A Farewell to Myanmar

on Dec 11, 2014

I’m writing this from a bus. We have just flown into Bangkok from Mandalay, and are traveling down to Phuket. I am wrapped in luxury the likes of which I haven’t seen in weeks. It’s a new Scania-made bus. Leather seats, subdued lighting, faux flowers, curtains, split-levels and a tiled bathroom replete with a wall-to-wall mirror. As if that’s...

Inle: Fire Balloon Festival

on Nov 29, 2014

This was another serendipitous event that happened to us while at Nyaung Shwe, Inle lake. We were walking back to our hotel from having been on the lake all day long, when we got approached by a couple drivers who offered us 2 seats onboard a taxi going to Taunggyi. They were looking to fill up their shared ride. In Taunggyi, they said, was happening the final day...

Inle: The Lake

on Nov 28, 2014

Inle lake is big, beautiful and the most touristy part of Myanmar we have seen till date. Most shops have English signs outside, most people speak a few words of english (usually, “Hello”, “Where are you from?”, and “Need Boat?”) That being said, it’s touristy for good reason. The views are spectacular, the food, tasty and cheap, and then...

Serendipity in Myanmar

on Nov 27, 2014

Some of you might know that Myanmar has had a turbulent history. Lots of events keep shaking up its political and religious landscape. While we know vaguely of this, we wanted to brush up more on Burma’s history before entering the country. Hence we got together a few books and I ‘procured’ a few movies about Myanmar. During times of rest such as being...

Inle-3: Hike, Second Day

on Nov 27, 2014

Continued from my previous post on The Hike from Kalaw to Inle Lake. The next day I woke up considerably less enamored. It completely had to do with the fact that I was staying in a building which had no heat, in a place where it got really cold at night. Like. Really. Cold. For starters, the previous day, when we arrived, we had to take a shower in the same place...

Balloons over Bagan

on Nov 27, 2014

Bagan is the ancient capital of this region. Before it was known as Myanmar. Before it was known as Burma. The ruler at that time, King Anawratha had recently shifted over to the Theravada school of Buddhism, and wanted in no uncertain terms to ensure that his subjects weren’t lacking for places of worship. He proceeded to build over 800 (yes, Eight Hundred!!!)...