- Under the Bridge -
“There's a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they're absolutely free. Don't miss so many of them.” J.W.
Amarapura - Mandalay Region - Myanmar
May 2015
- Break Time -
Among the busy stalls of a market in Mandalay, a young man is taking a break, to live he builds wooden boxes as they did 100 years ago, but during his break he checks e-mail and notifications on the various social networks .
Mandalay - Myanmar
May 2015
- Yupa -
I am in the ancient city of Mingun, in the white Hsinphyumae Pagoda, and she is Yupa (I have absolutely no idea how to spell his name, so I apologize). Yupa is 7 years old and goes to school in Mandalay. This time of year the schools are closed for vacation. During the holiday she lives with her grandparents in the village near Mingun and helps the family by selling bracelets and necklaces of flowers to tourists and the faithful who visit the pagoda and temples in the area.
Mingun - Sagaing Region - Myanmar May 2015
- Human Vortex -
Are many hours that I am in the complex of the Shwedagon Pagoda, today is an important day in Burma, yesterday was the Buddhist New Year. I arrived here several hours ago, the idea was to have a quick look, but I was mesmerized by the river of devotees who tirelessly walks all clockwise around the giant golden pagoda.
Yangon - Myanmar
May 2015
- Floating Gardens -
The floating garden beds are formed by extensive manual labor. The farmers gather up lake-bottom weeds from the deeper parts of the lake, bring them back in boats and make them into floating beds in their garden areas, anchored by bamboo poles. These gardens rise and fall with changes in the water level, and so are resistant to flooding.
Mandalay - Myanmar
May 2015
- Friends -
Because at the end friendship isn't about whom you have known the longest... It's about who came, and never left your side...
Mandalay - Myanmar May 2015
- The Cat with the Emerald Eyes -
Now, we all know the stories and facts that make many people believe that animals are much more like us than we think, that they have a conscience and are not guided only by instinct. I noticed the eyes of this stray cat during a photo session in the streets of Mandalay. I followed him for several tens of meters, seems to do it on purpose, he stopped without turning around and continued his walk. It seemed he understood my intent to photograph his eyes. Eventually the cat turned and stuck out his tongue.
Mandalay - Myanmar May 2015
- Human Eyes -
There are two ways to look at the face of a person. One, is watching his eyes as a part of the face, the other is watching just the eyes ... just as if they were the face. A.D.
Mandalay - Myanmar
May 2015
- Walking on the Sun -
A couple of monks during sunrise walking along the 1,200 meters of the U-Bein bridge from one bank of the Lake Taungthaman.
Amarapura - Mandalay Region - Myanmar
May 2015
- Urban Sunset -
The goal to end the day was to find an original location, to capture the sunset, so I snuck in the tallest building that I could find, I climbed six floors with the hope that at the top there was a door open with a kind of balcony or terrace overlooking the side where the sun was setting....
I was very lucky.
Mandalay - Myanmar
May 2014
- The Corn Seller -
In one of the many markets of Mandalay, the stalls are divided by type, there is a section for fruit sellers, for sellers of meat and butchers, for fishermen, but in the space reserved for shops who package and sell garlic, in a corner there's a girl selling sweet corn.
Mandalay - Myanmar
May 2015
- Father & Daughter -
Sometimes it happens that a camera has hypnotic ability on children, while the father and I were talking, we realized how the girl was interested in my camera. So he consented to let me take some pictures. She never took her eyes from the lens, never.
Mandalay - Myanmar
May 2015
- U-Bein Bridge -
The bridge was built around 1850 and is believed to be the oldest and longest teakwood bridge in the world. That is a crossing spans the Taungthaman Lake near Amarapura.
Amarapura - Mandalay Region - Myanmar
May 2015
- Buddhist Nun -
Girls and women enter the monastic life, shave their heads, take ordination vows and practice meditation and reading scriptures just as male monks do. They don’t perform ceremonies though or travel overseas, and they carry only ten precepts, the ethical rules inBuddhism, the same number for novice monks.
