m̌ ḫ's photos with the keyword: Hsipaw သီႇပေႃႉ

Back in 2012, pedal cargo trikes were just part of everyday life here. Men on three wheels carried rice, vegetables, timber, metal rods – and probably a few things that never really belonged on a trike – weaving through back lanes and market alleys, always weighing up in their heads how far they could go and how much their legs had left. What they do now, I can only guess. Maybe some still handle those short, awkward stretches between truck and market stall, or reach the corners where fuel is too costly and roads are too narrow for anything bigger. Others have likely been pushed aside by motorbikes and small cargo trikes, and a few are probably standing quiet in courtyards, waiting for better days or a new owner with strong legs. The old rhythms are still there somewhere, just lighter, more broken, and easier to overlook unless you really go looking for them.

Back in 2012, pedal cargo trikes were just part of everyday life here. Men on three wheels carried rice, vegetables, timber, metal rods – and probably a few things that never really belonged on a trike – weaving through back lanes and market alleys, always weighing up in their heads how far they could go and how much their legs had left. What they do now, I can only guess. Maybe some still handle those short, awkward stretches between truck and market stall, or reach the corners where fuel is too costly and roads are too narrow for anything bigger. Others have likely been pushed aside by motorbikes and small cargo trikes, and a few are probably standing quiet in courtyards, waiting for better days or a new owner with strong legs. The old rhythms are still there somewhere, just lighter, more broken, and easier to overlook unless you really go looking for them.

Men and women both carry on their heads – baskets of vegetables, firewood, water, sacks of rice – but it often falls more to women for market work and household tasks, and to men for bulkier or longer hauls.

You’d never see these old Japanese buses in Japan now; by the time they reached Myanmar they were already decades past their prime. They were built for calm, left‑side traffic, but Myanmar suddenly switched from left to right in 1970 while most imported vehicles still came from Japan with right‑hand steering. That created an odd mix: buses driving on the right, with the driver sitting on the “wrong” side, patched and repainted, extra doors cut in and others sealed. When you get off you have to be careful, because you often step straight into the traffic lane rather than onto a safe kerb.

Men and women both carry on their heads – baskets of vegetables, firewood, water, sacks of rice – but it often falls more to women for market work and household tasks, and to men for bulkier or longer hauls.