Myanmar
There are [0] photos and [17] stories about Myanmar
Saturday, 26 May 2007 | Views [1145]
We saved the most majestic site for last... The grand Shwedagon Paya in Yangon. From afar, you'd think you might be near Disney's magic kingdom. This glittering golden monument rises 98 meters and can be seen throughout the city. It's over 2500 years ... Read more >
Tags: Culture
Friday, 25 May 2007 | Views [1210]
As if we haven't had enough torturous bus rides here, we again opted to put ourselves through it again. 15 hours, no A/C, windows that don't open, and a busload of betel-nut spitting zealots... Yep, our last bus ride in Myanmar, from Bagan to Yangon ... Read more >
Tags: planes trains & automobiles
Thursday, 24 May 2007 | Views [1052]
Another scorcher today, I was feeling a little better after managing to keep some toast in me, so we decided to rent a couple of bicycles to explore the ancient sites. The hotel rented beach-cruiser type bikes equipped with baskets and bells. We spent ... Read more >
Tags: Culture
Thursday, 24 May 2007 | Views [865]
Behind the big beautiful smiles and cheerful "hello's" and "mingalaba's", several locals told us that the Burmese people are generally sad and troubled. They used to fight it, but have been so crushed, both physically and psychologically ... Read more >
Tags: Culture
Wednesday, 23 May 2007 | Views [1074]
Looking out over the land here in Bagan, it's a surreal landscape... with thousands upon thousands of Buddhist monuments protruding up into the sky. It's like having landed on the moon, it's that unusual. A 100 degree Fahrenheit day, with next to 90 ... Read more >
Tags: Culture
Tuesday, 22 May 2007 | Views [940]
As if we hadn't had enough of the bus, we took another to Bagan from Mandalay. We had wanted to take the full day boat, but it didn't leave for a few days because it's low tourist season now. Our bus this time was truly a local experience. We thought ... Read more >
Tags: planes trains & automobiles
Monday, 21 May 2007 | Views [1101]
We had the opportunity to be taken into a local town today by our driver, for a special local Burmese meal. While we've had the ah so tasty roadside bus pit stop meals at local diners, that really doesn't count as a home cooked meal. We got served up ... Read more >
Tags: Food & eating
Monday, 21 May 2007 | Views [958]
We have outdone our Indian experience of being the tourist attraction for the locals here in Mandalay. So much so, that the local girls wanting their picture with us - after working up the nerve to ask us, ended up blowing it up into a glossy postcard ... Read more >
Tags: Laughter
Sunday, 20 May 2007 | Views [2694]
We opted to take a "share taxi" to Mandalay, as the cost was similar to that which we would pay for a bus, and we're kind of burned out on Myanmar busses at the moment. Not sure quite what to expect, we half thought it might be a van with a ... Read more >
Tags: Misadventures
Saturday, 19 May 2007 | Views [1054]
We awoke early to the sound of long-tail boat motors revving up and speeding down the river channel en route to another days work. Life on the river and lake buzzes with activity. Men stand in long, narrow wooden long-tail boats scooping out massive ... Read more >
Tags: Markets
Friday, 18 May 2007 | Views [957]
The road to Inle was no different than all the other non-maintained roads in Myanmar; big potholes, curving narrow strips of road. We boarded a local bus in Kalaw (as if we hadn't had enough bus experience our last trip) and they packed it full, inside ... Read more >
Tags: planes trains & automobiles
Thursday, 17 May 2007 | Views [1299]
Trekking through this beautiful countryside, dotted with Buddhist stupas, one begins to appreciate the devout followership and belief of Buddhism that fuels these people to strive for a better life in the next to come. In a country where people essentially ... Read more >
Tags: Culture
Thursday, 17 May 2007 | Views [2577]
Today we met more beautiful people in the villages- I continue to be blown away by how welcoming, selfless, and generous the villagers are - despite their impoverished living conditions. They light up when we see them, their huge smiles, bright eyes, ... Read more >
Tags: Culture
Wednesday, 16 May 2007 | Views [1435]
We headed out on a two day trek into the Hilltribes of the Kalaw region. En route, we were lucky enough to experience the local fresh market in Kalaw, that occurs only once every 5 days. The market was amazing. The streets were lined with hilltribe ... Read more >
Tags: Culture
Tuesday, 15 May 2007 | Views [1186]
We sat, fully awake, yet exhausted and wishing we could sleep, until the first crows of the roosters woke up the villagers where we had stopped. All the men, in their macho strength egos, got out of the bus to literally "push" the bus to jump ... Read more >
Tags: On the Road
Monday, 14 May 2007 | Views [2799]
In an effort to stick to a budget, and also not partake in the government transportation system, we opted to take the bus from Yangon, north to Kalaw. The difference in cost Bus- $10/pp; Train- $40/pp; Air- $100/pp. The bus was pitched as an "Express"... Read more >
Tags: Misadventures
Sunday, 13 May 2007 | Views [4206]
After two fun nights in Bangkok with very little sleep, we left our friend Scott at the airport, as we parted ways for separate flights. He was heading back to San Diego, and we, onto Yangon, Myanmar on a 45 minute Air Asia flight. You don't ever hear ... Read more >
Tags: Budgets & money
