Pagoda of the Tinkling Bells

Indein PagodaWe traveled by long tail boat across Inle Lake and through a series of canals, under minimal bamboo footbridges, to reach the small village of Indei. According to our guide book, the village wasn't noted for much beyond the local crafts people and a modest pagoda at the end of a long winding covered arcade.David and I started up the arcade together but somehow got separated, something that happens now and then. That we couldn't find each other for the better part of a hour wasn't so usual. Not seeing him, I assumed that David had gone on ahead of me to the pagoda. In the dim light I thought several times that I spotted him ahead, so kept on only to find it was another tourist in a green REI hat. I made it to the top, repeatedly looking over my shoulder to see if perhaps he was behind me. I was enchanted by the gold crowned stupas festooned with hundreds of tiny bells that tinkled in the soft breeze, but any feelings of the joy of discovery were tempered by my concern over where my husband might be. Those of you familiar with the saga of David in the wine shop over Thanksgiving this past November will understand how I might be worried.Thinking that he might be waiting for me back at the start of the arcade I turned around and began the 1/2 mile trek back down the dim and almost deserted passage. I was almost at the end when to my great relief there was our David, out of breath. He had raced from where we lost each other, down to the pier to call in the calvary (our boatman), and then back up to the arcade. He had been as panicked as I was. Apparently he'd been showing passers-by my photo on his phone, asking if they'd seen me. After a joyful reunion I told him he had to come up and see this special pagoda. So back up the shadowy arcade we went, each of us relieved of our worries.I think that after the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon this is my very favorite. Set against a backdrop of crumbling ancient shrines is a forest of white and gold. The delicate music of the bells, the stupas with their tiaras of glistening golden lacework set against the setting sun, and the knowledge that I am well loved by a good man, combined to make this a place of gratitude as well as beauty.Click on the link to see the pagoda and hear the bells.