Blogs from Burma, Asia - page 10

6.30am and it’s a perfect temperature on the balcony of our little cottage. The sun is rising behind the jagged ridge of the sheer cliff that is Mount Zwegabin. Pilgrims apparently climb to the tiny pagoda at the top, via a route that is invisible and appears impossible. We decide to give this a miss upon discovering that it it is a steep climb going up 3000 feet and taking 3 hours, with just one stall selling water on the way up, and the risk of attack by marauding macaque monkeys. After a leisurely breakfast, Myo picks us up. We go to visit the local market in Hpa-An. Hpa-An is the capital of Karen state, and the Karen were involved in one of the vicious insurgencies fought between the various tribes and the Burmese junta in ... read more

Our Emirates car dropped us at Gatwick in plenty of time to get into the Lounge to watch Everton v. Leicester on Sky. Unfortunately we arrived before the check in opened! But the staff soon arrived, probably having realised that David needed to get in front of the TV and also needed a glass of champagne. Anyway as it happened we got to the Lounge to watch the second half when Everton were already 2 0 down and that is how it ended. More champagne and some smoked salmon and dinner was the only response to that. The Emirates 380 business class is amazing, a ridiculous amount of space, flat bed, 21” TV and iPad and your own minibar.......most enjoyable, and it's no wonder BA is losing customers. Having already eaten dinner we went straight to ... read more

Inle I am not sure what time we arrived at Shwenyaung but it was 7:30 at the cottage on the lake. The taxi to the jetty in town was about half hour then it was an hour to the far south in an open boat with little wooden armchairs for seats. For approximately half the distance the sun was going down then we arrived in darkness. I have already spent an hour admiring the room. It is actually a chalet on stilts over the water. I get the feeling that Myanmar has so much variety that you would never be able to know it as a country, just one small part. Now that travelers are going into new areas it would be interesting to see if they are different again from the familiar ones. 28th October ... read more

Kalaw. 26th October The hotel has intermittent WiFi so fingers crossed I'll get some use. The 9 hours predicted on the bus was less than 7 as it was full soon after leaving Bagan, we even had a half hour lunch stop. Many of the passengers were tourists going to Kalaw or on to Taungii. I'm feeling dizzy and nauseous but it's not surprising as the last 2 hours were over mountains with constant switch backs. If I don't travel well normally, what chance do I stand here?The guide for tomorrow was at the hotel to greet me and discuss the route for trekking. It is 4 hours up and down mountains. Even before coming away I wondered whether I'd cope and my itinerary said only 3 hours! I cancelled it, what a woos, ... read more

I started my morning at 4:30 having booked a taxi to take me to Ko Mauk Lake where they have built one of the new viewing platforms. It actually faced West hence we were the only ones there. First views were of temples illuminated in the dark but getting into the area was rather disorientating and I’m unable to name which they were. Of course it was dark and best for me, full of wildlife, a squirrel insects and many birds. Win, the driver knew the names, Later my guide Nang told me that books on these are very expensive. It was amazing to see how close all the temples are although it is not easy to go between them as there are areas of scrub and the tracks / paths twist and turn and end ... read more