Today it was another motorcycle trip around the city. This time up to the highest part of the mountain overlooking Taunggyi. We reached one peak and saw some pagodas. I learned some about Nat belief here in Myanmar, which is the spirits or ghosts of old people still around. Then we came across a hole …
Category Archives: Travel
Day 79 – Taunggyi, Myanmar
I got invited to a home of a Myanmar family by a girl on the bus named Niilar. She was visiting her family for the first time in over seven years. I think it was 5 or 6AM when we arrived at the home and turned out to be a long day. The home was …
Day 78 – Bago, Myanmar
Bago was one of the old capitals of the country, so there are quite a few interesting things to see. I was hoping to find a bicycle, but I didn’t know where to rent one. So I just walked everywhere. Most people hire a driver, but I’m crazy. I got up early and was surprised …
Day 77 – Kyaiktiyo to Bago, Myanmar
I took the 8:30AM bus and arrived in Bago at 11:30AM. The previous guesthouse recommended this bus and a new guesthouse in Bago. But I’m not sure I want to get stuck in this series of recommendations. I looked at the recommended guest house and I learn the entire city has a rolling blackout in …
Day 76 – Kyaikiyo, Myanmar
I got up early. Well, I had no choice because there was some loud talking coming out of speakers somewhere. I had a simple breakfast (almost always included with the room price) and then got in a big pickup truck that will drive me to the top of the mountain. It is hard to believe, …
Day 75 – Yangon to Kyaiktiyo, Myanmar
It takes a long time to get anywhere in Myanmar, so I had to get an early start. The previous day I got some information on buses, so I made my way to the bus stop by way of taxi. Then I got on this ancient bus with rusted metal everywhere, wondering how safe this …
Day 74 – Yangon, Myanmar
It has been an eventful year in this country. A year ago there were some big anti-government protests. Then last May 146,000 people died from the category 4 storm called Cyclone Nargis. Throughout all this, government wouldn’t allow any foreign volunteers or journalists into the country. But I got in. The first thing you notice …
Day 73 – Thailand to Myanmar
I didn’t really try sleeping in the airport. I knew I wouldn’t be able to. After a few hours I was able to check-in for my next flight and go back through security. Less than a week ago this airport was the center of a huge protest which stranded hundreds of thousands of tourists in …
Day 72 – China to Thailand
I’m on my way to Myanmar. It was nearly a 24 hour train ride from Beijing to Shenzhen. I climbed up into my upper level sleeper and stayed there most of the time. I arrived in Shenzhen at 8PM, found an airport bus and went directly to the airport. At the airport two women said …
Day 67-71 – Beijing & Tianjin, China
After waiting, the airport in Thailand opened again (after the protesters won and the prime minister has been banned from politics for 5 years). AirAsia’s phone lines were quite busy and it took be a lot of trying before I could get through to reschedule my flights. But I finally did it without any charges. …