Wynn and Bonnie graciously watched Addie and Abe over the weekend so that Jonathan and I could travel to Burma (Myanmar) -- about a 2 hour flight from KL. It is quite an amazing place and such a "travel back in time" sort of destination. While it is a resource rich country (and the second largest in SE Asia), it is one of the least developed in the world and has been involved in one of the world's longest running civil wars. On a positive note, there are over 1,000 Burmese students currently studying in the US and there are obvious signs of the development and progress within its urban centers. It was a beautiful place...the food, the scenery and the people...and I'm so thankful for the opportunity to visit. Here are some highlights...We started in Rangoon, the sight of one of the grandest Buddhist temples, Shwedagon Pagoda....
Then on to Bagan and its 3,122 ancient Buddhist temples,...
Which we saw by horsecart...
And quite a few monks along the way...
Even visited an ancient (but still active) monastery...
And took a sunset cruise on the Irawaddy River...
Met some amazing Burmese people along the way...
And finished off with a walking tour of colonial Rangoon...
Now we are looking forward to more fun with "Gallie and Grandy" before they travel back to the US next Wednesday. These Christmas/New Year's visits have flown by way too quickly. Stay tuned for more pictures -- we're going to soak up this last week as much as possible! :)
2 comments:
oh my word. love, love the pictures!! looks like an amazing time!
So neat, Jen. Ft. Wayne is home to the largest U.S. population of Burmese refugees as a result of their war....good to know that their country has some positive signs of development and peace!
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