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Southeast Asia & Japan
  • Robert Dunbar
  • Orly Munzing

Southeast Asia & Japan

Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan Read more
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  • Southeast Asia & Japan
    These looms were mind blowing. Completely manual powered yet ingeniously designed.

    Inle Lake: Silk Lotus Weaving Work Shops

    March 11, 2020 in Myanmar ⋅ ⛅ 91 °F

    With our guide we travelled in a long boat boat to see The weaving workshops. It is located in In Paw Khon village which is a floating settlement made up of tall stilted houses connected by narrow waterways. Each village has its craft or agriculture production. Our stop at a few silk workshops required our long boat driver to make a few tight rounded and sweeping bends as we entered into the village proper, I was surprised to see just how many weaving workshops there were in In Paw Khon. The workshops are double-storied studio inside a tumbledown stilted house perched over the glassy waters of the lake.

    Drawn from the cut stems of the lotus plant, lotus fibres are fine, flexible, and incredibly soft. It’s said that the technique of spinning thread from the plant was first developed to fashion unique offerings to The Buddah in the form of lotus robes, but nowadays, the fibres are chiefly used to weave scarves and shawls. It is very expensive and is used mostly for ceremonial use or for tourist souvenirs.    Read more

  • Southeast Asia & Japan

    Long Boat Construction

    March 11, 2020 in Myanmar ⋅ ⛅ 88 °F

    Life revolves around this large Lake Inle. The nearby mountains provides the fresh water supply to the lake, which in turn is the giver of life to all who live in the area. Long boats are critical for transportation of people to and from the market to shop and/or sell their products, whether it be food, mats, clothing, crafts, metal works, etc.

    The very long boats are motorized whereas the smaller are paddled. Theses pics show the hand construction. Although teak is the preferred wood of choice (being used here) it’s technically illegal, as they’re over harvesting. The advantage is that the boat will last 40-50 years, which is desirable when you spend $3000 for the boat and another $1500 for the motor.

    They are remarkable engineered. Long and narrow so as to be able to navigate narrow canals, yet carry considerable cargo, both human or otherwise, but draft very little water. We saw boats carrying 20 or more villagers!    Read more

  • Southeast Asia & Japan
    Sorting and counting the leaves which will be the outer wrappers
    1Assembly line! Each woman will roll about 1,000 per day.Constantly working but had the feeling of a coffee klatch, gossiping, etc.

    Inle Lake: Cigar Workshop

    March 11, 2020 in Myanmar ⋅ ⛅ 88 °F

    We visited a cigar factory, where 8 or 9 ladies were sitting on the floor and we were invited to watch the whole process..

    Step by step we were shown how to make a cigar. A filterless cylindrical cigar with both ends clipped. They take tabacco, some herbs and banana leaves and wrap everything in the tobacco leaf. Then they put a used newspaper as a filter and stick everything with some tapioca to act as glue.Read more

  • Southeast Asia & Japan

    Inle Lake: Thursday Farmers Market

    March 12, 2020 in Myanmar ⋅ ⛅ 84 °F

    The Farmers Market occurs every 5 days at this location. It serves as an economic hubs of Inle Lake where the farmers from the mountains and floating islands meet the fisherfolk of the water to trade their wares and use the profits to buy the other essentials of life on offer at the stalls.
    Without Mala, our guide, leading the we would have gotten lost in the labyrinth of local produce and wares. We loved the experience of being surrounded by the Myanmar very loving people, squatting down and negotiating their sales. We were told that everyone gets off work to go and shop on Thursday at the Farmers Market.    Read more

  • Southeast Asia & Japan
    Young man selling eggsNatural wrapping for the "fast food" rice based mealRice cakes

    Inle Lake: Farmers Market (Continued)

    March 12, 2020 in Myanmar ⋅ ⛅ 84 °F

    This market happens every 5 days. It’s THE place for the locals in the surrounding villages to buy, sell, barter their goods. Some villages are in the nearby mountains, others are the fisherman or floating island farmers near Lake Inle, still others are from silver making villages or weaving villages, etc. It was fascinating to learn that everyone in the respective village does the same thing! Some villagers travel far, so they come the night before to set up their stall and/or to shop.Read more

