Ayeywarwaddy River cruise photo essay: Day 2

For breakfast, a bowl of fresh mohinga made with noodles and fish broth.

The second day of our 12-day cruise dawned overcast and drizzly as the boat got underway from its overnight anchor spot. We passed the confluence of the Ayeyarwaddy and Chindwin rivers, continuing north as the river cut through steep, sandy banks on either side.

The landscape consisted of flat farmland where cows stood in small groups in the muddy fields. The villages we passed appeared as small collections of wood houses nestled among groves of tall trees, with small pagodas, usually white or gold, near the water and standing out against the verdant backdrop. The river traffic was light, consisting of local rowboats that hugged the shore, and the occasional barge barreling down the middle of the river carrying gravel or teak logs.

The main stop of the day was Yandabo village, famous as the site where a peace treaty was signed ending the First Anglo-Burmese War in 1826. A white monument marks the spot where the pact was made. Yandabo is also a known for its production of pottery, which is made from clay dug directly from the riverbank.

 

Clay pots glisten in the rain in Yandabo village.

 

A woman uses a mallet to put the finishing touches on pottery in Yandabo.

 

Traditional, manual methods are still used to turn pottery in Yandabo. (Photo: Thandar Khine)

 

Decorative details on pottery.

 

The walkways of Yandabo are paved with pottery shards.

 

A future pottery maker smiles (or not) for the camera.

 

A young girl takes her brother for a piggyback ride around the village.

 

Night descends over the Ayeyarwaddy River.