Kandawgyi Palace Yangon (Rangoon)

... for about 20 minutes. When they arrived James told me that the VC demanded that a copy of my passport and VISA was presented to them. They needed to tell them that I was with them . If they did not tell them upfront, when they would see me trouble would have most likely have fallen upon us. Well, eventually James found a local copy machine and make a copy and presented it to the VC. Not only was the passport and VISA required so was a "gift" (A.K.A. a "bribe") was ...

If arriving in Bangkok from Nepal was like coming to a Western country, going to Yangon from Bangkok takes you again back in time. The immigration process was surprisingly quick though, and luckily I made sure to answer dishonestly on the swine flu form about if I had had flu like symptoms recently. After the passport check you can get a free ride downtown and secure your accommodation as the most popular guest houses arrange a pick-up from the airport. The first thing ...

... civil architecture, some Victorian-style buildings, some school and university buildings like the ones in Oxford or a massive rail network (nowadays in the urgent need of some thorough maintenance) going to the most remote places that is envied by most of its neighbors. They definitely took advantage of Burmese people, but they at least were able to leave a legacy behind.<br><br>If monsoon rains have showed up shyly and elusive until now, my arrival to ...

... though. Really it looked like they were out of the movie "I am Legend" when people first starting contracting the disease. It was sickening. Anyway, so we pay 12,000 kyatt each, figuring "why not?" and then he gets us a taxi to town for 6,000 kyatt, leaving our bags with him (nothing was stolen and i would probably trust them with my stuff again). He first drops off a guy who was also in the car with us, and picks up rice, or what i ...

We woke up REALLY early today - 3:45. We were ready to go and in a cab by 4:35. We had to assure the driver that we would pay the 45 bhat (less than $2) for the toll and agreed to pay by the meter (it came to 230 bhat or $10). We checked in with Air Asia and shared a bagel with bacon, egg and cheese. We were able to jump on the internet for 10 mins on the 2nd floor at CAT. After we checked in we boarded a bus that took us to our plane. Bill and I both had window seats ...

... in a court order that claimed voter fraud, the court is obviously bias and is merely an arm of the elite. The future of Thailand is definitely in doubt. The 18 hour bus ride to Yangon was hell. The bus had the smallest seats on a bus that I have ever seen, it was even tight for Ana. My butt was numb for 2 days after arrival, I can say that it was the hardest bus ride of my life and I have taken buses all over the world. The airport was closed and we had no other choices ...

... hard work. Initially the gold is beaten wafer thin for eight hours and if I can remember correctly that occurs in two shifts. So someone will stand and bash the gold for four hours without a break! Although the job is meant to earn merit by the mere nature of the role. The next day I headed back to Yangon. Lindy was heading back the following day and we had arranged to meet up as we where both staying at the same guest house. The constant rain had eased and although ...

... who we met. As we traveled, it was surprising to see how different Myanmar was from Thailand, despite the fact the two countries are right next to each other, offer similar natural attractions, and have been linked by religion and cultures throughout the centuries (the Shan dialect, of Myanmar's Shan state, is the same language as Thai). As far as tourism goes, Thailand is Southeast Asia's sparkling gem, whereas Myanmar is still a diamond in the rough. Despite ...