Along the edge of the Inle Lake people go about their daily lives – this one giving two water buffalo a cooling swim.
An area recently opened to tourists was the site of an old worship area built hundreds of years ago. The scores of stupas are a reminder of the religious pilgrim sites of Burma.
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Even here, the stupas are undergoing repair. I am not sure if making these historic buildings new again is the right way to preserve the history of this area. But that’s up to the Burmese.
The Burmese are ready for the tourists with a wide variety of souvenirs
On my return trip to Yangon, it was back to Shwedagon Pagoda for another look. After our trip to Burma, my friend Jud Davis headed off to the southern Thailand and I stayed in Yangon another day then headed off to northern Thailand.
The photo below is of our Yangon guide and driver, dressed in the typical Burmese dress, who made our visit to Yangon such a wonderful, interesting trip.
While Burma has had a troubled history since the elections of 1989 when the president Aung San Suu Kyi, who won 82% of the vote, was placed under house arrest by her military generals. The generals have controlled the country with an iron fist – exploiting the teak forests and ruby mines. It is also reported that the generals have become the largest heroin dealers in Southeast Asia. The generals could not survive without the help of Thailand, China and India who have joined in the exploitation of the country and the people. The US has continued an economic embargo against Burma.
There is a lot of discussion about visiting Burma – should you or not. My advice --- visit Burma. The people are warm, welcoming and eager to share their story and learn about life outside Burma.
