Blogs from Yangon Region, Burma, Asia - page 21

Note to readers – there will be a cascade of blogs published in the next few hours. I have been writing throughout my time in Myanmar but have not had regular or reliable access to the internet to post them. My flight touched down in Yangon and taxied to a halt outside the international terminal. The building was nothing like I had expected. The sleek new terminal was clean and spacious inside and the immigration formalities were completed surprisingly quickly. They already had lots of information about me including height, weight, hair and eye colour. In applying for the visa I even needed to give my Father’s name. They stamped me through with a smile and I was met by the pickup I had arranged from a guesthouse in the city. Flashbacks of my time and ... read more

All I remember was our plane landing, I passed out soon as we took off from Bangkok, very tired after hardly any sleep in the airport waiting for this flight. The queue was long at the immigration, the airport is quite modern, locals were asking us even when we are still in the baggage claim area if we have a place to stay, I waited for Connor to get through customs then we decided to just go to downtown by taxi, we were told $7 to town! we got it down to $6 then I saw a Japanese backpacker alone and being crowded by taxi touts, I approached him and asked him if he wants to share a taxi with us, one taxi dude driver told me "no sharing"! F..k off I told him, he ... read more

Yangon which you may know as Rangoon is another of Burma's crumbling cities, since the governments decision to build a new capital, (apparently a fortune teller predicted that Yangon was going to be bombed by Iran unless a new capital was built.) Yangon has lost investment and it shows as you take your life in your hands walking down the road, if you dont pay attention you risk falling into the sewer or tripping on the uneven paving. The new capital in the centre of Burma is a strange place with multiple millions of public funds invested. It is a shining example of a city, with perfect roads, clean pavements, neat houses - in fact the only thing that it seems to be missing are the people - it is essentially a shell which has diverted ... read more

Burma was magical, delightful people , serene atmosphere, so many contrasts. We started our trip in Yangon, stayed at the residence of the former Governor, really nice. Wandered around the city , went for drinks at the old Strand Hotel, wonderful photos adorn the walls. A visit to the 'House of Memories' was next, this is where the father of Aung San Su Ke had his office, a bit strange and eerie at first , but after a few drinks and the company of some locals sheltering from the monsoon rains we began to enjoy ourselves. We then made a visit to the British War Graves Cemetery just outside the ciy, beautifully kept place of rest, do go and visit. At the end of our trip to Yangon we stopped to take a last look at ... read more

As the plane pulled up at the gate, Anette and I exchanged eager looks at the sight of the terminal. The intricately decorated golden spires glistened in the pure blue skies above the building and I knew we were in for something special. I already feel like this country will take over my soul. Sharing large borders with Thailand, India and China, I expected something of a mysterious mix of these wonderfully exciting and enthralling cultures. Burma is fucking hot. Again, we have arrived at the low season, due to the mid 40’s sweltering heat. Locals can’t even handle the current heat of the day. It is totally different from everywhere else. Bits of the rest of my travels could be interchanged with any other country, but not here. It feels like adventure travels of old ... read more