  • Southeast Asia & Japan
    Bamboo is used for many things. These thin strips are use to support tomato plants
    Steamed rice cakes with a wonderful sweet interiorBlacksmith

    Inke Lake: Farmers Market (Continued)

    March 12, 2020 in Myanmar ⋅ ⛅ 86 °F

    Unknown to many, there are more than 10 different Shan tribes living in total harmony in Inle Lake. They each have unique characteristics and speak their own language. At the market the vendor can be identified by the colourful headress they are wearing.

    1. Intha means Children of the Lake, and the language closely resembles of the Myanmar people. Legend says that Intha people living on Lake Inle are the direct descendants of Dawei. The Intha people are hard-working folks. The women roll cigars and weave. Intha fishmen are well-known for their one-legged rowing skill

    2. Known as the “Kaw” or “Yi-Kaw”, the Akha live in highlands about 1,000 metres above sea level. They are slash-and-burn agriculturists and have moved from place to place in search of fertile land. Their total population is approximately 200,000 in Myanmar.

    3. Khun m: The Khun and Shan-Gyi are of Thai-Shan heritage. Khun lives predominantly to the east of the Thanlwin River while Shan-Gyi lives in the west. Both the Khun and Shan-Gyi have their own writing and literature.

    4. The Lahu-Na people are good-natured and open. They are welcoming to guests from other regions, and the villagers always help one another. To top this off, Lahu-Na men are said to be very kind to their wives.

    5. The Lahu, who bear striking similarities to Native Americans, are also categorised into three subgroups. They are the Lahu-Shi, Lahu-Na and Lahu-Ni. They speak different languages and wears different traditional costumes.

    6. Lisu: A Lisu New Year celebration is celebrated for three executive days in each village. At each village, the dancers form a circle around the sacred New Years tree and do simple dance steps to accompanying of three-stringed banjo music.

    7. Shan-Gyi means Bigger Shan. They live in the valleys of the Shan Plateau and are rice farmers by tradition. The Shan-Gyi, along with the Khun and Thai-Lu, are a subgroup of the Shan people in Myanmar.

    8. The Eng are related to the Wa tribe and is also known as the Va people. They live in the foothills of the Kyaing Tong basin. Marrying young at the age of 14-15, the women spot colourful ornaments and black garb. The Eng is fearful of the water spirits and therefore build their villages away from swamplands and rivers.

    9. Akhu: A super small subgroup of the Akha people, the Akhu people live in four villages in the Kyaing Tong region. Interestingly, the entire community of Wan-Jai Village attends a Baptist church service on Sunday night.

    10. Thai-Lu: A subgroup of the Shan people, the Thai-Lu can trace its roots to the Sip-song-pan-na of Yunnan China. They are dispersed all over the Shan State in Myanmar. At Wan-Paw Village, the Thai-Lu people happily harvest their crops.    Read more

  • Southeast Asia & Japan

    Inle Lake: Hpaung Daw U Pagoda

    March 12, 2020 in Myanmar ⋅ ⛅ 88 °F

    The pagoda houses five small gilded images of Buddha, which have been covered in gold leaf to the point that their original forms cannot be seen. The gold-leaf application to such excess is relatively recent. Old photographs hanging on the monastery walls show some of the images in original form. It is reported that some gold has been removed on occasion to reduce its mass. Only men are permitted to place gold leaf on the images. Another part of the ritual for pilgrims is to place a small robe around the images, and to take the robe back to their houses and place it on their own altar as a token of respect for the Buddha and his teachings.

    The highlight is an 18-day pagoda festival held, during which four of the Buddha images are placed on a replica of a royal barge designed as a hintha bird and taken throughout Inlay Lake. One image always left at the temple. The elaborately decorated barge is towed by several boats of leg-rowers rowing in unison, and other accompanying boats, making an impressive procession on the water. The barge is towed from village to village along the shores of the lake in clockwise fashion, and the four images are left at the main monastery in each village for the night.

