Myanmar 2009 by MoTravel and TerraMar Travel

Boat Rides on Inle Lake

2009-08-26T14:40:00.000-07:00

2009-08-24T07:52:00.000-07:00

Cigar Making, Inle Lake

Jumping Cats, Inle Lake

Annoyances at the Lake

2009-08-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

Pizza at the Lake

2009-08-16T06:05:00.000-07:00

After a morning of travel and sightseeing, we stopped into a local restaurant the Golden Kite (kinda sounds like Chinese Food), expecting more rice and chicken. Imagine our surprise when we were delivered up pizza and cheroots.

Inle Lake

2009-08-15T06:05:00.000-07:00

The further we go the more primative and mysterious things become. Inle lake is a marvelous area, with many of the locals living in the hills in areas restricted to us. It will take a while to write this up, and even posting pictures will take a while. It's a photographer's paradise, and we got a little carried away.

Here's a sampling to tickle your interest, hopefully next week a complete posting can be made.

mysterious ruins

Tourists in the swamp, heading to adventure

Fisherman catching "stupid" fish

pulling up to the hotel? you'll have to check in next week to find out.

Smartly dressed local ladies, and a member of the Tourist Tribe

Owl Liberation Front

2009-08-15T05:51:00.000-07:00

Owl Salesperson -- You buy fine owl? Make very tasty soup. Only 5000 Kyats ($5US)

Going

Gone!

Mandalay at last!

2009-08-15T05:43:00.001-07:00

Mandalay
10/08/09
No! you won't 'eed nothin' else
But them spicy garlic smells,
An' the sunshine an' the palm-trees an' the tinkly temple-bells;
On the road to Mandalay .
R.Kipling

Today we really are off on the Road to Mandalay. Our road is as the crow flies, our vehicle Air Bagan. The 30 minute flight gave us time only for a quick coffee before landing at the Mandalay International airport which is about 45 minutes from the bustling city of Mandalay. A little odd that the bus ride is longer than the flight, but that's modern aviation.

The airport. A grand project, excellently executed, but lacking customers. Picture the Southwest terminal at LAX minus electricity and people (not strictly true, there are more employees there than passengers but there's enough room to hide them all, and you could shoot skeet in the empty rooms) and you've got the feel. A truly amazing sight is the empty airport parking lot.
This airrport was another military government project and it has kickback and international engineering firm written all over it. Someday it may pay off, assuming it can be maintained for that long, but the price was probably extorted from the people now. For now I'd prefer the "old Flotilla" with their "paddles chunkin' from Rangoon to Mandalay." The flotilla would be a better fit for nature of this country and maybe faster.

What's so difficult to describe about Burma are the contrasts. Modern white elephants like the Mandaly airport and the stunning ancient Pagodas: the military government, and the kind, industrious, happy go lucky people. In some ways Burma is stuck in the old days of the Empire. The romance and exotic feeling are woven through everything and you feel the nature of the country as much as see it. This is one of those places that must be personally experienced because each traveler will have an entirely different take on it. Though all of us have fallen for it -- it's that kind of place.

The monsoon is behind us. The weather is Kipling quality: "An' the sunshine an' the palm-trees an' the tinkly temple-bells;" We bang a temple bell three times for good luck and karma.

After being met by our local driver, we went straight to the ancient city of Amarapura, conveniently located on the road to Mandalay.

On the way, we stopped at the U Bein Bridge, the longest wooden bridge in Myanmar which crosses a lake. On the walk to and from the bridge, we were met by hoards of vendors peddling purses, bracelets, and necklaces made of watermellon seeds. Of course, we all had to buy something when the prices came down so low we couldn't pass them up.

On the bridge, we came upon a woman with cages of birds. It was explained to us that when you purchase a bird and set it free, all your sins will be released with the bird through the ends of your fingers. She had a beautiful barn owl which looked big enough to carry away our sins. A 747 might be a more appropriate vehicle - it just lacks the charm of an owl, and it doesn't have the Buddha's approval. We each donated one thousand kyat (one "dolla" each). We each petted the bird (you must touch it to give it your sins), took pictures, and then Augie released it. So now we are all pure! The Owl Liberation Front is being dilligently hunted by the military authorities.

