later that same day…

It's not like we were looking to visit another pagoda, or three. Today was my last full day, and all I really wanted was to splash in the pool and find some golden owls. Pam needed to buy a bus ticket to Thailand. Dawdling in the mall, I wished a young woman "Happy New Year." She laughed and did a little dance move, and then gestured to the roof. Recognized for my dance moves at the party last night.

Also I wanted to check out the cashew nut factories. But it was hot and seemed like too far to walk, and there aren't really any taxis in Myeik, except scooters without helmets. 

Yesterday I got two separate rides with people who weren't taxis, one a motorbike with sidecar we randomly flagged down and later, someone's friend who agreed to drive over to the fancy hotel after the party. This is what it's like to be a white person in Myanmar, treated like a guest of honor.

And then today we found this perfect tuktuk. The driver even spoke a little English and headed out of the city centre, away from honking scooters.

First stop: a cashew factory. The workers are almost entirely women. They smiled broadly when we came in and didn't seem to mind us taking pictures.

Cashews are boiled so they can be deshelled.

These women are hard at work deshelling. Many wore gloves and ad hoc wrist braces with rubber bands. My repetitive strain injury flared up in sympathy just watching them.

The atmosphere was convivial. Women in Myanmar tend to laugh and smile even under duress.

After the cashews are deshelled, young women (some very young) use a knife to flick the skin off. The nuts are divided into grades: whole cashews, halves, and pieces. Most are shipped to China and Malaysia. There weren't any we could buy.

I will never complain again about the (comparatively) high price of cashews.

How about another golden stupa? This pagoda, known locally as Shwedagon after the famous one in Yangon, is modern, and didn't have any exciting Buddhas inside.

The inside felt like a baroque carousel.

Groups of students lay in wait, ready to take selfies with us.

These paintings depict the planning of the new pagoda. They felt like Chinese propaganda.

I liked the bells a lot. Nearby was this Buddha with the teapot.

At the top of the hill is this golden globe.

This bridge goes over the Tanintharyi River. Young people park their motorbikes on the roadway and were just hanging out on the rim.

Last stop: Kyweku dock yard where they build and repair fishing boats.

The ships are huge.

 This one is even in international orange.

The ships go out to sea for 4 to 6 weeks. Other ships light the fishing area at night, or ferry caught fish back to shore, where it can be shipped off to Thailand.

These women do the detail work, carrying wood for repairs and cans of accent paint to the crews.

For dinner, we returned to Yadanar oo Chinese, a few doors down from our hotel. This time we asked to sit up on the balcony, and the servers hastily carried a table and chairs up. We tried sautéed ta nyin, which was like a spinach or watercress, with garlic.

The sun was setting and supermoon rising. Then we heard the music and saw a parade of young men marching. The psychedelic floats from the Buddha festival yesterday! Here's the ogre, and the clown.

And finally a live band, with chorus and dancer. 

For once, we were in exactly the right place at the right time. A good omen to start the year.

psychedelic New Year's

Happy 2018! And not a moment too soon.

Today was a comparatively lazy day, doing a little last-minute shopping, eating soft-shell crab, and stopping by a local Buddhist festival, along with everyone one else in Myeik.

Which sounds tame, except for the elephant at the monastery, and the animated dragons and ogres, and everyone staring at us and taking selfies.

And me nearly fainting from overstimulation and a couple of glasses of wine.

 Just imagine these animating, and you'll see why I got dizzy.

After a much needed nap, we welcomed 2018 on the rooftop of the Grand Jade, crashing a hotel staff party. Enthusiastic partygoers brought us bar stools and beer and dragged us onto the dance floor.

It was pretty fun, even if they did the countdown a few minutes early. And one guy handed me a stick with live firecrackers in it.

 Welcome to a fresh start. Just for a moment, anything is possible.

Next week we'll get to work.

snorkel selfie

Today's boat excursion departed from the jetty early.

We raced through the mangroves and tiny islands, many uninhabited, of Mergui Archipelago.

 Weather was perfect, warm and clear, with mostly mild seas.

First stop: the waterfall. Instead of a hike, the guides helped passengers up a rickety ladder on a slippery rock face. I stayed on the boat and watched people risk their lives for selfies.

These ladies were very stylishly dressed. One of the long-haired women carried yellow emojis on sticks, to insert in their instagram pictures.

After the waterfall, we stopped at a Moken villages. The Moken are known as sea gypsies. The able-bodied adults head out to sea for weeks at a time. Only young children and older women are left behind.

Their land village is lit with solar panels. They don't have much running water. And Sonny, our guide explained the challenges of trying to integrate groups so that they speak Burmese.

Along with older women receiving food aid (rice and oil), we saw monkeys, dogs, and kittens.

After we stopped for lunch at the Moken restaurant. The crab and jellyfish were very good.

Then it was time to swim. I was first in the water. I saw a pretty blue fish and some yellow fish, but mostly the reef was bleached. Swimming was amazing though.

 And just like that after 9 hours, it was time for the day to draw to a close. Only one more day left till the end of the yearl

There's no place like home.

Another perfect Andaman sunset: