Aug 23, 2009 - Rangún

He llegado entonces a Rangún en la madrugada igualmente. Era de noche todavía y no tenía, como siempre, ningún hotel reservado así que decidí pegarme con unos europeos: compartir el taxi hasta su hostal; buena idea porque llegaría al centro de la ciudad en grupo, a un ambiente amigable y seguro para mochileros además; un poco después ya estaba ubicado en mi mapa y estaba amaneciendo para salir a buscar un mejor hotel. Rangún no es una ciudad pequeña. En la mañana simplemente descansé, sólo en la tarde paseé y el único objetivo específico...

Mar 3, 2009 - Yangon - Buddha and Temple day

The Burmese people are great - amongst the most patient, friendly and smiling I have met to date. The literature you read about Myanmar in advance suggests that the people are oppressed by the government, are poor, are undertaking forced labour and generally live a miserable life. What I have experienced so far - in Yangon at least - is completely the opposite. Out on the street, in the temples, in shops, people are happy, smiling and helpful. Their English is also very good - even the taxi drivers. I think a large part of the patience and...

Apr 3, 2008 - April 2-3, 2008 - Yangon

Arrived in Myanmar to an overwhelming heat (40 degrees) and a friendly tout, so we checked into the very pleasant Motherland inn II guesthouse, had some breaky, a nap, and a shower before the afternoon brought a walking tour of Yangon (not intentionally, we of course walked the wrong way...) We visited the Sule Pagoda near the city centre and were very quickly befriended by an english speaking monk named Indavonsha. He wnted to practice his english and we wanted to learn about buddism and the temples so we set off together to visit the...

Feb 27, 2008 - Back to Yangoon

Man, I hate night buses. I hope that’s the last of them, for this country at least. I’m rapidly running out of time in Myanmar and still have to make it to Mrauk-U. I decided to hop a flight to Sittwe, and then take a boat for the last stretch to Mrauk-U. It cost a bit more, but damn it was nice. One hour compared to seventeen.

Feb 15, 2008 - Birmania!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sì, alla fine ho deciso di andare in Birmania. Un altro mondo! Te ne accorgi subito, subito fuori all'aeroporto, dove quasi tutti gli uomini portano il longyi (una specie di gonna) e le donne hanno il tradizionale trucco birmano, la Thanakha ottenuta dalla macina della corteccia dell’albero omonimo, una specie di crema che forma uno strato giallo... "per...

Feb 3, 2008 - Yangon, Myanmar

A quick hop and a skip, and here I am. Worlds away from the madness of Bangkok. Actually, it's just a madness of another sort. The local, everyday sort instead of the tourist trap of Thailand. A refreshing change, to say the least. Being my usual, slightly unorganized self, I hadn't made any hotel arrangements, so when I got off the plane,,,, "Now what?". A lady from the local YMCA was there to pick up some other guests so I said What the hell?, and jumped in. If nothing else, it was a free ride into town. It turned out to be a free ride...

Sep 24, 2007 - Learning and leaving too soon in Mandalay

Based on the news we decided it was best to head back to yangoon. I spent the morning in Daw Su and Son, the weaver's workshop training with the head weaver, Daw Aye Aye Thein. I was able to learn how to read the beginner's draft on the loom. She was very genorous I needed a couple more days to puzzle out the more complex pattern draft notation but it was not to be. Of note is that you weave from the written pattern with the wrong side facing the weaver. I've uploaded two photos that show the mirror underside and the weaver's working side....

Sep 21, 2007 - The Monks, They are Marching...On to Myanmar

Arrived at Rangoon (Yangon) airport and met by Kathleen's friend, Kit. Kit was a great help in making contacts and learning what to do on the ground. We made phone calls and finished our ground arrangemetns and it was off to the music school that Kit founded. Wonderful school for kids and young adults to learn music theory, piano, voice and be exposed to music from all over the world. More details later. We attempted to find a woman who wrote a book on the tapes used to bind the palm leaf manuscripts. It had been raining steadily for 4 days...

Mar 13, 2007 - MYANMAR: Yangon....School

I can't believe my time in Myanmar has come to an end. Myanmar definitely has had the stongest impression on me in whole my trip and has a big place in my heart. Both living and travelling here have been equally enjoyable although very different. Deciding to return to Yangon and work at Growing Together was the best decision on my whole trip. Being Teacher Sam was extremely rewarding and has taught me a lot. A lot about myself, children and people in general. Especially as I have no young children in my family or had much interaction with...

Mar 2, 2007 - Yangon (aka Rangoon)

The last stop of this South Asia trip is Yangon, the capital city of Burma. I actually came here for a few days when I arrived in the country before heading to Inle Lake, and then I spent another several days in Yangon at the end of my trip. All international flights to and from Burma go through this city. I visited one major site in Yangon called Shwedagon Paya, which is a large temple complex right in the city. At 300 feet tall and covered in gold, you can see the main stupa from all over the city. The main structures were build around...

Feb 9, 2007 - Burma (Myanmar)

Mingalaba! (Burmese hello) Well my Myanmar epic is at a close..... A very eventfull entertaining journey! Quite a diffulcult place to travel but the rewards for exercising patience and perserverance are more often than not rewarded with little gems of travel magic. To start with the trip nearly didn't get off the ground.... Long story but i think it needs telling. I had booked a tour with peregrine adventures, when i got to the hotel and met the group and went over the detailed iterneary it wasn't really going to be my thing.... I was the...

Jan 11, 2007 - MYANMAR: Living and working in Thaketa

Things didn't quite go to plan when I arrived in Yangon! The school got my arrival date wrong and so I was waiting at the airport with nobody to call. People don't have landlines or mobiles here (or the school) unless they are wealthy with you needing 2000USD to own one! Phones are more of a status symbol. So with nobody to contact I checked into a guesthouse. I headed to school the next day to find out where my apartment was only to find there wasn't one! Ohh dear! So now I'm in Tommy's pad, an ex-volunteer who is allowing me to crash...