Ayeywarwaddy River cruise photo essay: Day 8

Motoring through the second defile of the Ayeywarwaddy River. (Photo: Thandar Khine)

 

We started the day with a quick excursion into the town of Shwegu before sailing through the middle (second) defile of the Ayeyarwaddy River. This one is the most spectacular of the three, with jungle-covered cliffs soaring above the waterway on either side: Isolated pagodas cling to the steep rock walls, waterfalls cascade from the heights, monkeys chatter in the trees. Beyond this lay the town of Bhamo in Kachin State, the northernmost point of our trip, which we reached in the late afternoon.

 

We’ve all heard of the Cat in the Hat. His cousin, the Cat on the Hat, lives in Shwegu.

 

Another bamboo raft, with the wood sellers living aboard in temporary huts, floats from Bhamo to Bagan. With the river flowing at 2mph, and with safe travel possible only during daylight hours, the trip takes about 12 days.

 

The southernmost reaches of the Ayeyarwaddy’s second defile. (Photo: Thandar Khine)

 

A high, mossy waterfall in the second defile.

 

A kid with a toy gun pulls his brother across a road in Bhamo.

 

Yunnan Chinese Temple in Bhamo.

 

Spices for sale at Bhamo’s riverside market.

 

Fried snacks at the Bhamo market.

 

The end of another day in Bhamo.