Myanmar (Burma) — Summary of my trip to Myanmar (Burma)
The end of a great trip to Myanmar (Burma)
April 2015
It was a fascinating and enjoyable ten-day trip to Myanmar (Burma).
Myanmar (Burma) was as I expected, but at the same time, different. Having spent quite a bit of time in Malaysia, I expected Myanmar (Burma) to be very similar. It was, but at the same time, there were noticeable differences. There seemed to be more motorbikes around than in Malaysia. The electricity was unreliable. In Myanmar (Burma), they drove on the right-hand side of the road, and the weather was surprisingly hot and dry.
The food in Myanmar (Burma) was very similar to Malaysia’s — fantastic. I had some great food in local restaurants, and the street food scene seemed very active. Like in Malaysia, there were numerous street markets. I found the people of Myanmar (Burma) to be friendly and helpful. They were even willing to put up with some of my “dumb” questions.
If you are into photography, Myanmar (Burma) is a great place to visit because it has some beautiful architecture. The pagodas are impressive, and the opportunity for street photography in the markets and around the towns is fantastic.
Below are two of my favourite photographs from the trip. The first is of a couple buying grapes from a street vendor. In the photograph, I like the look on the woman’s and the man’s faces and the way these are caught in the overhead light. I also think I nailed the focus, nice and sharp, on the couple, with the background suitably blurred.
The following photograph is my favourite from the trip.
There is just something about it. I like the look on the young nun’s face. I wonder what she’s thinking. The other one is busy counting the money they have collected in the market, but the young nun looking out from the shot seems to be thinking about other things. Something spiritual, perhaps?
It was a great trip. I want to return to Myanmar one day and explore it more fully. On this trip, I only got to see Yangon (Rangoon) and Mandalay, but I would like to see some other areas and spend some time on the coast.