Amarapura - Mandalay Region - Myanmar May 2015
- Perfect Frame -
The sun is setting behind the mountains surrounding the lake Inle, clouds cover the sun creating a crown of rays, the landscape is beautiful, but something is missing, it would take a subject, something to be placed center
stage and ....
here is a fisherman with his small canoe approaches. Perfect!
Inle Lake - Shan State - Myanmar
April 2015
- Thoughts -
"We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves." -Buddha-
Amarapura - Mandalay Region- Myanmar
May 2015
- Shwezigon Paya -
The Shwezigon Pagoda is a Buddhist temple located in Nyaung-U, a town near Baga. It is a prototype of Burmese stupas, and consists of a circular gold leaf-gilded stupa surrounded by smaller temples and shrines.The pagoda is believed to enshrine a bone and tooth of Gautama Buddha.
Nyaung-U - Mandalay Reagion - Myanmar
April 2015
- At the bus stop -
Most of the time when you ask a local to do a photo you lose the spontaneity of the moment by obtaining a picture where the expression is no longer the natural one that struck our attention. But there are exceptions, I was at a bus stop in the small town of Amarapura, beside me this old monk, although aware of the possible consequences that we have already mentioned, I asked if I could take some pictures of him, he smiled and said yes, but he not struck a pose or not indulged in trivial smiles just to satisfy a tourist, but resumed his posture and his initial expression, the same worried expression that had caught my attention.
Amarapura - Mandalay Region - Myanmar May 2015
- Floating Village -
Exploring, with a long boat, the little villages that are scattered around the Inle Lake, you begin to have a clearer idea of what life is like for the thousands of people who live here. The link with the lake water is vital, and although now many tourists during this all year round pass to visit the lake, it is still the source of food not only fish, but also the water that makes growing plants and vegetables of many floating gardens.
Inle Lake - Shan State - Myanmar
April 2015
- Early Morning -
The sun has risen from only a few minutes, a fisherman walking in shallow water near the shore of Lake Taungthaman to reach his small rowing boat and begin another day of fishing
Amarapura - Mandalay Region - Myanmar
May 2015
- Kyaikto Village -
As this village is located near the famous Golden Rock, over the years there has been much larger, being destinations for pilgrimages and in the last decades of Western tourists. Small roads meander between low houses made of wood and corrugated iron.
Kyaikto - Thaton District - Myanmar
April 2015
- Inle Lake -
A beautiful sunset on the lake Inle, however the day draws to a close, the lake is still very busy, fishermen rowing with legs and long boat are quick to return to their villages.
Inle Lake - Shan State - Myanmar
April 2015
- Cloudy Sunrise -
This morning the alarm was early, it's about 5:30 am and I'm already in a long boat navigating the narrow channel 2 km long that from the village of Nyaung Shwe will take me in Inle Lake before sunrise. The conditions are not the best, the sky is covered by thick gray clouds, it will be hard to see the sun peeking from behind the hills surrounding the lake.
Inle Lake - Shan State -Myanmar
April 2015
- The Monk with the Tatoo-
Buddhist monks, who are venerated Throughout Burmese society, are Approximately 500,000 strong. Monks belong to one of two primary monastic orders Thudhamma Nikaya (88% of Buddhist monks) and the Opinions more orthodox Shwegyin Nikaya (7% of Buddhist monks). They are an important part of Burmese society, in every town or village there are monasteries and happen very often to see them on their own or in groups in their red robes
Mandalay - Mandalay Region - Myanmar May 2015
- Fisherman -
Some of the fishermen of Lake Inle especially at dawn and dusk, when the number is greater and tourists, they stop fishing and become skilled acrobats.
Lake Inle - Shan State - Myanmar April 2015
- Burmese Girl -
Walking through the crowded streets of markets scattered around the city, visiting the many monasteries or exploring the many holy places, you come into contact with the most beautiful and fascinating thing that Burma has to offer, the People.
Mandalay - Myanmar May 2015
- Shwenandaw Monastery -
Known as "Golden Palace Monastery" was built in 1880 and is famous for its teak carvings of Buddhist myths, which adorn its walls, roofs and interiors. The monastery is built in the traditional Burmese architectural style. Shwenandaw Monastery is the single major remaining original structure of the original Royal Palace today.
