love the pics What a lovely blog, we miss the underwater experiences perhaps more than anything and your pics are lovely to remind us of the other world that lives down there. Hope you had a great time back with your family :o)
Good job! Hey Peter, Mari and Leslie --- u guys did a swell job at the Expo! Makes me feel so cheated , but thanks for posting many photos here so we somehow know how the other pavilions are inside. Expo , shopping and partying? Where do you guys get all the energy? Gosh, i'm an old lady.
WOW Hey there, I completely share your ideas on the Banyan Tree, we've been there for 4 times now in the beachfront vila and each time it was an amazing experience. I'm writing this comment from the Lemuria resort as we are heading Mahe and Banyan Tree tomorrow for the fifth time, and to be honest, we are looking forward to it, nothing can beat Anse Intendance and her Banyan Tree.
Regards,
Peter
Myanmar visa Dear sir/madam.
I saw a comment from 2 weeks ago regarding Myanmar visa. There is now a "visa on arrival" at Yangon and Mandalay airports :-) I did not know how to get a comment in to tell the guy who asked in the first place. Thought I could save him som dollars :-) Of coaurse the new VOA has pricetag equal to what it was at BKK-embassy before.............. best regards / Håkan in Norway
Hi Ben! Indeed....Antartica was something...well...was THE thing! Planing to do Laos end of the year. PNG....very high on the list for a liveaboard...sometimes in 2011 or 2012...I guess. Preparing for some crazy stuff in 2011...if I'm luck, just hope to get "finally"some diving in Cocos, dogsledging in Greenland...and a lot more...and hopefully Buthan one of these days. But for now, we have the airline rickets for the next 5 months...and some good stuff in it too!
All 7 continents! Hey guys, just saw on your map that you have covered all 7 continents, wow! I would love to be able to say that one day. I might catch up on your 31% of the world's countries, but I think all continents will be a tough one, as Antarctica is such an expensive place to get to and travel in. I also saw that you missed out PNG as pretty much the only place in SEA, just like me. I really have to go there one day! Anyway, well done! Ben
awww Hey guys
Fab blog brining back fab memories for us. We didn't manage to do any diving (or snorkelling!) here as the weather was awful for us but we liked Koh Chang a lot and liked to see it again :o). Hope you are all well and not dreading the return to school too much :o) take care x
Bangkok Hello there, since you live in Bangkok, mind if you could give me some advice? I am so bothered about the situation in Bangkok now. As I am going to Bangkok on the 25th May and kinda reluctant about it, would you mind giving me some info on my trip? I will be flying from Chiang Mai to Bangkok on that day and will be staying at the Amarin Inn guesthouse (Prasumen Road, Off Pra Athit Road). Is it safe around that area and also to the Grand Palace? Am planning to travel to Kanchanaburi and Ayuthya from Bangkok too.
Would really appreciate your kind advice. Thank you :-)
Kelsie (Travelling solo for the 1st time)
A few thoughts re: himynameis I just wanted to add that it is simply foolish to think that the child sex industry is isolated to Thailand and a few of it's neighbouring countries. I thought that too (and was extremely disturbed by it while travelling the country), but upon doing some research, I have learned that child sexual exploitation and slavery/prostitution is RAMPANT in North America. We're all kidding ourselves to think otherwise. Wherever you can buy drugs, you can buy children. Thailand certainly has it's problems with controlling this awful epidemic, but let's not forget that the disgusting industry is fuelled, in the most part, by western foreigners. It is an awful, horrifying industry, but please don't kid yourself by thinking that it isn't happening in Canada or the United States or Europe.
Thanks for your comments Dear Bruce, I do agree with you and I think I've made my point of view on Burma pretty clear. I have taken the habit to publish comments, even if I do not agree with them. As long as a comment is polite and not insulting, I will publish it. no to make it clear. I live in Bangkok, have been living in Asia for 15 years. Prostitution and child explotation do exist because some people let it exist, it has nothing to do with democracy/dictatorship, it has sadly more to do with corruption and abuse of power of people I'd rather see in jail. Abuse of children and prostitution does also exist because of people ready to buy these services...most of them coming from democratic states. My next point, "western democracy" is a non-sens...I mean trying to call a system "western-democacy". India is the biggest democarcy on earth...do we call them western? People should be able to chose those who run them, this is call democarcy. If a party in power try to explain that they have legitimacy without the vote of the people, they are simply not legitimate. We can all agree that order is better than chaos...Russia has gone through some experiences in this field...but democracy and order can go hand in hand...just cut the corruption!
