A man in longyi was at the helm of the ferryboat to Ye Le Pagoda

After a while, the lunch break was over and the men at the Ye Le Pagoda boat ramp began working again. The boat I boarded soon started to leave the middle of the river. Just as when I had crossed the river, I was the only one on the ferry, which was reserved for foreigners. Although I was the only passenger, there were several people on board. I felt as if I was boarding my own boat with servants in tow. I guess it is like this when Saudi royalty travel, although the scale is completely different.

At the back of the ferry, a man wearing a longyi, the traditional costume of Myanmar, was standing. He was the boatman. He was holding a wooden stick and steering the boat. Just behind him, a large engine was making noise. Across the river, I could see the golden hall of Ye Le Pagoda, where I had been just a moment before. When I pointed my camera at the boatman, he gave me a thumbs-up with a tight expression on his face.