Our journey continued on to the Mahagandayone Monastery, the home of over 1,000 monks. We watched as a seemingly endless line of monks, carrying their lacquer black bowls, entered the compound to receive their afternoon meal and proceed to the lunch room to eat. We got to wander through the kitchens, you'll have to check the pictures, it's too hard to describe.

Watching all those monks eat stirs up an appetite, so it's off to Mandalay for our lunch at a local restaurant. Chinese was the cuisine of the day.

Mandalay. After studying the Kipling poem and absorbing the urge to return to the mystical East, the city turns out to be somewhat anticlamatic. Kipling even got the geography wrong "By the old Moulmein Pagoda, looking lazy at the sea;" The Mahamun (K couldn't spell worth a darn) Pagoda is several hundred miles from the sea, but we'll forgive that as poetic license. What we saw was a modernizing, busy city that did grab you in its own way. If you were a nostalgic British soldier, you definitely would want to come back here.

Then it's on to our hotel, the Mandalay Hill Resort, a beautiful setting that looks like a miniature Belagio from the front, the curved building wrapping around a gorgeous swimming pool, spa, and fittness area. Our window view is a sweeping green hillside studded with golden topped Pagodas.

After our afternoon rest, we're off to the Shwe Kyaung, Golden Palace Monastery, which has the most intricate and detailed wood carvings imaginable. Next, we visited the Kuthodaw Pagoda, known as the world's largest book. It's not what you'd expect a book to look like -- it's rows upon rows of white pagodas, each containing a marble slab upon which has been carved Buddhist canon, front and back. There are 729 of them.

Nostalga, or too much Gin?

2009-08-15T05:30:00.000-07:00

'Er petticoat was yaller an' 'er little cap was green,
An' 'er name was Supi-yaw-lat -- jes' the same as Theebaw's Queen,
An' I seed her first a-smokin' of a whackin' white cheroot,
An' a-wastin' Christian kisses on an 'eathen idol's foot:
Bloomin' idol made o'mud --
Wot they called the Great Gawd Budd --
Plucky lot she cared for idols when I kissed 'er where she stud!
On the road to Mandalay . . .

R Kipling

Magic Bagan -- By Rhonda S

2009-08-15T05:24:00.001-07:00

Magic Bagan
The Land of the Pagodas

I have fallen in love with the people of Burma. They refer to themselves as Burmese rather than using the new country name of Myanmar. The people are not only very beautiful on the outside, but so kind, giving and friendly.

Once we arrived in the beautiful city (more like a village) of Began, I knew we had found a magical and enchanting place. I never imagined so many pagodas with such ornate and detailed artwork and handywork. We climbed to the top of several and viewed the surrounding thousands scattered as far as one can see. It was a magnificant sight and a once in a lifetime experience.

We took the opportunity to take a pony cart ride through the pagodas and the village to see how the people live. Riding in the cart we were able to visit many pagodas that are not accesable by motor vehicle.

The people in the Bagan village live a simple life and rely for their livelyhood on tourists to buy their beautiful sand paintings and exquisite lacquer ware.

They are a happy people. We should learn a lesson from them -- simple can be better!

Post by Rhonda Shumway

Nyaung Oo Farmers' Market -- Bagan

2009-08-15T05:23:00.000-07:00

Bagan Lacquer Goods Factory

2009-08-15T05:06:00.000-07:00

Bagan Monastary

2009-08-15T05:02:00.000-07:00

Bagan - Click on the thumbnails to view full size

2009-08-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

"You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a Pagoda"

Mark Twain, Innocents Abroad

Bagan World Heritage on the Road to Mandalay

2009-08-15T04:54:00.001-07:00

Bagan
09/08/09

On the road to Mandalay,
Where the flyin'-fishes play,
An' the dawn comes up like thunder outer China 'crost the Bay!
R. Kipling

Everyone we have met has a smile for us, and the locals are a cheerful bunch. Yesterday's rains haven't dampened any spirts, we're ready for some real adventure.

Up before the sun, a quick breakfast ordered up from the kitchen last night. Just like in the old days, the butler delivered it and set it up in the room.

We had to hit the road at 5 am to get to the airport in time for our flight to Bagan, which is now leaving about 45 minutes early. There are two short hop planes in the fleet, and they rotate from town to town, and are worked pretty heavily. The monsoon followed us, and began to dump water on us as we transferred from the terminal to a loading bus, and even more as we ran from the bus to the plane stairs. Once on board, not too bad. Nice turboprop jobs, with an in flight mini-meal. And this is only about an hour's flight. Oh, the good ole days.

