WOW Thank you Father Neo for
An amazing blog, detailed info and great photos. I will be backpacking to Burma for 15 days on 20th July and now after reading your blog very inspired to explore the Megui Archipelago. I need a bit of help from you..did you pre arrange for the dive tour in Yangon, how much cost and apart from your fantastic marooned adventure is it worth going..it will be my first attempt at diving as well..was it scary? Sorry might sound dumb but I am very excited and nervous
Thanks
Svetlana
diving Mergui Although this reply comes very late to your inquiry, I'll share in case others stumble here and have similar Qs. I definitely DO NOT suggest diving here if you are not experienced. There is no time for learning as my tour was dive-intensive and we were always motoring. Current dives, night dives (optional), etc. It's not a relaxing one day dive and cocktails experience. More like 3 dives and cocktails :). I arranged my trip before arriving in Burma but paid in Yangon. I then traveled south to meet the boat which comes from Thailand. The boat was not as advertised (much more basic) so I got hustled a bit but I rolled with it apprehensively. The dives were not exactly pretty as Burma doesn't seem to protect their oceans from Int'l fishing boats and you'll see many dead coral reefs covered in netting and broken pots everywhere (dynamiting for fish.) It was educational but sad because one imagines it would be prisitine. I would head to Borneo next time. Research the ocean within an ocean off their coast. Sounds magical.
Family Genealogy I would welcome the opportunity to exchange any information regarding the Neu's and contact information for Hertmut Schiffler as both are surnames for my direct relatives that ventured from Neiderlinxweiler to the North American colonies in the mid-1700's.
Niederlinxweiler Family Connection Peter,
I have found a Maria Margeretha Schiffler (born Neu) who came to America from Steinbach, Ottweiler, Saar, Germany near what appears to be your ancestral home. Do you know of a family member who has an interest in genealogy that I can connect with to determine if we have common family ties and could help me fill in some missing information? Thank you for your consideration of this request.
Respectfully,
Jim
Neu Hi Jim, I learned that the name 'Neu' is common to the Saar, especially in Saarbrucken nowadays. It's quite common in the phonebook there but sounds uncommon to the rest of Germany...often expecting it was shortened from a Neuberger, Neuheisel, etc. Not the case apparently. I don't know about your Maria Neu/Schiffler but if you can track down Hertmut Schiffler in NLX he may be able to help. He even called a friend in Saarbrucken to inquire about the Neu geneology as he has a strong interest in such things. How cool right?! You can email me at peteneu@hotmail.com if this finds you.
How easy it is to get a women in bed? I'm interested in getting laid as much as possible with a condum of course. So give me locations there lots of fine ass women.
Island 6 destruction What's being said on Island 6 building demolition? I visited the site yesterday and found the building and those around it locked, windows broken, workers' barracks nearby. Suzhou Creek residential development plan is so massive and imminent that it was naive to expect these beautiful Shanghai-style mansions to survive. But I guess the expectation was, well-heeled western artists would bring certain security (and money) into Shanghai's lopsided development. So sad...
Robert Frost and Timbuktu Your challenge about snooker... how many people even know what the game is, and a line of poetry, reminds me of a Noregian joke I heard sometimes ago concerning Robert Frost and Timbuktu. Being part Norse I thought it was very funny especially since it was somewhat intellectual too. Not something Noregian jokes are prone to be about. Want to know the joke? Write me back and I give it to you...gratis.
Best Regards,
john jack
Home stopover! Know how you feel! Been in the Mexican Yucatan since March and went back to Texas for 2 wks to take care of business. Readjusted by partying! Most business got taken care of. Then back here to paradise! I loved seeing all my friends but really just need to sell my stuff there and stay with them when I 'visit' since I'm with them anyway! Have fun and loved your blog! Pattusa
Those are very nice photos. Even though I was born in Burma and lived there for 18 years, I haven't been to those part of Rakhine, except for Ngapali beach. If not for the transportation, I think Mrauk U will be as famous as Bagan, which has now turned into more modern civilization because of tourism.
What is this? The straw blanket you refered to is to trap bugs? I have asked many Koreans the same question and I always get the same answer. I guess the bugs go into them in the winter and they remove and burn them.
Hotel Rip-Off I was also subject to this little trick. I got in late on the ferry, so my first night was spent in the beautiful ocean view top corner room I had requested in numerous emails many months before with the owner, only to be approached the next day by another owner with apologies of a terrible mix up with the rooms - they had to switch me out of the room I was in to a lower level one, much smaller with a view of the building beside it, and more expensive. Being a happy tourist and this a smallish, family run hotel, I initially said ok, but then changed my mind and said I would check out and go stay at the hotel my traveling companions where at, no problem. Panic! Long story short, and after much arguing in Greek amongst the owner and her son, they begged me to stay, I paid the original price agreed on in the room I initially slept in. However, my stay in this small hotel was ever after uncomfortable as I was required to smile and say kalameera each morning to the very people who were trying to swindle me. Needless to say, although I loved Naxos because of the beaches, I will never stay in that hotel again.
Black market Hi, I loved your photos. I'm going to Beijing in May and wanted to buy some hiking gear like Northface. Can you tell me where the markets are that you went to? Hope your ankle is better - and thanks for the warning about the foot paths! Cheers.
Awesome blog!!! That was awesome writing, very descriptive, and it takes some guts to travel to places like that, but in the end, I'm sure it was worth the experience and it was quite an eye-opener....it's great that there are people like you who are willing to do that...see what hasn't been seen, do what hasn't been done, et cetera.
by the way, the robinson crusoe part with the volleyball and fedex packages was absolutely hilarious, as to the allusion to the movie cast away...keep writing
Hey, I came around this post when browsing for Burma... well, long distance away... just a comment, or better correction... you didn't go to lake bovec (as it doesn't exist) but to lake bohinj... Bovec is just an interesting old village in Trenta valley, just over the hills from Lake Bohinj... :)
"Everyone has a purpose in life... a unique gift or special talent to give others. And when we blend this unique talent with service to others, we experience the ecstasy and exhultation of our own spirit, which is the ultimate goal of all goals."- excerpt from Law of Dharma
"We shall not cease from exploration, And the end of all our exploring, Will be to arrive where we started, And know the place for the first time." -T.S. Elliot
To my friends and family, a sincere thank you for taking time to check in. Your support and communication is very important to me and I look forward to hearing from you.
Check out the webpages and blogs of friends, family, and fellow travellers:
Mark Barrett (met in Lao)
Aaron Perillat (me... full info
Stephanie Smith
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