misty morning

Once in a while, most of us visit places for the first time to explore; to see what they are like. But at times, we stop for a moment in our life, get out of our daily routines & make it a point to get back to faraway places that we've once been to. Merely out of a desire to see it again.

overlooking

One of the scenes that always stays vivid in my memory is the misty view of Taunggyi City from a nearby hill. The capital of Shan State in Myanmar stands on top of a hill on Shan Plateau, being true to the literal meaning of its name--big mountain. For one traveling on road from the central plains of Myanmar, one has to first ascend Shan Plateau. A couple of hundred kms in on the Plateau, crossing undulating hills, one will get to the 'base' of Taunggyi, from where one follows a winding road to get atop, only to be ushered in at the windings' end by this enchanting little hill-top city.

glowing landmark

Shwedagon Pagoda is in Yangon, Myanmar. At 326 ft, it is considered to be the largest pagoda in the world. Depending on what is being looked for, large structures may demand a good vantage point to be seen from. While a close-up look (from the base of the structure) with a wide angle could infuse perspective & artistry, a telephoto shot from a good vantage point from some distance gives a big picture of how it stands (gigantically) among others on the surface of the Earth. Usually, a vantage point is higher or at least at half the height, at some distance.