The weather changed from monsoon to nice and sunny (and hot, with a capitol H) Bagan is a semi-arid place, and it's nice and dry while there's a full on monsoon in Rangoon a few hundred miles downstream.

Upon arrival we had our temperatures taken to see if we were carriers for the new avian flu. Test accuracy somewhat doubtful as the technician measured the temperature of Augie's hearing aid.

Since luggage was being taken care of we hopped onto our new bus (a relative term, it actually has a carburetor) and headed out for our days adventures. Within a minute of leaving the airport we were in a World Heritage Site -- the land of Pagodas. Now we are seeing the country.

Excitement when the first one came in view, then the next, next, next, ..... when will they ever stop? The place is covered with them. In every condition from ruin to extraordinary. A few minutes later we pull up to our first pagoda.

The pagodas were built from about the 10th through the 13th century (not counting modern restorations) as more or less offerings to the Buddha. They are a mix of temples and stupas (monuments,) and some have been in continuous use as temples for 800 years.

Climbing up for a better view, the view turns out to be extraordinary. Descriptions and photographs don't do it justice. The view's stunning and eerie at the same time. Colors constantly changing with the light and time of day. This is truly one of those places you have to experience for yourself.

Many ooos and ahhhs later, and a bit of haggling for souvenirs, we took off to the local farmers' market. The market is a colorful, busy, chaotic place, a mixture of a true farmer's food market and fixed stalls selling house wares, clothing, and just about everything needed to supply a home.

Word quickly spread that Gringos were in town. Within seconds we were mobbed by vendors selling books (Burmese Days -- Orwell), combs, carvings, and whatnot. Friendly but pushy, they won't take no for an answer, and have their faces and goods plastered on the bus windows as the bus drives off.

Augie bought a wraparound dress worn by most of the local men. It's a quick cover-up because shorts, the most comfortable way to dress, are not permitted in temples. A t-shirt for the quilt project was also picked up.

The tourist business is slow this time of year and most of the tourists that are here are from Spain. Europeans are not big spenders, and the locals are hurting for business. In their minds Americans have fat wallets and soft hearts (heads), and are seen as easy marks for a fast talking souvenir hustler. Overall the Burmese are happy people, so haggling is mostly fun, but they do need to make a sale to eat, so they try hard to close the sale.

Most of our group are experienced travelers, so this is fairly ho-hum, but it is entertaining and does connect you with the locals and gives you some actual interaction. This is always a relief from looking at old buildings.

With our vendors in tow, we make it back into the bus, and head off for hotel check-in and lunch.

After lunch we motor to the area's largest pagoda. Well, it is big. We're running out of superlatives here, there' just so much superlative stuff. This one's a monster, and vaguely familar with its Stalin Wedding Cake look, but this one was around half a millenium before Stalin.

It's also the starting point for our late afternoon horse carriage ride. Clip clop, off we go for a round of pagoda watching. Our tour winds through a local village of dirt streets (nothing special there, most around here are) and we whip smartly past a lowly ox cart with our horn blasting. Round and round in a cloud of dust, pagodas to the left of us, pagodas to the right of us, pagodas just about everywhere.

A last bumpy turn onto a small dirt road leads us to, you guessed it, a pagoda, and out of the buggy. Dump the sandals, and climb the dark tunnel stairs up to the pagoda's main walkway. Another breathtaking sight. Our guide Johnny has taken our small group to a pagoda of our own so we can watch the sunset. An adjacent pagoda seems to have the rest of the local tourist population on it waiting for the sunset, and a vaguely ant-y appearance.

We are surrounded by pagodas and stupas(a monument built over a buried Buddha statue, presumably to help you remember where you put it) that are changing in color as the sun sinks behind the clouds and mountains. It is amazingly beautiful and dramatic with color gradations and shadow movement that keep you enthralled. It is one of those sights that you must actually see to really appreciate.

With the sun finally gone, we head off for the hotel and dinner.

