PHOTO: Child Carried on Mother’s Back in Myinkaba Village, Myanmar

After my Viking River Myanmar Explorer Cruise/Tour ended, I returned to Bagan for an additional five days to explore more of the thousands of temples in the area. During a stop at Soe Min Gyi Monastery, a local girl who spoke excellent English excitedly told me about a funeral for a high ranking monk from the area that was happening in Myinkaba Village, just a few minutes away. Her description was something like, “Movie stars are screaming and crying, you will never see anything like it again.” Of course I had to go. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of people were in attendance, watching actors on a stage screaming, wailing, and crying, just as she had promised. While most of the audience was totally absorbed, this young boy, who was being carried on his mother’s back, seemed wholly unimpressed.