Mandalay - Myanmar
May 2015
- Mirror Lake -
In the north of Inle lake there are areas where the water is so calm that seems oil, shallow water and the vegetation growing on the bottom of the lake cancel any wave created by the wind or by passing boats. So the small boat of a fisherman, is reflected by this huge mirror.
Inle Lake - Shan State - Myanmar April 2014
- Lined Up -
Mahar Gandaryone Monastery is situated in Amarapura and is part of the vast Mahar Ganadayon religious institute, one of the largest teaching monasteries in Myanmar and came to be known as a centre for monastic study and strict religious discipline. The monastery has more than 3,000 monks of different ages that every day at 11:00am lined up along the road and have their main daily meal.
Amarapura - Mandalay
May 2015
- Sad Child -
Wandering around a market in Mandalay you can meet children of all ages almost all smiling and happy.
Mandalay - Myanmar May 2015
- The Shweyattaw -
This Buddha image is called Shweyattaw which means Standing Buddha, and is the depiction of Gautama Buddha prophesying the establishment of Mandalay by King Mindon. Thus, the right hand of the Buddha image is pointing towards the Mandalay city over the plain below.
Mandalay Hill - Mandalay - Myanmar May 2015
- Looking for Shadow -
I am sitting in a small street kiosk for a cool drink and shelter from the hot sun, when this young monk crossed the street, doing his best, like me, to solve the problems of overheating.
Mandalay - Myanmar
May 2014
- Mother & Son -
In a small shop of fabrics on the outskirts of Mandalay a mother plays with her son.
Mandalay - Myanmar
May 2015
- At Dawn -
A fisherman at dawn attempt to stretch his fishing nets in Taung Tha Man Lake near the town of Amarapura. Its silhouette that stands out on the golden reflections that create the first rays of sun on the water immediately caught my attention.
Amarapura - Mandalay Region - Myanmar
May 2015
- Taung Tha Man Lake -
The sun has almost disappeared behind the horizon, the air is very hot and humid, the lake Taung Tha Man has stored heat all day, and now releases it. Walking on the banks of the lake seems to pass by a giant radiator.
The breeze carries the smells of food, roasted meat and spices from the small village behind me, people getting ready for dinner.
Amarapura - Mandalay Region - Myanmar May 2015
Myanmar
A wonderful country, on one hand its ancient culture, its history and its amazing architecture and the other side with the purity of the people and with their smiles fascinates every different type of traveler. A country that fortunately has not yet been completely corrupted by consumerism and by the desire to become Western.
- A Monk and his Apprentice -
This is the Shwedagon Pagoda, the most sacred Buddhist pagoda in Myanmar, as it is believed to contain relics of the four previous Buddhas of the present kalpa. These relics include the staff of Kakusandha, the water filter of Konagamana, a piece of the robe of Kassapa,
and eight strands of hair from the head of Gautama. The sun is gone for several hours but the amount of devotees is not falling.
The air is saturated with the smell of sweet incense and candles that were lit after dark.
Yangon - Myanmar April 2015
- The Plain of Bagan -
From the 9th to 13th centuries, the city was the capital of the Kingdom of Pagan, the first kingdom to unify the regions that would later constitute modern Myanmar. During the kingdom's height, which lasted for 300 years, over 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas and monasteries were constructed in the Bagan plains alone, of which the remains of over 2200 temples and pagodas still survive to the present day.
Bagan - Mandalay Region - Myanmar
April 2015
- The Golden Rock -
Situated on top of Mount Kyaiktiyo, is the Kyaiktiyo Pagoda, also known as Golden Rock; a well-known Buddhist pilgrimage site in Mon State, Burma. It is a small pagoda built on the top of a granite boulder covered with gold leaves pasted on by devotees. According to legend, the Golden Rock itself is precariously perched on a strand of the Buddha's hair. The balancing rock seems to defy gravity as it perpetually appears to be on the verge of rolling down the hill. A glimpse of the "gravity defying" Golden Rock is believed to be enough of an inspiration for any person to turn to Buddhism.
