Seriously, all monks have smart phones here. I've seen more monks with the Samsung Galaxy Note and S4 than people in the US. When you come around a corner in a park - monk on a smart phone. Watching monks take a break from praying - smart phone. Getting on a train - monk on smart phone. Conclusion: if you need help with your smart phone, find a monk.
Yesterday we left Golden Rock at 8 am. I woke up at 4 thanks to my body having absolutely no idea what time it was, and was so blessed to watch the sunrise, both from the hotel and from the temple square of Golden Rock. It was STUNNING and probably the most special morning and sun rise of my life. I literally felt like I was watching the earth from above.
We rode the chicken truck back down the mountain, which was possibly more exciting than riding it up. It really did feel like a rollercoaster. Here's a picture of the chicken truck fully loaded, as well as the monks walking the village in the early morning asking for donations (their smart phones were probably in their pockets).
We went to Bago, which is the royal seat of ancient Burmese kings. We saw replicas of their palaces, as well as a huge and beautiful pagoda. We also visited some statues of Reclining Buddha's, but the pictures are on my back up camera and I'm too tired to upload them! I'll try to do so tomorrow.
I was sad to say goodbye to my two lovely new friends, Emma and Heather. Emma and I did have a great dinner together in Rangoon at a restaurant that serves cuisine from all of South East Asia.
Today I went on a Rangoon tour where we rode the train about 20 miles out of the city and visited a market - it was only locals, the other man, Dan, on the tour and I were the only tourists, and it was really special to be there. The people are so friendly and charming. We spent a long time wandering around the market before coming to Rangoon.
In the afternoon we spent time exploring a local park which was built in the colonial period - it was beautiful and had lovely views of City Hall as well as the building that was the High Court when Rangoon was the capital.
Dan and I then walked about 20 minutes to Kandawgyi Lake, which is a beautiful park on a large lake. We spent a long time walking and then sat at a lake side terrace cafe for a beer. After that we were so lucky to watch an amazing sunset that illuminated the Shwedagon Pagoda and the Karaweik, which is a replica of an ancient Burmese palace.
Another perfect day in Burma. Each day is better than the last and I've only been here for 3 days.
Blessings to you all, my friends.
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