The Buddha statues that fill this cave from floor to ceiling are brought by devotees hoping for a blessing.
In Myanmar’s mountainous and hard-to-reach Chin State, the ethnic minority women are renowned for their remarkable face tattoos.
Although barely able to utter their own names, infants in nappies can enter Burmese Buddhist orders.
Although it might seem unbelievable, Buddhism and magic have long been uniquely linked in Burma.
“I became mesmerised as the water began to sway to the beat of the of the Intha fisherman, who expertly manoeuvred their tiny wooden boats by rowing with one leg.”
Burmese ghosts are more than 2m high, fierce and bulky, with enormous ears and tusks, and terrifyingly long tongues – and they make for obstreperous passengers.
On the three-hour Circular Railway, each of the 38 stops provides a window into the bustle of Myanmar’s largest city.
In Myanmar, gold is so sacred that it can be found in anything from traditional medicine to face creams, and it’s sometimes even added to drinks or food.
As the country opens to travellers, it waits to be seen whether the nomadic Moken can preserve their language, their way of life and their mythology.
