Golden Express Hotel (Mandalay)

... bicyles, to Sagaing and Inwa with any other possible means of transportation (from pick-ups, to carts, boats and we even hitch). This makes the visist much more interesting even if we never really know where are we going or when are we getting there, we might not have visited all the temple or pagodas in the area, but it is just much more dynamic and we are able to mix with the locals and avoid the 10$ entrance fee that would have most likely end up in some military's pocket.<br><br>

... it can't get any funnier, we get a puncture. And inevitably, we're in the middle of nowhere. <br><br>At 4am, we bump into Bagan. The three of us have paid $10 each to the junta to enter the ancient city and along the way the bus boys had one feisty argument with the police (which the aisle woman and most of the bus slept through) and have paid at least 8 times at toll booths (though they don't seem to have the Western idea of tolls paying for ...

... for oil tankers will be constructed on an island near Kyaukphyu. The entire cost of constructing the pipelines will be borne by China. Myanmar has the world's 10th-largest natural gas reserves, estimated at over 90 trillion cubic feet (tcf) in 19 onshore and three major offshore fields. According to Myanmar officials, the country's daily gas production will almost double to 2.235 billion cubic feet by 2015 from the current 1.215 billion cubic feet. The ...

... the taxi and a bike. One of the girls had asked me my name, so they were all shouting my name and sticking necklaces out to me. somehow my name morphed from Re-Sa to Louisa by the end of it. I was a sucker and bought 4 from 4 different girls/ladies. I was able to disentangle myself and start making my way to the boat dock. They all followed and made me promise to think about buying more upon my return. WOW! <br><br>The ride across the water was less than a minute and then ...

... images in gold and silver. We stopped as the tour indicated at Nylon Ice Cream Bar. We shared a strawberry ice cream because they were out of vanilla for Bill. We walked by the clock tower and walked through the Zeigyo Market. It is in a three story building and has everything - clothes, fabric, food, flowers, jewelery ...

... The show is in their living room and involves one of the brothers telling jokes about is wife and the conditions in Myanmar. This is interspersed with dance routines from the other brother and cousin, as well as their sister and wives. It's very entertaining and they are able to make their points about Myanmar come across with humor and poignancy. Once the show has finished, it's off to bed.

... the poor were resorting to walking more as a way to save money. Unfortunately, when you have a vocation, it isn't as easy to give up. A lot focused on locals, trying to get them to attend shows, and hoping to make extra money. We also learned later, that they report to the police on the movements of tourists and the like. For this, they get a little extra money. Many locals will not talk with foreigners within ...

... bananas, to the brothers. They were scrambling like the temple was about to shut and the world was going to end and most people were quite euphoric once they received their flowers back. Just outside the main shire in the main body of the shrine there was a party going in full swing. Music was supplied by a traditional orchestra playing traditional Nat music. The music is loud, disjointed and quite aggressive with plenty of highs and lows, so not that dissimilar to dance music. There ...

... incomes are the rule). We made regular use of our flashlights to get around after dark, but once we'd had dinner and lingered over an extra beer, there was nothing to do. Even reading was difficult. We found ourselves sleeping ten to twelve hours just waiting for the next icy shower. Mandalay, the last royal capital of Burma, sounds so exotic that I probably expected too much. The Palace is overwhelming from the outside. Check out ...

... floodplain with the odd temporary tent community. There were only three short stops along the way, but the middle one was memorable. Vendors came to the shore offering food and souvenirs, but from even the lower passenger deck it was a long way down. Somehow goods were hurled up and cash floated down in a mutually satisfactory fashion. I watched several people buy bananas (love them little bananas) from a young ...