On the Ayeyarwaddy River from Mandalay to Mingun

We boarded a boat - note narrow gang plank and the railing that was held at each end by a person.  You an see a wide variety of boats here. Passenger like ours, a small tug pushed barge carrying logs, a small boat with a pair of oxen being ferried somewhere. People live on these boats - you can see small outhouses on the stern of several.  There is this style of boat with a propeller on a long pole driven by a hefty diesel engine on board. It can be lifted out of the water and moved to the side to help steer the boats. I liked the huge mallet used to drive in a stake that held the line from the boat. The river is used for doing laundry as well. And there was a pagoda down near the water's edge.

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