I came across this beheaded Buddha statue on a shrine build in a huge tree during a trekking on the Shan Plateau. To me, this picture became very symbolic. Myanmar leaves a very dubious impression to many visitors. It is a very religious country, its people practice what should be the most peaceful religion on the planet, yet its government oppresses the people with an iron fist…
Buddha beheaded.

During my visit in Myanmar I stumbled upon a sign near the entrance of a military domain in the centre of the ancient capitol Mandalay. On the billboard I read the magical words: “People’s Desire”. The sign is located on a major intersection and every day thousands of people pass the sign without looking at it. Maybe because it is written in English and most Burmese hardly speak any English. The sign is definitely meant for the Western tourists on their way from the old Royal Palace to Mandalay Hill…
The message is clear:
* Oppose those relying on external elements, acting as stooges, holding negative views
* Oppose those trying to jeopardize stability of the State and the progress of the nation
* Oppose Foreign nations interfering in internal affairs of the state
* Crush all internal en external destructive elements as the common enemy
I wonder if this really is the desire of the Burmese people…

Sule Pagoda road, Yangon

Praying in Yangon.

Market in Chinatown, Yangon

Shading the harsh son with umbrela’s in Yangon

DVD shop in Yangon.

Dog in Mandalay.
Bago traffic

Monks studying in Bago

Teenagers at Kyaik-htiyo

Boy in Mandalay

Bagan

Monk at Swhedagon Pagoda, Yangon

Kyaik-htiyo-pagoda Golden Rock

Yangon Busstation

Yangon Teashop

Bus in Yangon, in front of a colonial building

Monk in a bus, Yangon

Inside a Yangon bus

Fisherman at Inlay lake

Girl in Mandalay

Children at the Swhedagon pagoda, Yangon

Women preparing foot for the monks, Bago

Village near Inlay lake

Novices in Naung-U, Bagan.

Girl selling Postcards in Bagan

Enjoying the view in Bagan

Cow herder in Old Bagan

Herder in Old Bagan.

Women praying In Bagan

1000 year old temple in Bagan.

Young monk studying in Mandalay.

Monks, lining up for Breakfast near Mandalay.

Mandalay.

Graffiti on de wall of the Golden Palace watchtower.

Monk in the Shan mountains.

Resting farmer in the Shan Mountains

Playing Burmese footbal in the streets of Yangon.

A young Novice in Naungswhe.

Selling fish near Inlay Lake

Naungswhe

Restaurant in Naungswhe.

Boy, wearing Thanaka in Yangon.

Monk at Swhedagon Pagoda, Yangon

Boy in Yangon.

Monks, studying in Bago.

Teashop in Bago.

Monks getting donations, Naungswhe.

Inlay Lake village.

Pa-o tribe children in the Shan mountains.Children in a Shan mountain village.

Young Pa-O women.

Old Pa-O woman cooking lunch.

Pa-O in a small Shan mountain village.

Shan Mountains.

Monks in Kalaw.

Naungswhe.

Naungswhe.

After a few fun days in Bangkok I finally Arrived in Yangon (Rangoon) two days ago. The weather is hot, people are friendly, communication is difficult, food is good, traffic is chaos in the busy places.
Yesterday I met a bouddist monk who showed me the Pagodas and gave me an interesting inside view about Boudism. Today I am meeting him again t visit his monestary. That should be interesting and I hope it will result in good pictures. I find it very difficult to escape the `tourist` thing. Maybe that will be easier once I leave Yangon.
Tomorrow I am taking the bus to Bago, South-east of Yangon. After that I will try to work up my way to Bagan and Mandalay…

“Ship me somewheres east of Suez, where the best is like the worst,
Where there aren’t no Ten Commandments an’ a man can raise a thirst;
For the temple-bells are callin’, an’ it’s there that I would be
By the old Moulmein Pagoda, looking lazy at the sea;
On the road to Mandalay,
Where the old Flotilla lay,
With our sick beneath the awnings when we went to Mandalay!
On the road to Mandalay,
Where the flyin’-fishes play,
An’ the dawn comes up like thunder outer China ‘crost the Bay!”
————————————— Rudyard Kiplin (read the whole poem here)

Kipling is nooit in Madalay geweest, toch sprak die stad tot zijn verbeelding. Hij schreef het gedicht in de negentiende eeuw en delen van de tekst werden door Oley Speaks gebruikt in het liedje “On the road to Mandalay”. Dit liedje kreeg vooaral bekendheid toen Frank Sinatra het gebruikte op zijn album “Come Fly With Me”.
Met groeiend ongeduld kijk ik uit naar mijn bezoek aan Mandalay. Ik laat jullie weten of de stad terecht tot Kipling’s verbeelding sprak.

Kipling never went to Mandalay, yet the city tickled his imagination. He wrote the poem in the nineteenth century and parts of the poem was used in the song “On the road to Mandalay” by Oley Speaks. Frank Sinatra used this song on his “Come Fly With Me” album.
I look forward to my visit to Mandalay. I will let you know if the city deserved Kiplings appreciation.