Wednesday 13 March 2013

Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon

I apologise in advance as I think that the blog for the next two weeks will be full of pictures of pagodas. I am really excited about them as they are everywhere, but I will try not to over do it and add some variety, but not today.
We have walked from our hotel to the enormous Shwedagon Pagoda complex. It is on the top of a hill and everyone has to remove their shoes at the bottom of the steps and remain barefoot for the whole visit. I ran into trouble immediately as the tiles were baking hot and my soles were burning up.
Fortunately, most of the steps are within ornate covered walkways that have many stalls selling souvenirs and beautiful bouquets as offerings.
Once out in the sunshine at the top, you are surrounded by many individual temples and pagodas and it is spectacular.
We did not hire a guide so I can't tell you much about it's background, but there has been a pagoda on this site for 2,600 years and it is the oldest historical pagoda in Burma and the world. With the possible exception of the Sule Pagoda which is in the middle of a roundabout just outside our hotel and was shown on the blog yesterday!

1 comment:

  1. Oh well, at least the pagoda pictures are a nice change from the buddhas!

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