On a recent trip to Vietnam earlier this year my company asked me if I would stop by Myanmar (Burma) to complete the office setup that my college was unable to complete. Being the natural wanderer I am and having never been to Myanmar I of course jumped on the opportunity and started making my plans to travel to Yangon (Rangoon) on my way home. Of course I could not visit Myanmar without spending a few days on vacation in Bagan where there are thousands of Buddhist pagodas and temples scattering the land. The pagodas ranged in size from barely twice my height to the size of a 4 or 5 story building. I spent 3 days wandering the various temples and pagodas in the hot sun where temperatures reached 48c or close to 120f with no cover to be found anywhere.

Visitors to the pagodas and temples are required to walk barefoot as this is a sign of respect. As I walked on the scorching red brick paths leading to and around the pagodas I developed a new level of respect for the monks who do this on a daily basis as a sign of their devotion. My favorite times were when I was able to enter a temple alone and feel the heavy silence and peace fall around me allowing me to take a moment and reflect inward and contemplate my life and where I am going in my wanderings (I did not come to an answer).

But enough of my ramblings, please enjoy the pictures from my trip.

This will be my last post for a few weeks as I am leaving on my next adventure tomorrow. This time traveling to Papua New Guinea and Fiji to support a USAID climate change program. Since I plan to spend every weekend underwater look forward to some new photos of sea life.

-erik