We spent time in a Buddhist nunnery. These girls enter the nunnery very young and spend their entire lives there. We got a tour that most people never get, of their rooms, watching them chant and then joining them for lunch. They seem so young and this is a very male dominated belief system.
I can’t possibly post all the photos of Buddhas, temples and pagodas. Our entire group is getting sick of taking off our shoes and the color gold. It’s amazing in a country so poor that they are spending tons of money rebuilding palaces, stupas and pagodas. We were just passing by when we ran into this procession taking young girls to the nunnery to become nuns. I think we all felt sad, they are so young and cannot have an idea of the future. Most are very poor and this is the only way they will get any education and food on a regular basis
In the evening we walked out on the longest teak bridge IN THE WORLD, how’s that for excitement. We brought wine and goodies, hired a boat and floated around watching the sunset.
The people are beautiful and very friendly, it actually reminds me of China 15 years ago. Most don’t have electricity or transportation beyond a bike. There are a lot of motor scooters which our guide says are imported illegally from China. The photo of the two busses was taken through the windshield of our air conditioned luxury bus.
Obviously the girls have no choice…Do they ever leave the nunnery?