Burma I: A Sunday Rail Ride

This is the first of several forthcoming posts featuring images made during my recent excursion to Burma, now more officially known as Myanmar. Though the country is under the rule of a fairly strict military regime, its people must be among the friendliest in Asia, if not further abroad. Their lives and ways, though similar to other nearby nations, are also markedly different in many facets as well. You’ll see thanaka on the faces of women and children, and many, if not most men wear a longyi The city of Yangon itself can be quite peaceful at times, which I think must be attributed to the lack of motorbikes filling most other nearby cities, which are reserved only for government officials. The people move about mostly on foot, in taxis and buses that are nearly as old as me, or on the also aging, British built rail loop that connects Yangon to its satellite towns and villages dotting the countryside. Its open air construction and turtle-like speed create a fascinating and perfect way to explore the lands and peoples of the area. And that’s exactly what we did on the final day out before I was to depart. Below is a generous edit of the images and scenes that passed by my eyes as we took in a Sunday on the rails.