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Burma Is Much More Than Temples... These Photos of its People Show You its True Magic

Yahoo Travel

Updated Thu, February 12, 2015 at 7:00 AM UTC

Novice monks — Two young boys take in the view at Mt Kyaitkyo, the site of Burma’s sacred Golden Rock. Legend has it the colossal boulder balances on the hair of the Buddha

Cigarettes — Two fishermen share a light, leaving their rods to dangle over the edge of the U Bein bridge.

A lonely monk scales Yangon’s iconic Shwedagon Pagoda. Fact: A 10cm2 piece of gold leaf takes six hours to pound by hand.

Racing monks — Riding from temple to ancient temple in Bagan, we found ourselves (on horseback) racing two novice monks (on foot) through town traffic. Related: These Photos Show Why East Greenland Is a Hidden Gem

Reflections — While Inle Lake is most commonly known for its one-legged fishermen, this lush region is also home for many locals. Here’s a watchful young girl and her family returning to their floating village.Related: Scenes From Antarctica That Will Leave You Even More Awed By Nature

Motorcyles — A thanaka-clad boy rides shotgun through the streets of Mandalay.Related: Ancient and Magnificent Trees That Look Straight Out of a Fairy Tale

Monks — At Buddhist New Year celebrations in Mandalay, a monk tries to rearrange his robes as he waits in line for the day’s special alms.

Mount Popa — At 1,518 meters, this sacred temple sits atop a volcano and looks out across central Burma. On this humid day, dark clouds were gathering before an afternoon storm.

Steep mountain passes — The ride up Mt Kyaiktyo is hair-raising to say the least. Here we are sharing the back of a truck with a mix of locals and monks, seven people wide and seven rows deep.

Nun — We met this nun on the streets of Yangon. We wanted to photograph her red, betel-stained teeth but once the camera came out she found herself a little shy.

Fisherman — A fisherman on Inle Lake looks for the perfect spot to cast his net.

For some, Burma (Myanmar) conjures up images of arid plains dotted with golden Buddhist relics. For others, it’s synonymous with political discord and the democratic work of Aung San Suu Kyi.

For us, however, Burma can only be defined by its people; those longyi-wearing men chewing on betel leaves, the thanaka-clad women working chaotic marketplaces, and the cheeky novice monks escaping afternoon meditations. These locals, in their humility and curiosity and genuine friendliness, are undoubtedly the nation’s star attractions.

Counting this our third venture to Burma, we returned this time wanting to capture the spirit of the everyday. Here’s what we found behind the glittering temples and breathtaking vistas on our travels with Geckos Adventures, a small group tour operator offering world trips for ages 18-39.

All photos are by Ben McNamara: www.benemac.com

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Burma Is Much More Than Temples... These Photos of its People Show You its True Magic

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