    The high point of the festival is on the day when the images arrive at the main town of Nyaung Shwe, where most pilgrims from the surrounding region come to pay their respects, the Saopha of Yawnghwe would personally welcome the images. The images would be taken from the barge and a grand procession would take them to the palace or haw of the Saopha, entering the prayer hall from the eastern entrance, and where it would reside for a few hours. The public was allowed inside the prayer hall of the haw to pay their respects.

    Sometime in the 1960s during a windy day, when the waves were high on the lake, the barge carrying the images capsized, and the images tumbled into the lake. They only recovered four images. but when they went back to the monastery, the missing image was miraculously sitting in its place.    Read more

  • Southeast Asia & Japan
    98% silver, 2% copper1This nut contains a natural agent used to polish the silver!1Some of the beautiful pieces they hand craft

    Inle Lake: Silversmith Workshop

    March 12, 2020 in Myanmar ⋅ ⛅ 90 °F

    We visited a traditional silversmith floating craft village houses. All built above the Inle Lake, each with its own skills set and expertise. They are happy to demonstrate their silversmithing craft and do not expect you to purchase anything since they sell at markets and customers overseas. It is gorgeous if you like silver but pricy.

    The first picture shows the craftsman melting the ore which contains aluminum, manganese, copper, and silver. This was the last step, extracting the silver. The ingot in the closeup, in Bob’s hand he created as we watched. It was 98% pure silver, 3% copper.    Read more

  • Southeast Asia & Japan
    2So good!Yummy soup!

    Inle Lake: A lunch feast with our guide

    March 12, 2020 in Myanmar ⋅ ⛅ 93 °F

    A very tasty lunch and a great respite. It is hot and the sun is strong.
    The food is so flavourful that one does not need to eat much.

  • Southeast Asia & Japan
    Hut for taking breaks, eating lunch, etc.
    Floating island farms. Notice the bamboo stakes to hold in placeCutting grass to prepare island for planting2Driving bamboo into lake bottom atop of which they wlll build a resting hutHeading into the farmer's village

    Floating Farms

    March 12, 2020 in Myanmar ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F

    Sustainable farming ... long before our English word was invented. This was mind blowing.

    Silt from the mountains run into the streams during the rainy season (autumn) and into the lake. Some of it clumps together with grass to form floating islands of green on the lake. The farmers gather this and organize it into 1 meter wide, long rows, with a small canal between each row. The islands are staked in place with bamboo shoots. The farmers tend to the rows by paddling small boats in the separating canals. The floating islands are thick enough that they will support a man standing on them as well.

    One of the pics shows the farmers cutting the grass as part of the preparation for planting the crops. They grow tomatoes, garlic, and other crops. The man in the foreground, cutting grass, found the bowl of a old opium pipe. He came over and gave it to us as a gift! We asked if we could give something in return and we’re told he would be insulted if we did. Such are these amazingly friendly people.

    Once we went further we came to the village where the farmers and their families lived. It has a high school, medical facility, and stores. Like all other villages here, all residents do the same thing. So everyone was a farmer here. Other villages were all silver smiths, while other villages made rice cakes , others were weavers. Astounding! Simple, resourceful, community oriented, no one better than anyone else, yet seemingly happy and content. I think they could teach us something.    Read more

  • Southeast Asia & Japan

    Inle Lake: Kayah Women with long necks.

    March 12, 2020 in Myanmar ⋅ ⛅ 88 °F

    Kayah women are the famous Padaung, or "long-necks" with their women wearing customary brass rings since the age of nine. Although a dying tradition, Padaung continue to wear the rings and we were welcomed to meet a few of the women whose craft is weaving. They are lovely and very friendly. They believe their mothers are dragons hence the long neck and head ware symbolizing a dragon woman. Men do not wear the neck bracelets.Read more

  • Southeast Asia & Japan
    Barber shop!

