Returning From Nam Sabi

Had a productive field session in the Village Management Area (VMA) of Nam Sabi. Made a basecamp deep into the VMA (more on this later), and started reading the growth bands that we had put on a sample of timber trees exactly a year ago. Scheduled a follow-up survey to finish reading the bands with WCS, Forest Department, and a team of villagers in about a week. Image above shows us pushing the boat out into the Chindwin River to return to the ranger station in Htamanthi.    

Monkeys at Mt. Popa

Hoards of hungry temple monkeys jump, howl, and grab all around the Mt. Popa pagoda. Feisty little critters.

Sunset at Bagan

Luke and I made it to Bagan. And saw the sun go down from Shwesandaw Pagoda. One of the most beautiful, awe-inspiring sights I've ever seen. Really. [NOTE: Yes, there were busloads of tourists on the pagoda with us. Didn't change what I saw]. 

Peik Chin Myaung

Gorgeous waterfall outside of Pyin Oo Lwin. There were a lot of monks here appreciating the grandeur; some taking photos with an iPad. [NOTE: Patiently posted from a painfully slow internet connection in Mandalay].

Sule Pagoda

Charming altar and Buddha under bodhi tree at the Sule Pagoda in the center of downtown Yangon.

Back in Yangon (with Luke)

Luke and I arrived in Yangon about 9:30 this morning after a grueling 21 hour flight. To shake off the jetlag we walked over to Shwedagon Pagoda. And then a nice lunch of noodles. Good to be back. And I'm looking forward to a nice sleep this evening.

Crosscut Saws

There is a small museum of old – some really old – tools at the Villa Carolotta Botanical Garden in Tremezzo on Lake Como (see Palms and Plane-trees). Love the display of the two crosscut saws. Leaving for Myanmar, thinking of Italy. The post-modern condition? Hope the election on Sunday goes well.  

About Planet Earth

A wonderful science animation video from Kurzgesagt about living in a thin moist layer on a small wet rock. Yeah, I know that it's 7:21 minutes long, but, trust me, I guarantee that you will be engaged and will learn something (probably many things) about Planet Earth. And will be tempted to watch a couple of their other videos offered here. [NOTE: Kurzgesagt is German for "in a nutshell"]. 

Beth Moon

Beth Moon takes some of the most beautiful and evocative images of trees that I have ever seen. Her book of gorgeous tree art is Ancient Trees: Portraits of Time. [NOTE: Image above is "Kapok" (Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn.)]. 

Bagan

On my upcoming trip to Myanmar (with son, Luke), after finishing up in Nam Sabi (see Nam Sabi VMA and VMA Inventory) and then spending a few days in Mandalay, we will go visit Bagan (shown above). Thousands of stupas and pagodas stretching back from the Ayeyarwady River over 40 square kilometers. Yippeee!!