Good on you I liked your 'travelblog', but I must respond to the comment by himynameis.
Not every country has democracy (whatever that is). Some are 'ruled' by democratic tyrants, some are 'ruled' by well meaning people. Interestly for western people who advocate 'democracy', they tend to overlook that their minds are manipulated by what the media produce (meaning that the media uses its 'powers' to brainwash citizens to think what the media wants them to think).
For me, the biggest problem in Myanmar is that the military appear to be pursuing a course of action to...
1/ eradicate dissent (making the remaining population compliant to the wishes of the military), and
2/ making as much profit for themselves by selling Myanmar's resources to China.
No one criticises the role of China in supporting the Myanmar military. No one criticises ASEAN for turning a blind eye to the activities of the Myanmar military.
But, if China had the guts to say NO to Myanmar, I doubt the rest of the wold would stay (largely) silent. And, I suggest local politics (not military politics) may again prevail.
While the military are the real 'culprits', change will only occur when China changes its position from a self-serving, self-interested position to one of morality.
Cheers
I love Bagan I loved Bagan when I was there 2 years ago or so - and it's not difficult at all to find your own private sunset temple at all. I also love the Burmese-style make-up that you show in the pictures!
Kudos on the writing and pics Love your blogs so far but I have to express concern over the West's over dramatization of the political situation in Myanmar - a stance I believe carries political rather than humanistic overtones.
Yes, Myanmar has a dictatorship. Yes, I've witnessed first-hand a local getting caught and (so they told us) sent to do 10-15 years hard labour for stealing a tourist's camera. But let's be honest, there isn't a single country in the area or perhaps the world that fits the western ideal of democracy and yet people seem to only voice their opinion when it concerns Myanmar or those other rogues, N. Korea and Iran (been there, done that) or whichever other country may be in fashion.
I fear that once the current regime is gone (and history teaches us that no such regime can last), Myanmar could turn into a mini version of its eastern neighbour, a country favoured by pedophiles and junkies, run by the military and yet no one seems to blink an eye and the plane loads of tourist keep on going there.
But let the people decide what works best for them. If they remain as open and friendly as I remember them, I shall be glad to return, no matter who runs the country and in what manner. If not, then I will avoid it like the plague as I do Thailand and prefer to take my meager tourist dollars elsewhere.
Here's to many more travels and keep those blogs coming!
Enjoyed your photos very much I am also a TravelBlog member, and thank you for your entry. It is a country I would so much like to visit. I am a US English Teacher in China. Perhaps you might share how? how easy or difficult and entry into Burman is for a Westerner? or any other information you might like to share to make such a journey more possible. Thank you.
My e-mail: HansSchneider102@msn.com
My TravelBlog: www.mytb.org/Hans
Wish you a wonderful life and happy trails.
Hans
Blast It was just for us. The Blast was 24 hours after we left. Well, we live in Bangkok and last saturday was a messy day but we were in Burma at the time.
aaaaaaaaaaaa... Peter...you just brought me back such a nice memories during my time in burma! Def still one of my fav visited countries...people are just amazing and so simple! greetings from Colombia, jana
Nice writing! When I was in Cairo I had a similar goal as you (concerning the crowds)... and I also failed in the museum. It was worth visiting nonetheless.
In my Travel Photo Blogging I also wrote a post about the Zabaleen people. A really interesting thing and could not be less touristy. Search for my blog and my Egyptian adventure if you are interested - it doesn't allow me to post a direct link here.
Enjoy your adventures and keep blogging!
This blog is just short of 10 years old. We have now move to South Africa.
Why South Africa? Simple, great wine, great food, great golf and even more amazing diving! I will for once continue to blog from time to time about home. After all, this is just my fourth continent after having grow up in Europe, lived in Asia for twenty years, and even spent a full year living the life of Buenos Aires.
Come to visit....there is so much to do here! ... full info
Sophie and Dale
Sophie & Dale
love the pics
What a lovely blog, we miss the underwater experiences perhaps more than anything and your pics are lovely to remind us of the other world that lives down there. Hope you had a great time back with your family :o)