After visiting Shwezigon pagoda where I photographed the nuns the guide took us to an Orphanage just down the road. The boys had either lost their parents or couldn’t afford to be looked after. When I got there a whole bunch of photographers were leaving, so this must be on the tourist route.

Looks like they don’t get to eat their lunch in peace!

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4.   17 April 2018    Nikon D3s    iso6400    14mm    f2.8    1/125sec

5.    iso 6400    Nikon D3s    70mm    f4.0    1/125sec    Nikon 24-70mm f2.8

6.    Nikon D750    iso800    200mm    f4.0    1/60sec

7.    Nikon D750    iso6400    102mm    f4.0    1/125sec

9.    Nikon D750    iso6400    70mm    f5.6    1/125sec    Nikon 70-200mm f4.0

8.    Nikon D750    iso 5600    70mm    f4.0    1/125sec    Nikon 70-200mmf4.0

On the 20 April after a great time at Bagan we flew to Heho airport and was picked up by our guide and driver to take us to Kakku. Kakku is shown in my blogg pictures no20, “Splashes of Colour”. Maybe more pictures of Kakku to come later but they are a bit touristy and I do like to show something different!

Anyway along the trip we saw this celebration taking place and it looked like a wedding. As you know from previous bloggs I am a wedding party stalker, so I yelled out “Stop the Car!”. The brakes were jammed on and we screeched to a halt. Actually it wasn’t that dramatic I politely asked “can we stop here?” It wasn’t a wedding but an initiation ceremony which is  a celebration of a rite of passage. The boys were going to a monastery for at least 2 weeks and live the life like monks. The whole village and friends come to celebrate.

We were warmly welcomed to join the festivities and invited to lunch. Then we met the parents and they allowed us to photograph the proceedings in their house. Everyone was very friendly and actually welcomed the univited intrusion.

it was very dark in the rooms and mum was very disappointed that her cell phone photos were too dark. My equipment worked better in the dark than hers so she asked for my contact details. Apparently in Myanmar facebook is the defacto communication medium, and not G maill. So the guide (Thwin) became her facebook friend (not me dammit) so I could send her photos via the guide. See gallery photo of Sally and the Guide exchanging contacts with Mum.

When on our trip around Inle Lake mum kept asking the guide are the photos ready yet. Thwin said to her to wait a bit longer as we were still in the canoe and not back in NZ yet.

 I managed to send her the processed images 3 weeks later. She was very happy with the results. Thankyou Nikon D3s.

1. 20 April 2018    Nikon D3s    iso 200    45mm    f4.8    1/125sec    Nikon 24-70mm f2.8

2. Nikon D3s    iso200    45mm    f4.8    1/125sec

3.    Nikon D3s    iso6400    52mm    f9.5    1/125sec

4.    Nikon D3s    iso 3200    38mm    f4.0    1/125sec

Our Burmese adventure started in Yangon and it was the beginning of the New Year. It is customary to have water placed over the head to cleanse the soul for the start of a new year. The Burmese have now taken this ritual to the extreme. I’m not sure whether it is for fun or they have a lot of sins to wash away. People load themselves in trucks and take turns visiting these stages placed around town. There is loud music pumpling out this consistent rap beat to which everyone is dancing to. The people on stage have various means of delivering water ranging from water pistols to water canons. There is not a dry person around but everyone is having a great time. I said to the guide that you Burmese are crazy-he just laughed!

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