Before dawn, I willingly awoke, to marvel the Sunrise at U Bein Bridge, one of Myanmar’s most spectacular sites. I approached Taungthaman lake, and the sun began to appear over the horizon. Silhouettes of trees lining the lake illuminated in the first of dawn’s light. The sky got brighter, the monks began to walk across, heading toward their destinations to receive alms for the day. I was rewarded with very few people, and an eerily peaceful morning at the lake.
The silence was broken only by the clicks of my camera shutter, the soft pattering footsteps of locals as they made heir commute.
I loved watching the view from here: Seeing the local feeding the birds and the fisherman drawing their nets.
It was a humbling experience to see the sunset in one of the most ancient and longest wooden bridge in the world. The whole place seemed like something from another world and another time.
The stroll along the bridge was beautiful, yet terrifying as the 1,000 decaying wooden pillars dubiously holding the worn teak planks shook and creaked. The thought of watching the sunset from the bridge didn’t stop me. It wasn’t sunrise yet, but the scenery already blew me away.
On my journey across the bridge, I was met by a few vendors who gladly gave me a history lesson about the bridge. U Bein bridge was built in 1850 when the ancient Ava Kingdom moved their capital to Amarapura from Upper Burma. Made entirely of teak wood, it serves as an important passage for the local people stretching across the Taungthaman Lake and is about 1.2km long.
I’m glad to finally share this adventure with you guys. Have you been to Myanmar? Have you seen a sunrise recently? This post is also featured at Minivanmemories. Check it out here.
Outlanderly