Imagine a universe made of water, where the garden floats and you move with boats instead of cars; where children play with puppets, dressed in lotus silk, and women are trapped in giraffe necks. It’s Inle Lake in Myanmar.
With an average depth of about 2 meters, Inle Lake has shallow and warm waters, which favor the growth of dense aquatic vegetation and the formation of islets of debris and roots. Over time, 17 floating villages have sprung up on them, with houses built on stilts, connected to each other by canals navigated on canoes and small motor boats, whose propellers, however, tend to get caught in the hyacinths.
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The plain of Bagan (or Pagan) is famous all over the world for the thousands of stupa ruins and temples it is littered of. At sunset, you can admire a spectacular view of the clearing, making it one of the most spectacular sites in all of Southeast Asia. For centuries, before being abandoned to itself, the area has been a Buddhist pilgrimage destination and it still breathes an atmosphere of deep spirituality. A scenario, in short, that has nothing to envy to Angkor Wat or Machu Picchu but that has, compared to these, a great advantage: much less tourists.
They say it takes just one visit to Golden Rock, in Myanmar, to become a Buddhist.
I think that’s absolutely true. It is impossible to visit this archeological site without going to Myanmar and, once in Myanmar, you will certainly fall in love with Theravada Buddhism. How could you possibly remain indifferent to timeless pagodas and golden stupas? How could you not love the gentle Burmese, or resist their kind smiles, their calm words, their fraternal looks? Buddhism in Burma has entered the flesh of reality, everyday gestures, all life’s choices. When you get to Golden Rock, you’ve already breathed Buddhism to the fullest, you’ve seen how harmonious a society based on kindness can be, and you’re probably grudgingly counting the days left before you have to go home.
All the customs and quirks of the kindest people in the world. You will find some funny, others perhaps disgusting (especially if you have never gone to Asia). Either way, they will make you want to immediately go to Myanmar and see for yourself if it is all true!
If you plan to travel to Myanmar and wonder if it is worth going, here are 10 amazing places that will convince you to visit the land of kindness.
To be precise, Joal Fadiouth are two places in one. Joal is a narrow peninsula at the end of Petit Cote, Senegal. It is home to a small fishing village, with its colorful pirogues and the rhythms of sea life. On the other hand, Fadiouth is a small island, connected to Joal by a wooden bridge about 800 meters long. It is entirely formed by empty shells of shells, accumulated here over the centuries by shellfish fishermen.
Published by “PHOTO PROFESSIONAL” | August 2019.
Photographer and blogger, Andrea Marchegiani, takes us on a journey to explore the natural beauty of Senegal, one of Africa’s most hospitable countries.
Toubakouta is the best starting point for exploring the Saloum River Delta, a fascinating maze of over 200 islets of sand and shells. The Saloum River Delta has been a national park since 1976 and covers over 70,000 hectares. Of these, 811 were designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2011, due to the presence of mounds of shells, amassed by men over the centuries. These mounds have produced artificial islets, some of them hundreds of meters long, also used as burial places.
Fulani (or Peul) have arrived in Senegal migration after migration. Here they converted to Islam and some tribes became sedentary, with great contempt for others who still follow the original nomadic traditions. Their cattle have big horns and the Peuls like them so much that they give their children the name of the finest bulls and cows. Their society is based on the principles of freedom, dignity and beauty.
We get up early to reach Kayar’s fish market. What I’m about to see will fill my eyes with wonder. Kayar is a village about 60 km north of Dakar and is home to one of the largest fishing centers in Senegal. You would expect large boats equipped with industrial fishing systems and instead we are faced with an endless parade of pirogues, small traditional boats made of colored wood. Each boat has its own decorated motif, which identifies the family it belongs to.
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