Mt. Kyaiktiyo - Mon State - Myanmar April 2015
- Modern Monk -
I was walking in the huge complex of Shwedagon Pagoda, surrounded by the multitude of faithful and pilgrims, today is a public holiday, a few days ago was the Burmese New Year, many businesses and schools are still closed, the nation is celebrating. Many of the people around me are from nearby towns and cities all busy to make their own prayers and obviously to capture this event with many pictures ... without excluding anybody.
Yangon - Myanmar April 2015
- Htilominlo Temple -
A huge temple that stands out from the plain of Bagan. The number of tourists is increasing so much that around the temple has formed a small market stalls, which on one hand ruin the peace and the spirituality of the place, but on the other gives a multicolored frame to the ancient building.
Bagan - Mandalay Region - Myanmar April 2015
- The Night Gem -
The Ananda Temple is one of four surviving temples in Bagan. Just after sunset many headlights are turned on to illuminate the structure during the night. The best way to admire the show is getting on one of the surrounding temples and pagoda. The giant temple is transformed into a glittering structure of gold shining in the night.
Bagan - Mandalay Region - Myanmar
April 2015
- Pink Sunrise -
It's around 6:00 along with many tourists I am on one of the many pagodas scattered in the vast plain of Bagan, the mist covers the rising sun deleting fantastic warm colors of dawn, but the show is just as beautiful.
Bagan - Mandalay Region - Myanmar
April 2015
- Relaxing Sunset -
I woke up this morning at 4:30 am,
I jumped on my little E-bike and spent the day exploring the huge area of Bagan, full of temples, pagodas and small villages, meeting tourists from around the world and exchanging chat with monks and local, all at an average temperature of 37 degrees Celsius. Exhausted but happy, I enjoy the magnificent sunset from the top of Shwesandaw Pagoda.
Bagan - Mandalay Region - Myanmar
April 2015
- Lake Town -
This is the channel that connects the village of Nyaung Shwe to the Inle Lake in Shan State in central Burma. Due to the volume of tourists increased, the village has become, thanks to a channel, the main access to the great lake. Tourists and locals using the characteristic long boats, can easily reach any part of the lake.
Bagan - Mandalay Region - Myanmar
April 2015
- The Path -
In the hectic modern world where everyone wants to achieve success, personal satisfaction and happiness we do not realize how much things are already within our reach, already before our eyes.
"There is no path to happiness: happiness is the path."
- Gautama Buddha
Bagan - Mandalay Region - Myanmar April 2015
- In the Temple's Stomach -
In the bowels of this huge buildings with thick stone walls, even in the middle of the day the air is cooler than outside. The faithful pray in the vicinity of the many statues of Buddha that are kept in the "stomachs" of these stone giants.
Bagan - Mandalay Region - Myanmar April 2015
- Intha People -
The people of Inle Lakea are called Intha, some 70,000 of them, live in four cities bordering the lake, in numerous small villages along the lake's shores, and on the lake itself. Most transportation on the lake is traditionally by small boats. Local fishermen are known for practicing a distinctive rowing style which involves standing at the stern on one leg and wrapping the other leg around the oar. This unique style evolved for the reason that the lake is covered by reeds and floating plants making it difficult to see above them while sitting. Standing provides the rower a better view.
However, the leg rowing style is only practiced by the men.
Inle Lake - Shan State - Myanmar April 2015
- The Kayan -
The Kayan are a sub-group of Karenni people, Tibetan-Burman ethnic minority of Burma. Padaung is a Shan term for the Kayan Lahwi, the group whose women wear the brass neck coils since childhood. In the late 1980s and early 1990s due to conflict with the military regime in Burma, many Kayan tribes fled to the Thai border area. Among the refugee camps set up there was a Long Neck section, which became a tourist site, self-sufficient on tourist revenue and not needing financial assistance.
Inle Lake - Shan State - Myanmar
April 2015