Nyaunshwe, Lake Inle, North East MYANMAR

A 60 minute flight on Yangon Airways dropped me in the small town of Nyaunshwe, the northern gateway to the picturesque Lake Inle. This town has no cars (a few wornout taxis from the sixties), hardly any streetlights, and like Yangon, most men wear the longjy (sarong) and everybody wears flip-flops. Absolutely no shoes around here! People are friendly, food is good, and the air is fresh. Tomorrow I'm going on a full day trip with a longboat and guide to visit several small communities along the lake.

Internet access is expensive and very very slow!

Yangon, MYANMAR

I arrived safely in Yangon (Rangoon) the capital of Myanmar (aka Burma).

This is a city rich in culture with many gold covered temples, pagodas and stupas. Some are very impressive sites indeed.

It is very different than neighboring Thailand and Laos. To me its more reminiscing of India (and probably somewhat similar to life in neighboring Bangladesh). While a small proportion is Indian, the population is really a good mix of Indian, Chinese, eight main groups of Burmese (67 sub-groups), many Thai-looking people, and an interbreeding of all of these! People are generally friendly, speaks some English, and most people live very basic lives (probably on less than $1 or $2 a day per person). While the city is rich in colonial buildings, most are extremely decayed! There is hardly any (read: NO) maintenance of the city streets and buildings. Watch where you walk!! At night, don't walk on the sidewalks. Safer to walk right in the streets where there are fewer potholes and traps! Years of international sanctions is clearly visible. No international corporate brands around here - not even a 7-Eleven, McD or anything else! A can of Coke costs more than half a litre of local Myanmar Rum or Whiskey.

Taxis are everywhere and real cheap....but deprived of most "luxury extras" such as door handles, carpets, rear view mirrors....you get the vibe, right? Have a happy ride.

Many people (women, kids, the youth) wear thanakha, a yellow sandalwood paste, on their faces which serves as a combination of skin conditioner, sunblock and make-up. Quite sexy I think. I just may go for it myself to protect myself from the brutal sun...and to blend it with the locals.

About 90% of all men, young and old, wear the longyi, the Myanmar unisex sarong-like "skirt" or lower garment - which - afterall, is sensible wear in this hot and humid tropical climate. Unlike men in most other South East Asian countries, the men of Mynmar have not yet taken to Western trousers. Less worn by the young and hip, I guess in 10 years most men will be wearing trousers. I have been encouraged by many locals to wear a longyi (as this would signal my "love and understanding of local traditions"). So, from tomorrow, I will be like one of them!

How can I write about Yangon without any mention of Shewedagon Paya. Unbelievable!! Until you see my pics on www.globerovers.com, check here for some pics.

Betel nuts! You know it? As in many Asian countries, people chew them to get slowly and constantly intoxicated - and to stay awake (which many people here find quite difficult). Difference in Myanmar is that about everybody use it! The nut is from the areca palm, and is mixed with different types of tobacco, a spicy paste, and rolled in a fresh green leaf. Never swallow the juice as you so slowly chew the rolled leaf. Spit the RED juice whenever and wherever you want. The toxins are absorbed through the membranes of your mouth. Ok....so locals encouraged me to try it...I did not get any feeling of intoxification and after doing it for about 30 minutes and embarrassingly spitting red-blood saliva several times, I swore that it was my first and last time. Many people, young and old, will give you the RED smile - gross!

While Yangon has been a wonderful experience to me; the people, the fooooood, the Beer Myanmar, the many Payas - poverty is in your face - doesn't matter where you walk. People here are poor and many are desperately poor. You cant help but to wonder how much better life would have been here without the international sanctions. Do I think the local junta (Government) cares about sanctions....as it goes, they are living very well of in their mansions around Kandawgyi Lake while the populus are suffering big time. So, who does the sanctions hit? the average Joe on the streets, big time! Surprise? NOT!

Late this afternoon I walked past a 10-year old girl sitting by the road. From underneath her long skirt I saw, what appeared to be the backside of a very mulnutritioned dog (similar to what I saw a few hours ago). I stopped to gasp a second look. Out popped a 1-2 year old boy - small, and totally under-nourished. This is not an uncommon sight at all but this must be one of the worst cases I have ever come across.

I'm sitting in a big Internet cafe....probably the best and only in Yangon. What do people do....I checked them out and my surveys says....match-making, gmail, and studying abroad!

People here are extremely curious about the life of foreigners. In the city of Yangon are very few foreigners and I guess hardly any as I will travel in the countryside. Not only do I get many stares (like I am from another planet), but often people stand in line just to ask me questions about "my world" (or to see their pics in my digital cam). I noticed that most people also stare at my hiking shoes. I then realized that I was about the only person in Yangon not wearing flip-flops or sandels. About 95% wear flip-flops and 5% wear sandals. I have since retired my "out-of-this-world" hiking shoes and now wear my sandals.

Tomorrow I am flying up north to Inle Lake to explore lake-side villages, tribes, floating markets, and ....the lake! Will write when I get Internet access.

We live in an amazing, yet very unfair world! My heart goes out to these wonderful people.

Chiang Mai, Northern THAILAND

I am in Chiang Mai, the jewel of the north. I am here to relax and to take in the local customs and culture. Will be taking a Thai cooking course soon, but even before doing so, I prepared my famous green curry (Gaeng khiao wan gai) to a Thai family yesterday (my "homestay" family). You're right -- I got rave reviews!! They absolutely loved my curry. Maybe I should offer my curry to King Bhumibol - he just may designate me as his personal curry chef!

