From our January trip

We traveled for nearly a week early in January, flying to Mandalay and then from the airport with is an hour away from the city, traveled west and north to a number of ceremonies for water projects. Since I can't post all the pictures at once, these are a few that I've grouped together. We were traveling with Dr. Win, so he took this picture as we stopped to visit a pagoda that had been carved out of stone.

One of the attractions there are monkeys who beg for food. Dr. Win bought some small plums which he hid in a sack behind his back and while he was talking to us a monkey jumped up and grabbed the sack. They are quite proprietorial about their areas and their food.

The steps are quite uneven, and I probably needed the help, but I feel like an old woman when I get so much help!

We crossed a bridge and saw that ground that had been flooded from the rains was being prepared for planting. So much soil is in the water during the flooding that as the water recedes the soil that is left is very good for planting. We've seen a couple of tractors, but most of the work done is by oxen as the plots are not very large.

As we go along these dusty rough roads we pass many ox carts, the main way of transportaton for many out in the countryside.

We know we're definitely in a third world country when we see bridges like these! Doesn't inspire a lot of confidence.

And we know we are in the tropics when we see bananas growing!!

We stopped one late afternoon at this pagoda. It was closed so we weren't able to go inside but were still required to walk barefoot on the grounds. This pagoda is known for the 500,000 carved images that are on the walls. Each of those towers has tiny buddhas along each of the rows!

The people we meet as we travel are much more meaningful to us than the pagodas we see. I think this is a beautiful face.!!

More to come in the next blog.