    Market - continued

    March 12, 2020 in Myanmar ⋅ ⛅ 86 °F

    More colorful pics from the market

  • Southeast Asia & Japan
    1Women need to cover their shoulders and knees. Hence, a wrap skirt I purchased at the market.11A whole bunch of stupas!

    Inle Lake: Shwei Indein Pagoda

    March 13, 2020 in Myanmar ⋅ 🌙 77 °F

    We arrived to Shwei Indein Pagoda In our private long boat, via twisting canals.

    Upon disembarking, We discover a hillside complex containing over 1,600 Buddhist stupas, some of mud and stone, some intricately carved, some gilded with precious metals. While several have been restored, many have been reclaimed by the surrounding jungle and lay partially crumbled, covered in vines or ingrown trees.

    These structures date from the 14th to the 18th centuries. Like others found across the region, the stupas have carved creatures like lion-like beings that protect sacred spaces. These were (and remain) sites for contemplation and meditation and many contain relics inside their bases.

    The first stupas at Indein were likely commissioned during the reign of King Narapatisithu, although according to legend, it was King Ashoka - the Indian emperor responsible for spreading Buddhism across much of Asia - who first designated this as a site of spiritual importance. Hundreds of years later, that distinction is completely obvious. The sea of ornate spires coupled with the view over the lake and surrounding calm lend this spot an unquestionably mystic, reflective air.    Read more

  • Southeast Asia & Japan
    Long boat dock. The boat in front has a fish trap aboard
    2Each bungalow has its own porchStaff partyThe resort grows some of its own foodBeautiful water lilies1Panorama shot of the rows of bungalows4Goodbye Mynamar Treasure Resort. We'll miss you.

    Goodbye to Myanmar Treasure Resort

    March 14, 2020 in Myanmar ⋅ ☀️ 93 °F

    We’ve loved our 4 days here. The staff are so very nice and welcoming. They invited us to their staff party last night which honors members who’ve had their birthday the past 3 months, and to honor employee of the month, etc.

    The staff was divided into several teams and they worked in secret for the previous few days to prepare funny skits. We didn’t understand what they were saying but it was all very silly and fun. We felt honored to be part of their family. We enjoyed a buffet dinner with them and karaoke, some quite good! They are truly remarkable, like one big family who care very much about each other.    Read more

    See translation
  • Southeast Asia & Japan
    Impatiently waiting for us to feed them bananas and sugar cane.Orly inside the fence feeding her new friend2Orly stuffing a rice ball in the elephant's mouthOrly teaching the baby manners. One banana at a time!Baby playing. They love to push against you. Really strong!Cooling down. They love it!Some in our group got in to brush and bathe them

    Baanchang Elephant Park - continued

    March 16, 2020 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 86 °F

    We prepared sticky rice balls for the elephants which included mashed bananas, the banana peel torn into bits, tamarind seed pods, vitamins, and a green plant we chopped into bits. We formed them into baseball sized balls. We were told not to let them smell it because they’d spit it out, so rather then hand them sugar cane and bananas, which they grasped with they’re amazingly dextrous trunk, we were to yell “Boon” which means up, at which they’d lift their trunk and open they’re mouth wide. We were then to put the rice ball right in their mouth. BTW, their tongues are very sticky!Read more

  • Southeast Asia & Japan
    They're so impatient!1Making sticky rice ballsHeading to the swimming hole1The youngsters love to play by pushing you. They're really strong2

    Baanchang Elephant Park

    March 16, 2020 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 95 °F

    Another highlight of our trip! Fabulous guide. Started with educating Us about these magnificent animals. The history of their life and how they came to spend the remainder of their lives in this wonderful park. Respected and cared for, we observed how the Mahoot (an assigned care taker for each elephant) treated their elephant as if it were their child. We spent the day caring for these elephants as well. Fed them, walked and played with them, prepared sticky rice balls that contained vitamin rich food and fed them. Had a delicious lunch and walked them down to the water. The younger people in our group of eight got in the water and bathed and brushed them. Such expression in their eyes. Loved every second of it!!! Thank you Baanchang for all you do!!Read more

