Time Stands Still and History Takes a Nap

I'm still uncertain as to how to refer to this enigma of a country. Calling the country Burma subtley voices disapproval at the fact that it is ruled by an oppressive military junta; whereas, Myanmar is what the government has declared the name of the country to be. It's a country where people can go to jail just for speaking against the government as is the case with the comedy troupe the Moustache Brothers. The country remains highly controlled and the Aung San Suu Kyi, former leader of the Democratic party and 1991 recepient of the Nobel Peace Prize, is in and out of house arrest and has seen her voice essentially be silenced after winning the popular vote in the 1990 elections.

Knowing these things made seeing the country and meeting the people a different experience. For them, foreigners are there only outlet and the only way of getting information outside of the propoganda that the government is continually spewing about 'national solidarity' and 'meddling foreign governments'. The thing is, through it all, the people are beautiful and amazing and dynamic to talk to. It was them and not the ruins and the rugged beauty of the country that made it so worthwhile to visit; it was the people. Go there and see for yourself.

I'm not going to write too much this time, and I know that it's been ages since I've posted, but I am going to leave you with a few pictures to scrutinize as they tend to speak louder than words.

For me, life's been moving pretty fast. Since my last post I've left India, spent a couple of weeks in Sri Lanka, my Christmas holidays in Thailand, and have now visited Myanmar.

What's more amazing is that I'm creeping up on my one year travel anniversary. Even though I've been living the year, I really find it hard to fathom all that I've seen and all that I've done. I guess you could say that I've seen more than I can ever remember and now know that there is more out there than can ever be seen. But all that means is that we'll never run out of places to travel. Ah, and let's not forget the AMAZING people I've met that I've been lucky enough to share the experiences with.

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