Burma/Myanmar – Kyaukhtatgyi, Nga Htat Gyi and Botataung Pagodas
The three pagodas are not as visited by tourists as the Shwedagon or the Sule pagodas but are absolutely worth a visit. First the Kyaukhtatgyi is home of a 229-foot long reclining Buddha statue. Almost across the street from the Kyaukhtatgyi Pagoda, is the Nga that gyi Pagoda which contains the 5-story high sitting Buddha. The Botataung is near the Yangon river and is 2500 years old. The fist image is the interior of the Botataung pagoda. It’s a maze of walls made of gold plates where people come and pray. It is believed that the pagoda was erected some 2500 years ago by the Mon tribe. However the pagoda was completely destroyed by a RAF raid in 1943. The pagoda rebuilding process started on the same day that the country gained independence from the...
Burma/Myanmar – Kandawgyi Lake
Kandawgyi Lake (or Great Royal Lake) is an artificial lake in the center of Yangon. It’s a pleasant place where locals start their day exercising (it opens at 5am and it’s free for all until 7am). I went there twice during my stay in Yangoon. The lake is famous for the replica of the Pyigyimon Royal Barge (Karaweik). The barge is made of concrete and was build in 1972. Karaweik or Karaweik Hall is a palace on the eastern shore of Kandawgyi Lake, and is now a restaurant. The restaurant is a tourist attraction because there is a traditional puppet theater show every night. The entrance of the restaurant is really impressive at night with all the lights, I wish we had come a little earlier to have a blue sky rather than the black sky, but we were...
Postcard from Glacier National Park
Cute Alert ! Be warned there is a lot of cuteness in those pictures. I spent the last couple days in Montana, near Glacier National Park, photographing wildlife. The babies are born and they are so cute. It was fantastic to see them up close. It was a really short trip and I’m already back in California.