Rangoon

2009-08-15T04:50:00.000-07:00

Rangoon views

2009-08-15T04:43:00.000-07:00

Kipling Slept Here -- Rangoon (AKA Yangon)

2009-08-15T04:30:00.000-07:00

Kipling Slept Here
07/08/09

Ship me somewheres east of Suez, where the best is like the worst,
Where there aren't no Ten Commandments an' a man can raise a thirst;
For the temple-bells are callin', an' it's there that I would be --
By the old Moulmein Pagoda, looking lazy at the sea;
R. Kipling -- Road to Mandalay

Finally. Arrival in Rangoon, the former capital of Burma-Myanmar. The capital was moved upstream some years ago by the military regime It didn't want people to associate the "new" government with the colonial past, or the old government buildings. The trip from the airport was through "modern Asian", a mix of old and new, with ongoing constructiona and abandoned works. Street vendors placed along the road, and traffic is moderate, but moves along without too much trouble.

The first impression is that of a city gone to seed. Everywhere one looks, there is what I euphamistially call "defered maintenance." Beautiful old colonial buildings that were expropriated by the military government are now abanoned to their fates, which is the slow decay in the brutal climate. Many are already being shredded by plants, there is black mold growing over everything.

Looking past the decay, what's under has a certain charm. You have the feel of returning to the high days of the British Empire. Ignoring the modern upgrades, which seemed to stop in the 80's (1980, but it could have easily been 1880 if you ignore the cars) you begin to feel the heat, mugginess, and the oncoming monsoon rain. It's cloudy and damp, but the undercurrent of excitement grabs you. You expect the butler to arrive with a gin and tonic.

We've been upgraded to the Strand, a hotel with a history that spans the later British Empire. Kipling slep here. Sir Michael "Mick" (Jagger). So did Oliver Stone for what that's worth. A hundred years from now we'll know who has more staying power.

Our room is a spacious suite, with high ceilings, and period furniture. It overlooks the Strand and the Yangon river and shipping are through the front French doors. We have a balcony, but unfortunately we're finding why monsoon season isn't exactly the best time to plan your outings.
After settling in, we take a drive to see the old colonial buildings of Rangoon. Many are fine architectural specimens, but sadly need work. This place could be a "paris", but the work load necessary to just to stop the decay boggles the mind. The town is a busy one, but traffic is mild by most any standard. The day is taking on a gloomy pre monsoon look.

A light rain begins to fall. We first at the religious articles market and manufacturing area surrounding the Shwedgon Pagoda.

60th Birthday in Myanmar

2009-08-12T21:46:00.000-07:00

Touring Bangkok

2009-08-06T10:37:00.000-07:00

06/08/09

Finally a day to sleep in. Wake up call at 7:00 am, and a huge breakfast buffet, the beginning of a long list of meals for the day.

Bangkok is a large dynamic modern city marbled with the ancient ways and temples and palaces. It qualifies into the "teeming": class, with activity going on round the clock at a level that make New York look almost quaint. Traffic is murder, but fortunately for us, the distances aren’t that great. Despite the increasing pressures of modern life, the Thai people still have the same happy spirit they always have had.

We meet with our guide Mai and driver, and head of for the grand tour of palaces and temples. First stop Wat Tian Fah (who’s on first?), a Chinese temple in of all places, Chinatown. It is an active daily prayer kind of place, where people burn joss sticks, make offerings to their ancestors, and pray to win the lottery.

Next stop Wat Po (What’s on second?), the home of the famous 60 meter reclining Buddah. Quite an impressive piece, but very difficult to get the scale right since it’s framed by large columns and hordes of tourists.

Wat Phra Kawe, (I don’t know who’s on third) is the temple of the emerald (actually jadeite, but who’s counting) Buddha. Temple etiquette requires removal of the shoes, and no pointing feet at the Buddah. Other than that, it’s pretty simple. Off with the shoes, in one door and out the other, collect your shoes, and on to the Grand Palace.

The Grand Palace is of course Grand, from the days when being a king meant something. I won’t try to describe it, it’s too complex. Hopefully the pictures will give an idea of the intensity of colors and styles that have accumulated over the centuries. Unfortunately for the monarchy, the people have decided to cut off the king’s concubine supply, to keep the royal numbers down to a manageable one. Poor king can only have one wife now, somewhat cramping his style. Upkeep is expensive, and you have to give credit to the kind and happy nature of the Thai people that they didn’t make use the French solution to the problem.

