Shwe Oo Min Cave Pagoda

Just a short truck ride from our hotel in Kalaw was this incredible series of caves - All filled to the brim with Buddhas - Every nook and crevice available had a statue on it and as you walked deeper into the caves, it got significantly warmer and wetter.

The pillars outside the caves:

Lounging around in the sun, trying to warm my feet - It was freezing cold on the tiles that morning and as always at the temples, we had to be barefoot:

A "Wild" Birthday Party in Kalaw

It's been amazing to me how quickly you bond with new friends when you travel together for just two weeks.  We hosted a "wild" birthday party for Jonny at our hotel and then dinner at a local theater which was recently renovated into an Indian restaurant.  Such a fun night and special thanks to Stefanie, Anina, Nadine and Jonny for a spectacular trip!

The Myanmar crew!

What a good sport for wearing the hat!

Nadine threatening to hit me because I'm secretly taking pictures at the dinner table:

  

A Hike Through Kalaw

Through the green fields, along dirt pathways, we hiked through the hills of Kalaw, stopping at a local school for a brief visit.  It was fairly chilly in Kalaw at night, but beautiful as we hiked...

Local transportation in Myanmar:

One of the classrooms at the elementary school:

The kids lined up for their daily morning routine with their teacher:

The Pagoda of 777 Steps - Mount Popa

We walked up all 777 steps!

Final Maps

The last of the maps for my 6-month odyssey - I finished my visits to Tasmania and Myanmar already and am on to India for February and March.

A Perfect Day in Bagan

We started with a 5:00 a.m. wake-up call to arrive in time to walk up a smaller pagoda to watch the sunrise, as 19 hot-air balloons filled the sky.  They eventually passed right overhead.  We then headed back to the hotel for a leisurely breakfast and this time headed out on bikes to tour Bagan.  We wandered around brick pagodas and taught our local guide how to ride a bike.  Next to a veggie curry lunch at an open-air restaurant followed by an afternoon at the hotel pool.  Ended the day with another bike ride at sunset through a number of pagodas, a small shopping excursion and a brick oven pizza dinner with friends.  (We are slightly noodled-out.)  In bed by 9:30 pm - Just perfect!  :)

Running with our fearless tour leader, while she was learning to turn on a bike:

A marionette puppet shop:

The only silver pagoda I saw in two weeks:

A Bagan pagoda during sunset:

Sunset in Bagan:

Our lovely hotel:

Sunset in Bagan...

From a hillside, overlooking several of the Bagan pagodas:

An artist at work during sunset:

Roomie selfies - You rock Nadine!

 

Schwe Zigon Zedi Pagoda

This pagoda was recently renovated and was completely covered in gold leaf - It shimmered from every angle as we walked around it.

Local Marketplaces

Scenes from local food markets we visited in Myanmar:

Guardians of Buddha

At every temple or pagoda complex we visited, there are guardians either outside the gates or near many of the Buddha statues inside.  These guardians come in every shape and size and all have one purpose - To protect the Buddha.

This one is over three stories tall:

This one is also over three stories tall:

A gold-leaf covered guardian, up-close:

A dragon above and surrounding the Buddha: