Bagan - Part 2

The next day on May 1, we headed to Mt. Popa (a volcano almost 5,000 feet above sea level). On the way, our driver stopped at a sugar mill where we had palm sugar candy, palm sugar alcohol, and some tea leaf salad - all before 9am! This cow went in circles to grind peanuts which produced oil.

Mooooo

I got to ride around

So did Paul

Click here to watch Paul get a ride

So wise

She enjoyed a rubbing from Paul

This guy climbed up to get the buckets of palm juice

They collect the palm juice to create alcohol and candy

Just hanging

Paul is excited to meet the guy in action

Making palm leaf origami figures

Like this!

Here's some palm candy

Paul drinking some palm alcohol - it was too strong for me so he had 2

This is thanaka bark

Women grind it against this stone to create the paste which is then put on their face as sunblock/makeup

She put some on me - my skin was really soft after I washed it off at the end of the day!

She designed a leaf shape on each cheek

Paul having some tea

Poison to Paul. He only tasted the tea leaves.

We then continued our journey to Mt. Popa.

We caught part of the shinbyu, the coming of age event for a boy before entering a monastery for a short time

Girls are also celebrated at the same time in an ear piercing ceremony

Fruit stand

Paul is pointing at the huge jack fruit

Tons of them

We eventually make it to the top of Popa Taung Kalat Shrine

Here's a closer shot of Taung Kalat with some pretty flowers

Our driver then dropped us off so we could climb the hundreds of stairs to the top.

Really steep steps!

We saw a lot of monkeys along the way

Jumping around

Did I mention we had to walk up these steps barefoot?

While dirty, filthy monkeys were waiting to attack

This is the view from the top

Then we headed back down

Paul enjoyed avoiding the razor blades; I guess they don't expect tall people

Those monkeys are organized - waiting to attack!

Eating scraps

Mama monkeys with baby monkeys

So wise

Paul was waiting for me while I took all those monkey pictures

Mangey monkey

I liked seeing the monkey next to a motorcycle

Do you wonder how dirty our feet get from walking barefoot around temples housed with dirty monkeys and spit all over the floor? 

Before cleaning; the one white spot was where Paul had a band-aid

After