  • Southeast Asia & Japan
    "Keep pounding!", he ordered. We had to earn our lunch!
    80 year old uncle drying banana leaves to roll cigarettes121"Stir more!"2Soaking grated coconut meat to make coconut milk for dessert

    Chaing Mai: Raunkaew Yanon Family Visit

    March 17, 2020 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 95 °F

    We visited the home of the Raunkaew-Yanon family, who arrived in the Chaing Mai by elephant 150 years ago.
    The family is a Lanna family ( from Northern Thailand and are animists), who continue the traditions of many generations in building their homes of teak wood and maintaining the natural surroundings in a manner now rarely seen in Chiangmai.
    We learned and experienced their simple Lanna way of life. They showed us their family orchard with many types of fruit such as banana, mango, coconut, and garden that is filled with herbs for cooking. We also had the opportunity to join the cooking for our meal in their outdoor kitchen taught by the family. The meal was served on the terrace of the home.
    The visit gave us a real experience and understanding of Lanna life, the traditions and buildings the relationship between their religions and ancestor and the way this all works together with nature.
    We learned to cook the following Northern Thai dishes:
    1. Dry red curry chicken breast with thai herb (Aou Kai)
    2. Hot and sour chicken soup (Tom som Kai)
    3. Stir fried egg pant with minced pork (Phad Makauyaw Moo)
    4. Minced pork Northen style (Nam prik Ong)
    5. Banana in coconut milk

    Animism is a belief that objects, places and creatures are spirits. They believe that all things—animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather, human handiwork and words—as animated and alive.    Read more

  • Southeast Asia & Japan
    Bob abd Audi, our terrific guide.

    Chaing Mai Inthakhin (Pillar)

    March 18, 2020 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    According to the legend on which their big festival is based on, in the time before Chiang Mai was founded, the Lawa people who then lived there received a pillar from the god Indra to protect them against disaster. After this original pillar was again removed by order of Indra, the Lawa people were then told to place a replica of the pillar. If this pillar continued to be respected and the people lived virtuous lives, the city would gain prosperity and be protected against harm.Read more

  • Southeast Asia & Japan
    1

    Chaing Mai: Inthakhin

    March 18, 2020 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    According to legend around the 12th century, in the time before Chiang Mai was founded, the Lawa people who then lived there received a pillar from the god Indra to protect them against disaster. After this original pillar was again removed by order of Indra, the Lawa were then told to place a replica of the pillar As a replacement. If this pillar continued to be revered and the people lived virtuous lives, the city would gain prosperity and be protected against harm.Read more

  • Southeast Asia & Japan
    These beeswax sculptures were eerie. Look real don't they?
    2Sculptures of revered monks. We expected them to blink they were lifelike2

    Chiang Mai: Wat Phra Sing

    March 18, 2020 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    There are several magnificent and very old temples within the walled old city of Chiang Mai. Wat Phra Singh is considered one of the most beautiful.

    The temple, which is also known as “The Monastery of the Lion Buddha” has hundreds of monks living there. The Wat Phra Singh houses a number of highly revered and very old Buddha images.

    The Wat Phra Singh dates back to the 14th century when Chiang Mai was the capital of the Lanna Kingdom, and is an example of classic Lanna style temple architecture in Northern Thailand.    Read more

  • Southeast Asia & Japan

    Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

    March 18, 2020 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    The temple is often referred to as "Doi Suthep" which is actually the name of the mountain where it's located. It is a sacred site to many Thai people. The temple is 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the city of Chiang Mai and situated at an elevation of 1,073 meters. From the temple, impressive views of downtown Chiang Mai can be seen.
    It gets over 120,000 visitors a month. To our advantage it was not crowded due to the Corona Virus.    Read more

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