Water, water everywhere (and mud!)

The last weekend of June we traveled out to the Ayeyawadee Division west of Yangon. It is the most highly populated area in Myanmar and the most productive. But during the monsoon (or rainy season) each year there is widespread flooding. Most of the "fingers" of the big river are in this division, and as the rain falls for several months, the flooding in this flat delta region increases. Then as the water subsides, the rice paddies are planted with rich new silt from the rivers and the rice is grown. The rainy season began in May so there have been three months of rain. In Yangon as of yesterday there have been 89 inches of rain since the 29th of April! That's over 7 feet! We travel by car, are let out under a canopy, so here we see the rain but are not affected by it. But we had a first hand experience that weekend.

After riding nearly three hours by car, we reached a point where we got on a small boat, (covered) and rode more than an hour to reach a place near the village where we were headed. These pictures are a composite of a two-day trip where we went to three villages.

As we started, we could tell that we were on a river and as we were going upstream the boat crossed several times, I guess catching the current. But soon it was hard to tell that we were on a river as it looked more like a lake. On either side of the boat, the water extended far.

We stopped briefly at one point and saw how the roads in the village had become streams. And we were told that by the end of August the water level would be much higher.

So, instead of walking down the roads, the people travel by small boats.

Or they walk on muddy paths! When we left the boat to go to one village, we were met by a group with rubber boots for us to wear. We decided we could hop, jump over the muddy spots and walked over a mile to get to the village. And back!!!

At another place where we left the boat we were greeted by a group who had brought motorbikes to take us about four miles to the village. They were good drivers and got us through a number of muddy places. Unfortunately, the bike I was on hit a couple of bumps and I hit my tailbone hard twice. It is still bothering me, but not nearly as bad as at first.

We are always greeted by a line of people with whom we shake hands and greet with the one work of Myanmar we know: Mingalabar". When we reached the water site, some children dressed in traditional clothing lined the way. Many people here are very proud and conscious of their tribal roots.

We are always greeted with food, sometimes just as we arrive, or after the ceremony. And we are always expected to eat with many watching us--and none of them eating. I think maybe this little boy was hungry as he got very close to me. Though we were reminded again at the couples conference we were not to hold or have close contact with young children, the 'grandma' in me held out my hands and he came very willingly. Most young children have been quite reluctant to be close to us, so I was quite surprised. He ate a couple of cookies, as other children looked longingly, and then I put him down.

The young boys seem more excited to have their pictures taken. Most children in the villages and here in Yangon wear "thanaka", the white paste, which both acts as a cooking astringent in the heat and also a protection from the hot sun.

Another group of boys happy to have their picture taken.

And I just unintentionally deleted a picture of a couple of girls while bringing the pictures closer together. They aren't usually as comfortable having their pictures taken.

Mothers, though love to have their babies' pictures taken, though the babies are quite sure about it.

Just deleted another picture so will quite before I lose the entire blog. Stay tuned and I may do this again, though at the end of each post, I'm quite frazzled.