Lunch fits in here somewhere, and we took a boat across the river to the restaurant. A delicious basic Thai meal, eaten overlooking the river.

Rained out. We sat by the river waiting for a boat to go up river to the canal area, but the heavy rains started. While waiting, we browsed the antique market, and I found an map/print store that sold antique local prints. It has an excellent collection of local maps made by famous mapmakers from the 1500’s that is quite impressive. The rain didn’t stop, so back to the hotel to refresh.

The dinner cruise. What can you say, it’s a dinner cruise. Up the river on an restaurant boat, eating and viewing the night skyline with it temples and palaces, and just relaxing with the flow. The rain conveniently stopped, and while a bit humid, the weather ‘s nice.

ON THE ROAD TO MANDALAY -- Night Shopping

2009-08-06T10:33:00.000-07:00

05/08/09

Well here we are, wide awake because it’s 10 am origination time but 9 pm here. So off we go to the night market which is a short walk from the hotel via an ATM machine. A hustling, bustling, noisy, rowdy, wild place with rows of stalls lined by strip clubs with touts trying to pull you in for "a good time." "I love you sailor, buy me a drink."

Despite all good intentions to the contrary, we managed to score my missing elephant shirt made from the silk of the polyester worm, a kimono, a genuine fake very fine watch, and a Buddha for Mo’s yoga instructor.

Somewhat poorer in wallet but not spirit, and pleased with our booty, we stop for a beer/diet coke, relax a bit, and head back to the hotel for a well deserved nights sleep.

Over The Top

2009-08-06T10:26:00.000-07:00

04/08/09

Up at 6 am for a wild cab ride to JFK. Check in was so amazingly efficient, and security so quick, we wound up sitting for hours until our departure, not quite awake, and not quite asleep.

First stop Hong Kong, which is 12 time zones away. We fly over the top, crossing near the north pole, and drop down on the other side. After a ride just short of 15 hours on a 777 ER, we make it to Hong Kong, for another 3 hour wait for the Bangkok run. Arriving in Blackcock around 7 pm in time for a mini van ride into town to the hotel. Crossing the date line, it becomes tomorrow today.

The pictures are the latest thing, a computer simulation of the flight played on your seatback TV. In between movies you can check your progress. We’ve come a long way from the DC-3.

New York, New York

2009-08-06T10:19:00.000-07:00

(8/5/09)

One of the downsides to living in the swamp is that you can’t get there from here. Whenever we need to go somewhere, we have to go through what is euphemistically called a "hub" by the airlines, probably because of the uncanny similarity to the speed of airline travel to travel in wagons with wheels that turned on hubs. Today’s adventure required a brief stay in New York City.

After a full day of flying (and yes it’s less than a 1000 miles) we checked into the hotel and began our explorations. Nothing of note, so off to bed. Next morning, the first stop was at Dr. Lonner’s office for Mo’s annual post op checkup. Should you ever need a scoliosis surgeon, he’s the one . What he accomplishes is just short of a miracle. As always, a brief but pleasant checkup (in the new office with the latest techno x-ray system) with a finding of all Mo systems a-ok, and we were off to see what there was to see in NYC.

Since our last visit, the only obvious thing that’s changed from the tourist angle is the addition of a Father Murphy Square at 47th and Broadway in Times Square. Who’s Father Murhpy? Part of the street is blocked off and a large step-stadium seat setup sits in the middle of the square. Father Murphy, war hero extraordinaire stands by the bleachers, and for some reason unknown a statue of George Cohen stands at the other end of the square. We’ll have to update this post when we have the time to figure just what this is all about.

We wrapped up the day with a subway ride around 9pm to the WTC site. It’s still a big hole in the ground, but the hole is slowly filling up. Not much else to report there. We found a memorial on the wall of the local fire station for the fire fighters that were killed in the collapse of the buildings on 9-11. Pictures are attached -- a reminder that firefighters do risk their lives, and do so daily.

Back on the subway back to the hotel. Another early departure. Finally on the road to Mandalay.

A traveler’s note: If you want to climb the Statute of Liberty, you can….in October. Since its reopening, reservations have been necessary and for now are way out. Make them online.

Map of Myanmar (Burma)

2009-08-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

Click the map link above for a colorful map of Myanmar to help you get oriented

Setting Sail

2009-07-31T20:15:00.001-07:00

"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
- Mark Twain