TimeOut

Beginning of this year, I travelled to Myanmar( Birma) to visit the Magan women in the Chin state, this is the state next to India.
After arriving in Bagan, the place with more then 3000 tempel's and Pagoda's, the view is just stunning, especialy the sunset, and sunrise are famous.
I had seen this before in Bagan, but always beautiful to see, and the real trip could begin.

Some pictures of the sunrise in Bagan.

The airballoons are famous, we didn't had time to do this, but after seeing them, I'm sure is worth the experience.

So now the trip could begin where we came for, the year before i heard about woman who tattood their face, when i heard that i was sure to come back and see that with my own eyes,  we arranged before already a guide, chauffeur, and a good "jeep" the definition of a good car is difficult in Myanmar, not many cars are allowed, so even the very old cars are there something special

The roads are beautiful, the trip to Kanpalet is about 10 hours driving, with many checkpoints, oil-fields, rice-fields, and village's, beside's the visum you need for the country, there are many licences necessary, for every state a couple, so travelling take's a lot of time and preparation.

The monks are famous in Myanmar, every where you see them, always friendly, ready to have a chat, intrested where you come from, it's a great country with very very friendly people!!!

The roads are like this in most of the country side's, many people working on them, and for cars hard to drive on it, only the big city's have good roads.

After having lunch in Saw, a small place 1 hour before Kanpalet, we saw the first Magan woman, with there very intresting Tattood faces.

The story is something like this, there a many different stories, but about 200 hunderd years ago, some Kings and Princess went to Chin state to take the young girls from their parents, because the women from here where the most beautiful one's from the country.
Because of that, the parents diside to make their daugthers less attractive, to tattoo their face's, in the hope their daughters would not be taken.
At this moment the most of the woman are older with the tattoo's, i only saw 1 younger woman with it, the stories we heard where that the don't do it anymore, and it is forbidden by law, but nobody has clear answers on these questions, it is very intresting to see, but nobody would like to do this when it is not nescessary.

The sunrise in Kanpalet, we are going on to Mindat, another place we the woman can be seen.

In most of the small village's we see a church,

We had a walk in Lemon village, a small place between Kanpalet and Mindat, childeren playing in the creek, beautiful nature, friendly people.

On the way back to Bagan, some very intresting days, things i saw never to forget, but first a trip of about 10 hours again

Best,

Michel

in Bagan and during your trip? You have to fly to Bagan from Rangoon? Indulge me more please. I've wanted to go to Myanmar, but haven't got the timing right. Places like Myanmar, North Korea, Bhutan or Iran are what interest me. Simply because they are so different than my life or the life that I understand.

cen@jkt

ps. care to adopt me as coolie for your next adventure trip?

The hotels are perfect, in the 4 big city's Yangoon, Bagan, Mandalay, and Inle lake, mostly where everybody goes the service is great, only when going in the country side, you will have the guest houses, it's okay, nothing special, but what you will see there makes everything worth your trip.
Your other countries to visit are also highly on my list espacialy Bhutan i would love to see!!!

Best,

Michel

I love your photography, as you capture beauty and the spirit of the land. I like the picture of the sunset over the temple- it is stunning.  Look forward to more of your posts, Michel.

Will try to post some more about Myanmar, it's a great country to travel and shoot pictures.

Best

Michel

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Hello Michel!!!!

What a great post!  Beautiful photos of a wonderful trip, the composition is fantastic!  My favorite pic is the hot air balloon with the sunrise, awesome!

-MW

Myanmar is in many ways a very intresting country, will try to post some more pictures of other parts of my trip

best,

Michel

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Michael,

 

I’ve heard of Myanmar only through reading about it in the news a little over a decade ago. What was so amazing was twin boys, 12 year old lead the take over of the Myanmar's Embassy in Bangkok. 

 

The people must have been very oppressed but creatively determined not to have their female children taken away by scarring their beautiful faces.  This helps me to better understand how these two young boys could rise in rebellion to become such strong leaders; they did what they had to do! 

 

Here is a reference to the Myanmar twins.

 

www.burmalibrary.org

Myanmar is a very intresting country, offcourse you will only see the things that are allowed by the goverment,   this time i saw things other then the 4 big city's, the people are very friendly, the food nice, something between Indian and Thai kitchen.
If you go far away from the city's the people don't know anything about politics, i went to the Ann people, north of Myanamar, near China, they believe in the spirits, don't go to school, so yes, many locals with their own worlds.
I read the artikel about the twins, intresting, but things like this you will never hear overthere, many subject the people just don't talk about, and this is one.

Best,

Michel

Very nice pics of the sunrise and such a exotic location.  Thanks for sharing.

Regards,
ED-209

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Their faces were tattooed but you still managed to capture their beauty....in expression, and candor.

Thank you so much for sharing and your photos make me want to visit there.  Look forward to viewing more of your work.

 

 

Will try to post some more about this trip, in many ways it's like a big museum overthere

Best,

Michel

That must have been an excellent trip, Michel.
Really awesome... thanx for sharing.

 

Less than two weeks after seeing Michael’s post, I went to Boston to visit my daughter.  We attended a convention where a man from Myanmar (now living in Kansas) was speaking, his name was Daniel Lim.  In the press of the crowd to shake his hand, I took opportunity to mention seeing photos of the women with tattoo faces.  Not many words were exchanged but his serious face lit up as he acknowledged me.

 

Daniel now lives in Kansas where he is a passionate pastor for International House of Prayer. He told the story how he and his wife Levi returned to Myanmar in September of 2008 with their two children to do some relief and charity work when his ten month old baby, Emmanuel, took sick.  The baby contracted a severe case of pneumonia and blood poison and died in Myanmar.  In a country that is hurting, there was such an outpouring of love for his family; it’s amazing.  Here’s an excerpt from the end of Levi’s story about what happened to her baby.

Emmanuel Road

Throughout our trip to Myanmar many of the villagers and political officials had heard about Baby Emmanuel. Several of the cyclone affected village leaders attended the funeral and felt to name their newly constructed roads after Emmanuel. Presently our team has confirmed that there are currently 12 roads named Emmanuel.

…The ministry of social and relief affairs heard about the new road names and decided that they wanted not only roads to bare the name Emmanuel but also buildings and locations.

josephandheba.com

 

Senator Edward Kennedy’s encouragement to Levi

 

www.ilovemyanmar.org

 

 

 I was so excited after hearing Daniel speak that I could hardly wait to share it with the group. Well, time passed and the post got further away so I didn't mention it.  Now THIS is my opportunity to tell ya'll this amazing story.

 

Thank you Michael for posting your wonderful narrative about Myanmar.  And thank you Monochrome for reviving the post.

 

Warmest Regards,

 

Helen

I didn't know the story, very intresting, but it's a part of the country, i only can tell everyone, don't look at the regime of the country, but meet the people, travel and see, happy to hear that Liling will go there, and looking forward to see and hear her impressions, will try to post some more picture's of this amazing country.

Best,

Michel

Indeed, it was a great trip of a intresting countru, how was India....

best,

Michel

Hiii Michel... Thanks to all the positive things u shared about Myanmar.. I have made plans to visit that beautiful country. Hope to post some photos of Yangon, Bagan and Inle in a couple of months.

Have u checked out my post on Amsterdam ? The last photo is the best one :o)

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Great to hear that you will go, i'm sure you will enjoy this beautiful country.

Best,

Michel