Blogs from Burma, Asia - page 94

Joseph wanted a rest after our day trek so his co-worker Mr Aye took us on the second day. Mr Aye also spoke English well but was Chin ethnic. He had served in the military 30 years ago and had battle scars as a reminder of his service. Although you would never have guessed it, he was as fit as a 20 year old and it was like running behind “Road Runner” when we were nearing our destination for lunch. The best way to describe Mr Aye would be to say that he was the Burmese equivalent of Mr Miyagi (the Karate Kid). He had such a vivacious character, was thirsty for knowledge and information and was the other key person who stood out as enriching our Burma experience. He would frequently stop to talk to ... read more

By the middle of the second day (or it could have been at the end of the first) many of the ruins started looking quite similar to me. Don’t get me wrong Bagan is an amazing place, however knowing little about architectural styles except a slight understanding of the difference between Thai, Khmer and Burmese, it can get slightly monotonous. At least the vistas from the top of the payas remained amazing no matter which one or where it was located because they overlooked different viewpoints. On the second day we broke up the monotony of temple hopping and cycling by taking a boat ride down the Ayeyarwaddy River. We left just before sunset to see life on the river and Bagan from another viewpoint. In the afternoon on the third day we explored some of ... read more

Formerly known as Maymyo, Pyin U Lwin is a hill station 69km out of Mandalay, about an hour and a half drive. As it is 1000m above sea level and enjoys a relatively cooler climate it once was the summer capital for the Raj in Burma and a retreat for the British from Burma’s scorching heat. As a result, Pyin U Lwin is well known for its colonial style houses. There still remains a large Indian population because during British times it was the military centre of the Indian Army. Pyin U Lwin is a production centre for silkworm rearing, pharmaceutical production, flower and vegetable production. It is also the home of the Defence Academy of the Burmese military and an important military base. If you took away the military presence and the green uniforms it ... read more

After initially stepping off at Bagan airport and not realising it until the nurse checking our ears for swine flu informed us, we counted ourselves lucky to have made it back on the plane to Mandalay as planned. Located approximately an hour away from the airport, there was something I found charming about Mandalay instantly, even with its dusty potholed roads! With a population of around 7.7 million, mostly Burmans including a large Indian and Chinese community, Mandalay is Burma’s last royal capital and second city. It has more of a relaxed vibe and laid back atmosphere to that of Yangon and perhaps that is why I found it so appealing. It is home to around 60% of Burma’s monks, numerous teahouses and trishaws. Although Burma opened up its borders with China in the 1990s and ... read more

Der zweit groeste See in Myanmar. Ein Bootsausflug zu auf Stelzen stehenden Doerfern. Optische betracht eine Mischung aus Venedig und Neusiedler See, jedoch von beidem nur das Schoene. (Also Taubenscheisse auf alten Tretbooten) Bekannt ist der See fuer seine schwimmenden Gaerten und den einbeinigen Ruderern. Das ist kein Behindertenintegrationsprojekt sondern eine Technik die eine schnelle Fortbewegung des Bootes und ein gleichzeitiges Netz in den See werfen ermoeglicht. Fuer uns war es ein Highlight, weil eine touristenfreie Zone und die gesamte Umgebung verdient den Begriff idyllisch. Am zweiten Tag eine Radtour um den See. Alle winken einem, man winkt zurueck und man laesst sich am Abend das Handgelenk massieren. Die Bevoelkerung ist einzigartig nett. Es gab Bauern die zeigten uns ihr Haus, liessen uns am Balkon sitzen, versorgten uns mit Speis und Trank und erwarteten im Gegenzug ... read more