The Myanmar discovery circuit - Day 1 (afternoon) - Yangon, the Shwedagon Pagoda (still) - The 12th of November 2015

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Somerset Maugham's words about Shwedagon  couldn't be so right "it rose superb, glistening with its gold, like a sudden hope in the dark night of the soul of which the mystics write glistening against the fog and smoke of the thriving city.", particularly if I thought back to what we had been exposed to some minutes prior to having walked into this outstanding ensemble.

 

 

 

We then came across the Maha Tissada Bell said to have been commissioned by King Tharrawaddy in 1841 wheighing almost 42 tonnes  and being 2,5 metres high.

From its terrace we saw a group of women pertaining to the Pa O tribe, the largest ethnic group of the state of Shan, whose garments are distinctly different (black or navy blue)  and especially the  Zawgyi and dragon-like turban. They soon attracted most people's attention thus having been kindly asked to let themselves be photographed by most worshippers standing by. Some of my group companions, I included, took advantage of the opportunity to photograph them as well. 

I was soon drawn to the Wish Fulfilling Place where a couple was performing their worshipping rituals and almost certainly putting forward their inner wishes.

 

 

As we were making our way out it started pouring down with rain. It seemed unstoppable and although the wet feet on the marble ground wasn't too much of an inconvenience as it was not cold the fact that we were restrained from walking around was a problem for something like three quarters of an hour.

Our bus drivers had to "rescue" us with borrowed umbrellas from the temple and by the time we finally made our way out it was pitch black and several of the shrines had been illuminated.