Myanmar
Snapshots from Myanmar
By Tony and Thomas on January 13, 2010 | 2 Comments »
As we move on, here are a few personal snapshots from the land of gold. We love Myanmar and hope to return to this magical country again soon. There is much, much more to explore!
What a Dollar Can Buy You
By Thomas on January 11, 2010 | No Comments »
Coming to Myanmar, we were very uncertain about how much money we would need. Talk about black market exchange rates, high entrance fees and expensive transportation costs caused us to set our budget way too high. As it turns out, we’ve been spending about half, which is fantastic!
To give you an idea about prices in Myanmar, we compiled a short list of things you may want or need.
Here’s what you can get in Myanmar for around a buck:
- 1 glass of iced coffee
- 4 packs of local cigarettes or 1/2 pack of Marlboros
- 17 days worth of Doxycycline
- 10 samosas (fried pastries filled with meat or vegetables)
- 4 liters (1 gal) of drinking water
- 1 can of Coca Cola or 1 liter of Myanmar Star Cola
- 3 small sheets of gold leaf
- 1 high-grade pomelo
- 2 Bamar curry dishes including all the side dishes
- 1 hour of Internet usage (tourist price) or 2.5 hours (local price)
- 125 ml (4.2 oz) of Listerine
These prices are after the black market exchange. If you were to change your dollars in a bank, you’d be paying $170 for each of those items. Ouch!
Myanmar Pictorial
By Tony on January 9, 2010 | No Comments »
We’ve gotten several emails asking for more photos of Myanmar. Of course, a country as visually stunning as this begs for a full pictorial, so here it is …
Burmese Anti-Aging Beer
By Thomas on January 7, 2010 | 3 Comments »
Forget Botox, drink yourself younger with beer made of Spirulina algae!
The High Road to Inle Lake
By Thomas on January 5, 2010 | No Comments »
Inle Lake is one of Myanmar’s major tourist attractions. Instead of just taking a bus there, Tony and I did a 3-day hike from the hill station of Kalaw to the tiny town of Inthein. We shared this great experience with four fellow travelers: Matt, Lia and Cathi from the U.S. and Norbert from Germany – and we captured it all on film.
Follow along as we experience rural life and meet Danu, Taung Yo, Pa-O and Paduang tribal people along the way.
Watch as we continue to explore the lake by boat, hit the market days, weave in and out of floating gardens, and glide between traditional stilt houses. Notice the unique leg-rowing technique of local fishermen, and don’t miss Nga Hpe Kyaung, the jumping cat monastery. Yes, you heard right…
