Best of 2000 temples in Bagan, Burma

Bagan is one of the couple top sites to visit in Burma because of its over 2000 temples that are from the 8th century.

All locals must visit the "nat," or animist spirit
before entering the Bagan old city temple area.

Tourists love slowly cruising the thousands of temples via horse

Many of the temples were ruined in an earthquake so were rebuilt looking more new,
with newish bricks like this one
I've never seen so many different Buddhas in one city.
When they make Buddhas, they make them with "Burmese" features.
One Buddha was made for China, and it was being delivered to China
It fell off the cart and no one could get it back on the cart.
The local Burmese Buddhist priest said the Buddha wanted to stay in Burma.
So, they kept the Buddha, even though it had the features of a Chinese man, not a Burmese.

Check out the earlobes in imitation of the Buddha above

There were a few glorious, huge temples in Bagan.
One was called Ananda.
Click HERE for a video of Buddha's facial metamorphosis in Ananda temple.

I love that Burmese lettering.

This girl stopped and I asked her some questions outside a temple,
using our guide as an interpreter.
She explained that she's 12 years old. I asked why she wasn't in school.
She said her parents couldn't afford school for both she and her brother,
so they told their children to choose who would go to school.
The girl said her older brother could go, since he was older and more ready to school.
Now, she had to resort to a life at home of domestic duties, like carrying water.
In Burma, even though elementary school is free, there are charges for things like
uniforms, a bike to ride to middle school, and miscellaneous charges.
So, many kids still cannot go to school even though it's free.
I know I sound like Save the Children, but I found out that
it only take $50 per year to make sure she goes to school.
I wanted to pull it out of my pocked and give it to her,
since her bright, friendly eagerness to learn was so clear on her face.
This was one of my many moments of wanting to sponsor or adopt Burmese
kids struggling all over Southeast Asia.

Myo, our guide extraordinare, introduced us to her daughter and
brought us to her home! She fed us many mangoes and showed us her life.
We were so appreciative, since usually we just get shallow touristy
taste of life in Burma.

Even the monks wanted pictures with Boom and his entourage

Two of my favorite Buddhas ever, I'd spotted jogging through the Bagan temples that morning

Riding the horse carriage through the temples at sunset

We climbed up to the top of this temple. I meditated some, and we watched the sun set.

Sun setting over thousands of temples, glowing red like the sun

June 10, 2011

Yangon, Burma: Scott Market

Scott Market, built in 1920's under British colonial rule
Named after a British civil servant who brought soccer to Burma

No sprinkler system to put out fires in this market!
Sand is in these tiny buckets,
supposedly capable of putting out a fire in the crowded market
Not the most reassuring sight
Everyone changes money via the black market in Burma
The best rate is at the Scott Market in Yangon
They ONLY accept perfect, uncreased, unripped, unwritten-on US dollars
You get a better rate for hundred dollar bills,
so only bring hundreds, not 20's.

The money changer liked to claim that certain US 100 dollar bills had some invisible imperfection
so that he could charge us a worse rate.
So, Ken just kept on pulling out more and more hundred dollar bills
until the money changer just gave up and accepted our bills for the better rate.

Outside the Scott Market, the black market thrives in precious GEMS

Thanakha, the paste from a tree that Burmese women paint on their faces
to protect them from sun and aging
They take the wood on the right, rub water on it, then spread it on their cheeks,
often with streaks or patterns in the paste.
The containers on the left are ready-made Thanakha
Alms collected by the nuns, daily.
Here's the alms aren't just rice, but are anything the shopkeepers have handy.
The nuns seem to be regulars collecting alms at certain Scott Market shops.
All shopkeepers seem to feel the need to give them something.

The Burmese alphabet

Ceremonial headdress. A peacock means power in Burma.
A fighting peacock (?!) used to be a symbol of Burmese student opposition to the monarchy
in the 1960's, but that political group was disbanded by the junta.

Headdress used at Buddhist initiation ceremonies in Burma.
Similar to a bar mitzvah.

Fun jewelery

June 8, 2011

Yangon, Burma: A day at a Buddhist meditation monastery

Yangon Buddhist Meditation Centre

Everyone lines up for the 10am communal lunch.
The lunch is an important ritual at Buddhist temples.
These women are sponsors of the temple and
live there for periods of time, meditating.

At the Buddhist temple lunch, there are separate tables.
This table is for vegetarians.
This Buddhist group is willing to welcome both vegetarians and carnivores under its roof.

Laypeople who act as sponsors and come to meditate.

Buddhist monks

The oldest Buddhist nun at the meditation centre.
She has a hearing aid and serves food to the wealthy sponsors and
expat visitors like us.
The civilian layperson who acts as host for visitors
and makes sure visitors like us are well-fed
Donors give the meditation centre all the food they need everyday
So, the Buddhist nuns and monks are among the rare ones who don't
have to beg for their food, asking for morning alms daily around town

We were given bananas

And we were given delicious sesame coated peanuts and spicy tea salad
that is a ritual for at every home, used to welcome visitors
Burma is an incredible warm, welcoming place

Sesame coated Boom Boom

And, nuns sit at a separate table
Everyone was very serious at the lunch.
No one sitting to eat talked while eating.

They actually still cook using wood as fuel
They heat up not only huge pots but also huge woks to saute their veges

There's a slew of volunteers who chop up veges all morning
then meditate in the afternoon

The host forced this older nun to take a photo with us
As you can see, she was very reluctant to pose
But, the host liked to take her out for a little show for visitors,
saying how old she was and how well-cared for she was
Ken getting out his wallet at the end, at the main collection office, to give a donation
Collecting money from the community is really important
to Buddhist temples, nuns, and monks
One of our guides was bitter about it, saying
In Burma, Buddhism is more about money and gold
than about spirituality
The only smile we got while at the meditation centre.
This older women's job is to receive donations and spend time
writing an elaborate certificate with our names on it
probably to facilitate more Buddhist merits for us
to have a better life in our next life

June 9, 2011