Luang Prabang, Northern LAOS

Luang Prabang, the second largest town in Laos, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995, has a population of only about 22,000 people and about 33 temples. It is located in north central Laos, 425 km north of Vientiane and is surrounded by mountains at the junction of the Mekong and its tributary, the Khan river.

I came here to spend time with the hill tribes (mainly the Khamu and Hmong tribes) who live in small mountain communities in the surrounding hills. Their wooden huts are modestly built and most have dirt floors. Two doors (one small door in the front and a larger on the side (the latter - not to be used by guests - and used to remove the dead), are characteristic of most homes. These people survive on subsistence agriculture (mostly rice and sesami) supplemented by hunting (not that there is much left to hunt), fishing and trading. My guess is that they live on no more than $1 a day per family. People are obviously very poor in financial means, but are very rich in hospitality. The brightest smiles I have ever come across! If Thailand is "the land of smiles", I'll dub Laos as "the land of double smiles". As they speak no English and only limited Lao language, my guide was essential to have good conversations. They don't use the Lao writing (which is similar to Thai) but use the Roman alphabet (by the few who can write).

I also came to Laung Prabang to see the hundreds of monks parading the streets at 5:30 to 6:30 in the morning to receive alms (their daily food) from hundreds of lay people lining the streets. One of the ways to ‘make merit’ in Buddhism is to give alms to the monks. It's very regimented ritual with closely observed etiquette and routines. As the monks receive their alms, they are not allowed to talk or even look people in the eyes. For me it was an emotional experience to witness the monks receiving food from the people, give some back to the people (signifies "food being blessed" by the monks touching it), and also handing out some of their food to boys (walking next to the monks) collecting the blessed food for their families.

I truly love Luang Prabang, the surrounding areas, and most of all, the wonderful people of Laos. While being ruled by a communist government, people are very supportive of their leaders (at least, that's what they tell me. Then again, they don't know any other type of goverment). While traveling outside Laos is allowed, only the wealthy can afford to do so and must provide proof of substantial assets in Laos, strong family ties, and assure the government that they will return to Laos. As for me, I sure will return to Laos in the near future!

Small villages, Central LAOS

I've spent the last couple of days in small villages north of the town of Vang Vieng, which is about 3 hours by bus north of the capital city, Vientiane. It is raining season and it sure rains a lot - a hell of a lot. When it rains here....it RAINS buckets non-stop for hours. I have spent time with the workers in the rice paddies and they don't stop planting their seedlings even in the hardest downpours. Here, the entire family is responsible for working the lands - from the very young to the very old - men and women. Women are wearing their long dresses as they stand knee-deep in the rice paddies. Most workers are wearing the traditional cone shaped grass-woven wide-rimmed hats (similar to Vietnam). People are extremely friendly and even here in the small villages, at least some people speak a basic level of English, which makes it possible to always have some conversations with the villagers.

A few nights I stayed in a hut right on the banks of a small river/big stream which got flooded by the rains (my hut are on stilts so I was reasonably safe from the waters). What amazed me was the kids (boys around 10 years old) swinging from the tree branches next to my hut and then jump down into the rushing waters of this very strong flowing river - without any fear.

I truly enjoy rural Laos. The dense jungle is filled with critters (Orb Weaving Spider to the right) and creatures, with some awesome limestone rocks, and several caves which I explored. I think I may have made a new discovery -- the most amazing little cave dwelling creature which carries a big drop of water on his back (picture on bottom right). Got a really nice closeup picture - which just may make me (and the creature) famous!

I'm working my way up to northern Laos - to the Luang Prabang area.

Vientiane, People's Democratic Republic of LAO

So I crossed the mighty brown Mekong River (also spelled MaeKong) from Thailand into Laos, and sure, while Vientiane is a city of 202,000 people (biggest town in Laos), I tend to agree that this is the largest village in Asia. It sure has a real village feel to it. Lots of markets, some dusty roads, motorbikes converted into mini-busses which can take up to 15 people, and several Wats (temples) with their accompanying monastery scattered throughout the city.

People sure are friendly, cost of living cheap, food is excellent, BeerLao is great, and the sun is shining!

I'll be heading up north through small villages and may not have internet access for the next few days.

Nong Khai, Northeast THAILAND

The mighty Mekong river is flowing strong and brown, and very wide, as it is passing the small town of Nong Khai en route to Vietnam. This is the monsoon rainy season and while the river flows high above its dry-season levels, so far I have experienced nothing but nice and dry weather. Very hot and humid, as you would expect in this part of the world. I am staying at a nice guesthouse right on the banks of the river and as I sip on my Singha and slurp down the spicy Thai soup and curries, I can watch the longboats as they maneuver down the stream. On the other side of the river, the People's Democratic Republic of Lao is waiting for me. This afternoon I will cross the Friendship Bridge to Vientiane, the capital of Laos and "Asia's biggest village."

Prior to arriving here at the banks of the Mekong, I did a two day homestay in the small village of Nong Nak Ham. An agent in the town of Khon Kaen arranged this homestay for me with a really nice Thai family. I stayed in something like a treehouse with a thatch roof which was built not more than 12 months ago. I was given access to a motorbike so I did some sightseeing and met with locals tending their flooded rice paddies (mostly sticky rice farmers). I'm amazed with how friendly the people are. But hey, this is Thailand!

Its time for my green curry lunch with some fresh crumbled catfish salad at the restaurant by the river. Later this afternoon I am crossing into Laos.