Pictures of U Bein’s Bridge, at Amarapura, near Mandalay Myanmar as the sun sets over the shallow lake.

Ox cart heading across the lake with the famous 200 year old teak bridge in the background.

Cyclist heading home over the 1.3km long teak bridge.

Three cyclists silhouetted against the setting sun.

Cycling through the sun

It’s not often you see people walking above the setting sun.

Pictures of Bagan in Myanmar

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Bagan is a huge archelogical site with over two thousand ancient Buddhist temples, monastaries, libraries and stupas spread out over the plain.

Whilst there are hundreds of tiny stupas there are also magnificent examples of ancient craftmanship like Htilominlo Temple.

Inside there are glorious Buddha statues and exquisite wall and ceiling paintings.

Exploring these monuments we met monks as well as many local tourists. Getting around in a horse and buggy was very popular, if a little bumpy.

The area was still used for agriculture. So we approached many temples through fields of crops.

One King who had been taken prisoner build a big Buddha Statue in a very confined temple with a narrow entrance way to express his feelings of confinement. Looking at the Buddha you can still sense his feelings of home sickness and frustration today.

Everywhere we went in Myanmar we met friendly people. This girl was sitting outside her house preparing lunch for her family. Her father was a temple caretaker. They chatted and invited us to taste the food she and her mother were cooking. It was delicious.

As the sun slowly sank we perched on a high temple wall and watched the thousands of spires of ancient Bagan being enveloped into the warm velvety night of Myanmar.

Pictures from a cargo river boat sailing down the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River from Bhamo (Bah maw) in Myanmar

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The Irrawaddy River is narrow until it gets to Bhamo in northern Myanmar. Bhamo is like a frontier town, full of hustle and bustle as cargo is transhipped from small boats to the big river cargo boats. It is also an incredibly friendly place. Whilst strolling throught the evening market these people asked us to photograph their children.

Even in hardware shops people were eager to chat and share a joke.

Bhamo was a lovely place to relax in to wait for the next cargo boat to sail down the Irrawaddy River

Dawn on the Irrawaddy River at Bhamo. An old flat bottomed cargo boat is moored ready for the trip down stream to Mandalay.

Passengers settle down for the two day trip. Cheerful girl sets up the onboard shop for snacks and drinks.

Washing clothes on the muddy banks of the Irrawaddy River where the river boats are moored.

Fisherman on the Irrawaddy River pausing for a smoke.

Relaxing over coffee with new found friends and sharing a joke.

Food being prepared by the wood burning stove, on the wooden deck. Ladies eagerly awaitng lunch.

River Boat moored at a village to take on more cargo and passengers.

Food sellers streamed onboard with fresh bread, roast chicken, dried fish. On the muddy banks food stalls serverd lamb stew, chicken curry, rice and soup. Passengers rushed ashore to buy food before the new cargo was loaded and the boat sailed.

Boys enjoying the muddy water playing on the litter strewn banks next to the boat

Monks enjoy a special lunch cooked in the boats galley. Allan enjoys a rat bought from a stall on the bank before the boat sailed.

Allan chatting to passengers on deck. People spread out amongst the cargo. A card school is in full swing on top of a pile of sacks.

Gold sluicing operation on the banks. This monk spoke good English and explained all the things we were seeing as the boat slowly went down the river.

On the final stretch of our journey on the Irrawady River, between Mandalay and Bagan, Margaret took this fantastic shot of a fruit seller on the bank. She was part of a group holding up fruit and snacks as the boat moored at a village. She is wearing traditional Myanmar make up that protects the skin from sunburn and also has soothing properties. It is made from ground up tree bark.