Architectural and natural wonders sprinkle Myanmar’s landscape. Check out our other two pieces on Myanmar: No Child Left Behind and Fighting for a Voice.

Story and Photos by Nina Strochlic
The dusty streets of Yangon overwhelm the senses. The shaven-heads of monks in their saffron robes weave through throngs of men clad in longyis, the traditional sarong, and women with golden circles of tanaka dotting their cheeks, a tree-bark paste used for sun protection. Red splatters paint the sidewalk where betel nut chewers spit. The nut, packed with tobacco and lime in small banana leafs and tucked into cheeks, stain chewers’ teeth a deep red. Rows of vendors line every street, hawking deep-fried foods, watches, empty CD cases, mountains of oranges, and bootleg DVDs. Those relaxing during the workday sip milky tea on green plastic stools next to sidewalk teashops. Restaurant stalls stoke their fires and the smells of food, oil, and dirt waft unapologetically through the air.
Myanmar’s main tourist attractions spiral out from the Earth into ornate structures — the 4,000 temples of Bagan. Horse carts rumble through the maze of temple peaks dotting a dusty landscape that stretches for miles in each direction. As the sun lowers behind the myriad temples, turning the sky deep shades of orange and red, young monks performing their regulatory monastic service offer fresh flowers to each monument’s towering Buddha.
The country’s dominant Buddhist faith is supplemented by belief in Nats: spirits that inhabit living and inanimate objects. The impish Nats demand constant appeasement, lest they inflict misfortune. Ancient trees cradle their limbs around ornate shrines for the spirits, dominating the sidewalks. Though Nats are now considered more a superstition, huge festivals called pwes are thrown annually in their honor. Celebration participants watch the main attraction in fascination – entranced professionals and unknowing audience members whose bodies are possessed by Nat spirits. Musicians pound out rhythms on their drums, while the feasting, drinking, and wild dancing whip the crowd into frenzied excitement.
A bumpy seven-hour bus ride east of Bagan sits another wonder of Myanmar: Inle Lake. The expansive body of crystal-clear water hosts a dazzling border of colorful floating villages and monasteries. The lake’s only disturbance comes from local fishermen practicing a unique method of rowing – tranquilly perched on the bow of their canoes, they balance themselves on one leg and wrap the other around the oar to steer. The boats dock at the marketplace to buy fruits or crafts from the brightly turbaned hill tribe women, and to lay offerings to Buddha at the top of a mountainous pagoda.

Gallery • 9 Photos

A Land Lost in Time