before the Opening Ceremony.
