Bago, Myanmar

I took a very long tour of Bago and the Buddhist sites in this Myanmar city.  Before arriving in Bago, we spent a little time at the Taukkyan Allied World War II Cemetery.  Over 27,000 who died in the Burma and Assam campaigns are buried at this site.

We visited the Kyakhatwaing Monastery, and the monks were having their second a final meal of the day around 11:30am.  The monks seem to have an affinity to dogs which are everywhere.  The dogs seem to have adjusted well to the lifestyle of silence and reflection (sleeping/dreaming in the case of the dogs).

We visited the Shwemawdaw Pagoda, the Hinthagone Pagoda, and the Shwethalyaung Reclining Buddha. 

The final stop was at the Mon Village.  This is the group that first made their way to the area from Mongolia.  The village was interesting, and I saw a demonstration of weaving techniques.

The first stop today was at the Taukkyan World War II Cemetery where 27,000 Allied soldiers are buried.

As we've visited Buddhist monasteries, dogs are all around.  Three of the four of these pups seem to be deep in meditation.

I felt a little guilty taking a photo of the monks as they consumed their second and final meal of the day.  So, I took this shot outside of their dining hall.

Dress code at temples and pagodas was consistent:  no shoes, no socks, no knees, and no shoulders.

The sound of "bong" was everywhere and this was true at the Shwemnawdaw Pagoda today.

You get some idea of the size of the Shwemawdaw Pagoda by noting the size of the man (bottom right).

Here's part of the Shwethalyaung Reclining Buddha.  It's massive.

This young lady was proud to demonstrate her skill at weaving in the Mon village.

Although I didn't purchase any, the cloth was beautiful.