South Africa

Singapore & Malaysia

Japan

Hong Kong & Macau

China

Tibet & Nepal

:: Myanmar

Australia

New-Zealand

Tahiti

Easter Island

Chile

Bolivia & Peru

Argentina

GOLD

Imagine cities, villages and a countryside with gildings and golden buildings everywhere: temples and stupas, zedis and payas, all looking like shining jewels appearing here and there, while crossing the country.

Imagine places for meditation, hundreds of statues and white, red, brown sanctuaries, and as many golden cones tending to the sky, a place out of the world where pilgrims follow each other, where one stays to observe and listen, where each step leads to new details and to new mysteries.

Imagine large monasteries and praying monks, reclining or sitting buddhas, and pilgims everywhere, walking around holy places, praying and covering adored buddhas with tiny golden leaves.

Pagodas can be seen everywhere in Myanmar, in Yangoon, in Bago, in Mandalay or in the countryside, next to the roads and in the middle of woods, all sparkling and catching the eye. Everywhere are religious buildings with a huge golden roof, telling a story.

Gold is not only made of gold : some of these jewels are made of bricks and stones, like in Bagan, a vast and treeless plain stretching under the sun, with thousands of pagodas, small and grand, ruined or restored. Ruins fulled with time and buildings quietly installed next to the river or in the middle of fields.

Every day and every walk or ride brings new surprises, loosing yourself with a bicycle and opening the way to a world of secrets, climbing on some of the temples to dicover wonderful points of view, observing the sun setting on the plain and lighting a field full of masterpieces.

WATER

Imagine a lake surrounded by high hills, wooden houses built on piles ; a place where people drive wooden boats and push the row with their leg.

Imagine you are on one of the boats and you see many of these pirogues transporting corn, algae, vegetables from the market place. People sit in the boats, but only their large straw hats can be seen, protecting from the water and the sun. Sometimes you catch a discreet and simple glance and a smile.

Imagine still, smooth and shallow waters, lonely fishing men with their conical net, a landscape made of reflection and luminosity.

Imagine canals leading from the lake to the farms and houses, flying birds and swimming ducks, and temples, market places and craftsmen's houses springing from the shores.