CONTENTS

Then we flew to Shan, Pao and Inle lake the Center of Myanmar it was so quiet and peaceful up there, it had been hot and stressful in Began remembering the energy of the people in the festival
In Shan Sunflowers,
yellow flowers, through mountains
headscarves wrapped.
Rippling mountains. Egrets
set out into the lavender flowers
after going out to the Shan village to take the lacquer Sap with the cat in the mountains
Went out after the Rain, I took time from my magical room over the lotus pond to wander the town trying to reach the temple before it closed. In the grey dry light of the flourscent lamps,I passed by a great local fish restaurant beside the temple. I could only encircle the temple and walk the narrow road along the river to the town.
When we arrived the Shan, people were resting and smoking their cigars. it was a monastery and we took audience with the monk and he showed us their lacquer vessels for offerings that were well over a hundred years old and. very simply painted.

We spent the next two more days on Boats on the waterways. That peaceful place in the lily ponds with the temple chants in the background. Beer posters plastered to the sides of buildings on the docks. The traditional fishermen in silhouette swirled their poles in the water. We see also, that the boats have been coated with lacquer to make them waterproof. Women wash their clothes on the docks. Advertisements for coffee, tea, and beer were everywhere. We venture out to see one of the last remaining lacquer artist families on Inle Lake. They are 5 sisters who work together and make simpler less refined and highly spirited folk lacquer.
The lacquer is NOT stirred for hours to get the moisture out as it is in Japan. The Brushes are made with bamboo hammered roughly at the ends to split it to make a brush They also use large seeds to polish the walls of the dishes.

The village Kids of the Pao people were curious and I gave a miniature puppet show for them. They love their animals and have so little yet their homes feel so comfortable. The houses were built on stilts and one had to walk upstairs. We arrived during the rain. Here was a large group of temples at Kakku temple complex that were Broken from the storms this year Many sweet Buddha's were found in the caverns.
Another form of livelihood for these people in these parts was tobacco drying. These have bound circular platforms lids of small stones sort of like an over a wood fired hearth. The stone ' lids" pressed the leaves with the heat from the kiln below. They do this all day long processing mounds of tobacco leaves.


Sunflowers, yellow
flowers, through mountain
red earth. large leaves.
Women with their bright
Head scarves wrapped.
In Rippling mountains. Egrets
set out into the lavender
flowers,

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To repair the boats, they make a Kind of "Kokuso" with wood powder and cotton. After that they mix rice ash
and water they complete plugging the holes and cracks and then paint the boat with the basic sitaji Urushi (I saw many grades for sale in the market) then paint with the regular lacquer. Which is dried at 35 percent humidity and 90
degrees temperature.
We then go out to collect Lacquer. Bamboo cups are put into the tree depending on the height of the tree. If they were taller it could take more holes. 2 holes were drilled in after slicing a V shape with an axe. After 7 days, the Sap cups were removed. One could get 3 to 5 grams per bamboo cup. They get 100 cups most every time. July through March is the best Time to harvest. We were told 200 kilos-of lacquer Cost $3000 and we paid 25,000 Chet for I. 6 kilos. The seller gets 5000 Chet if he sells the good quality lacquer for 25, 000 Chet (1.6 kilo) You can paint the Sap
directly on a boat or basket without processing (stirring to get rid of the water). In Shan, we went to visit the place where they take the Sap and followed a "cat" up the Mountain to where the large leafy lacquer trees were growing. Here they pound the bamboo cups into the tree and then come back a week later when the cups are full.

After the Shan village to take the lacquer Sap with the cat in the mountains, I went out after the rain, I was taking time from my magical room over the lotus pond to wander the town trying to reach the temple
before it closed. A great fish restaurant was beside the temple in the grey of the florescent lamps.
I could only encircle the temple and walk the thin road along the river back to the hotel.