Having returned to Mandalay, I headed to Hsipaw, where I intended to meet a Shan friend. His home village is just outside Hsipaw and he is currently there, so it seemed an opportune time to talk about libraries in Burma with him. Not fancying a horribly early start to a very long train ride, I decided to go by shared taxi up to Pyin U Lwin (known in colonial times as MayMyo). It has plenty of old colonial houses, since it was the summer hill station, but also now lots of BIG military training establishments on the outskirts. Since I'd done the touristic things back in 1978 when I visited, this time I contented myself with a stroll around the town, and a couple of cups of tea. The horse drawn carriages are still there to ... read more

July 24 What an incredibly event-filled day!! I'm writing this up in my blackout-prone, $25 a night hotel room (though I didn't get to post it 'til some time later as you read below). The day started early in Mandalay, as I didn't put in my earplugs before sleeping and so was woken by the quite unmusical call to prayer from the nearby mosque. I have heard a couple of exquisite ones during the day from other mosques ( a surprising number of which exist in Mandalay ) but this one probably rated as rustically functional! Still, I managed to doze again before getting up and packed. Just as well I didn't rely on the wake-up call I asked for... the hotel staff managed to overlook that. A short motorcycle taxi ride to the bus station, ... read more

Well, I've mislabelled this blog, because I was here for a few days in 1978, but anyway.... The first significant impression I have, is that the "atmosphere" in this place reminds me of Vietnam , the first time I visited in 1996, a while after url=http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=doi%20moi&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CFUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FDoi_Moi&ei=gG8GUPKWGsegiQfX6ISoCA&usg=AFQjCNELzG16VbMAuv2EWLn213ZhKK_v2A&cad=rjaDoi Moi had begun to take effect. The immigration officers are stern, the failed provision of road and power infrastructure is even more evident than in Vietnam, yet there's a feeling of expectancy, cautious optimism, and amongst the youth, energy. The food is so much better than I remember from the 1978 visit - but that was the Ne Win era, with more poverty , and restaurants few and far between. And of course in those days ... read more

I almost made it (again!) to an easy confluence but fate (or disorganisation) meant that it was not to be. The Andaman islands had been a destination I'd wanted to visit for many years - another of those exotic places that seemed terribly difficult/expensive to get to until fairly recently. So when I discovered I had the time and money while on my Indian trip, I couldn't resist the temptation of a few days on a tropical island. Besides, I'd realised that there was an unvisited confluence on Havelock Island, and I figured it should be easy to get to. The flight from Kolkata to Port Blair was pleasant, and the islands from the air looked great. The monsoon had already officially started - in fact the previous week the airport had been flooded...but while I ... read more

While the north-west corner of Arunachal is very Tibetan, the centre is populated by several different (though related) and colourful tribes who generally live in hillside villages, and practice a mix of padi-rice and shifting (jhumm) cultivation. Houses are generally made from local bamboo/timber, and thatched with palm leaves or straw. We had arranged for a 10day extension to be added to our original 10 day permit, when Ann and I dropped back into Bomdilla on our way back out of the Tawang area. The ever-helpful Mr. Tsering Wange had organised that he would fax the extension to us (Yes you need to carry it in writing wherever you go) and that it would be ready quickly for us. In India, most little towns seem to have several tiny shops who provide public phone and photocopying ... read more