life on Inle Lake

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Andrei

Nearby Mandalay, in the middle of Myanmar, lies Inle Lake. This is a pretty large, shallow body of water, that supports the life of several tribes in a dozen villages. Some of the daily life takes place on the lake – with boats being the main mean of transport. The combination of faraway mountains, Budhist monasteries built on water, village markets and of course a lot of tourists whizzing from village to village offers a pretty nice and relaxing atmosphere.

I spent 3 days in late October 2011 in one of the villages near Inle Lake, and the experience was very interesting. As I was there in the slightly-rainy season, the water level was high enough to offer the full water village experience. This also meant there were little ponds that I had to cross on my way to the pier, food stalls or to meet with friends.

Because Myanmar has opened to foreign tourists only for little time, the tourist infrastructure and the feeling to be in an amusement park are somewhat lacking. And that is good - as part of the charm of the area is the way I could almost imagine I was living in a fishing village.

portraits from Myanmar (part 5)

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Andrei

Buddhist monks at a temple – probably one of the most photographed scenes. Add a bit of sunset and sprinkle with some shallow depth-of-field – and you get a very classic image. yet I still love this photo. In Lightroom I have about 5 virtual copies, with different crops and filters applied. The most important part – I really enjoy looking at this photo!

It was taken the second day in Bagan, Myanmar, while waiting for the sunset.

portraits from Myanmar (part 4)

Posted on December 2, 2011 by Andrei

portrait from Myanmar (part 3)

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Andrei

This photo I took at one of the temples in the Bagan area. This lady was taking a smoke break from selling at the temple entrance.

sunset at Bagan

Posted on November 6, 2011 by Andrei

Bagan in Myanmar is every photographer’s dream. On an area no larger than 40sq km there are thousands of temples. I think it is impossible to visit all of them – so there is still room for someone to find his ‘own’ favorite temple. Renting a bicycle and moving from place to place is the best way to experience this amazing place.

The magic moment is at sunset – when from one of the taller temples you can see the surrounding area – a huge plain dotted with countless temples.

portrait from Myanmar (part 2)

Posted on November 4, 2011 by Andrei

I took countless photos of people from Myanmar – from children, field workers, monks, people on the streets of Yangon – everywhere you point the camera there is an interesting face. The only other place where I could literally not stop from taking photos of people was India. Myanmar is just as fascinating.

portraits in Myanmar

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Andrei

This is the beginning of a short series of photos I took in Myanmar, especially portraits of people.

Kuala Lumpur bird park

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Andrei

I am not the greatest bird fan – but how could I say no to visiting the largest open aviary in the world? All thoughts of birds crapping on me, the standard afternoon rain did not even count. So – in Kuala Lumpur I had to visit this park. And of course take lots of pictures.

This happened almost one week ago – I am already that late in posting photos and stories.

I do have a post in work regarding the joys f an open-water diving course – but that is in the future.

Now – enjoy these bird pictures.

Kuala Lumpur – first impressions

Posted on October 1, 2011 by Andrei

After 3 days spent in Kuala Lumpur, a daytrip to Melakka, countless bubble teas and lots of pictures taken it is time to move on.

Tonight I have a train ticket to Tanah Merah – and then a ferry from Kuala Besut to the Perhentian Islands. Right now I am in an Internet Cafe, trying to get a bit up to date with the blog writing. Fortunately I have uploaded a few photos to Picasa, but still a lot are only on my netbook.

Kuala Lumpur is far more pleasant to walk and do some sightseeing than Bangkok. That is the first thing I noticed.The second – the combination of skyscrapers (Petronas towers are just some of them), large parks and small green patches, different street food and a better hostel made me really enjoy Kuala Lumpur. Some of the better photos – or at least more interesting – unfortunately will come later.

For now – these are some pictures I took in the first evening here.

Jim Thompson museum in Bangkok

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Andrei

One of the things to see in Bangkok, and a very pleasant introduction to Thai art, is a visit to Jim Thompson museum. The ex-OSS (what is today known as CIA) turned entrepreneur and who revived the Thai silk manufacturing was also a passionate art collector. And what better setting for sculptures, glassware and traditional furniture than a group of traditional Thai houses in the middle of Bangkok? Even if a visiting a museum is not high on the to-do list in Bangkok – this one is a very refreshing and pleasant experience.