The back roads of Bangladesh are great for cycling!
No busses, just three-wheelers loaded up with produce and people.
They would smile and wave as they passed us.
And yes, there is nothing so ego-destroying as being overtaken by a van rickshaw carrying multiple passengers.
We spent the morning sitting on a teashop bench, watching the decorated trucks and busses drive by.
I was just about to leave when Paul said, “Grace, wait. I see something else coming.”
The Reclining Buddha is enormous. From head to toe he’s more than 200 feet long.
Yet even up close, the perfection and attention to detail is astounding.
The Shwedagon is one of Buddhism’s most sacred sites and it’s stunning! The immense gilded stupa is surrounded by temples filled with an array of Buddha statues.
There’s a constant buzz of activity as Burmese from all walks of life come here to pray, give offerings and even have their fortune told.
Upon arrival, we saw Burmese placing candles around the Botahtaung pagoda.
“Let’s stick around and see what happens,” Paul said.
So happy we did!
It was a privilege to witness the Festival of Lights, it celebrates Buddha’s descent from heaven.
From Bagan, we caught a ride on the local freight boat to Pyay.
It was a leisurely three-day journey.
We just sat on the deck, viewing the scenery and watching everything that happened around us.
We set off in the early morning, passing shops, temples and monks doing their rounds.
That was our favorite time of day before the heat intensified.
By mid-day, all we wanted was a cold drink and some shade.
The Burr Trail is one of the most scenic roads in Utah, and that’s saying something!
It winds through deep canyons, descends the colorful water pocket fold and finishes at Lake Powell.
“Come, come,” said the monks as they waved us over to help send sky lanterns into the heavens.
Having spent too many hours in the traffic gridlock, Wat Pho was a much-needed island of serenity.
Time-lapse film of the Chao Phraya express boat landing.
It’s a constant hive of activity.
Why suffer the heat trying to visit the historical center on foot?
The best way to see Penang is via an ‘official’ tri-wheeler tour.
They zoom past all of the historical buildings while their passengers sit cool under the shade of an umbrella.
From Luang Prabang, we took the slow boat to Huay Xai.
It was two relaxed days of viewing life alongside the river banks; children playing, men throwing out fishing nets, and women washing clothes.
The icing on the cake was sailing by the steep hills that we no longer had to pedal over.
Pha That Luang in Vientiane is the most sacred monument in the country. It even appears on Lao currency.
The great stupa is covered in over 1,000 pounds of pure gold leaf. When the sun shines, it’s dazzling!
The MV Ilala sails the length of Lake Malawi and we caught a ride on it to Chilumba.
Due to a hefty price increase, backpackers were avoiding the boat and we had the upper deck to ourselves.
We felt like ‘royalty’ instead of ‘dirtbag’ cyclists as we strolled across the teak deck and watched the lifeboats bringing passengers to and from shore.
