by Stephanie Quan | Aug 7, 2011 | Let me tell you a Story..., Myanmar, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, Way Way Off the Beaten Path
On my last day in Myanmar, I decided to look up an art gallery I had read about in Smithsonian. The article outlined a series of artists who made art that skirted government censorship; artists who made paintings of women trapped in spiderwebs and lied about the...
by Calvin Sun | Aug 6, 2011 | Let me tell you a Story..., Myanmar, Mythbusters, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, Travel Warnings, Way Way Off the Beaten Path
I had to wait until I got out of Myanmar to post this without getting prematurely deported or thrown in jail. I got a small rush writing this while still in the country, but I didn’t want to take my chances before leaving Myanmar for good (as if posting this in...
by Calvin Sun | Aug 6, 2011 | Epiphanies on the Road, Fit for Foodies, Myanmar, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea
The 66m long reclining buddha of Chaukhtatgyi Paya Traveling to Myanmar is like being in a time warp. Imagine a place untouched by McDonalds and Starbucks, where images of 1960s Southeast Asia become real life here. Cone-hat wearing villagers bike along a dirt road...
by Calvin Sun | Aug 6, 2011 | How Did You Do That?, How's the weather?, Myanmar, Public Transportation, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, Walking Tours, What Dreams May Come
Press play. And then start reading. Pretty much any M83 song will do here. The Kyaiktiyo (pronounced: “Chachiyo”) Golden Rock has been a pilgrimage site for thousands of Burmese Buddhists, but for the determined traveler, it’s an immersion in the...
by Calvin Sun | Aug 3, 2011 | Myanmar, Mythbusters, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, What Dreams May Come
I present to you, the famous jumping cats of Nga Phe Kyuang! Or would you fancy a video instead? Inle Lake is like the big brother of Srinagar’s Dal Lake. It’s simply gorgeous. Except for the jumping cats of Nga Phe Kyuang, it’s not really a place to...
by Calvin Sun | Aug 3, 2011 | Crisis, How's the weather?, Myanmar, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, Walking Tours, What Dreams May Come
Remember the game we used to play when we were young? We’d see a flash of lightning, count the number of seconds before hearing the sound of thunder, and then multiply that number by the speed of sound to find out how far away that lightning strike was? I tried...
by Stephanie Quan | Aug 1, 2011 | Myanmar, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea
Since I’m skipping Mandalay, I’m getting an extra day in Inle Lake which, like Bagan, is so gorgeous. It has a different sense of peace though. Bagan- Spent the day in a horse drawn cart and climbing up the sides of temples. Most of these are made out of...
by Calvin Sun | Aug 1, 2011 | How's the weather?, Myanmar, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, What Dreams May Come
Disclaimer: Since Flickr is banned by the Myanmar government, I have to use this router browser to bypass the controls. Unfortunately, although this means I can upload photos, I cannot view or format them. So if this entry is missing any photos or if the photos...
by Calvin Sun | Aug 1, 2011 | Lessons Learned, Myanmar, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea
Flickr is banned here. That means no photos of Bagan until I try to upload again somewhere around Lake Inle tomorrow. Stephanie and I have momentarily parted ways; she’s currently hanging out a little southeast at Lake Inle for 2 days while I’m here in the...
by Calvin Sun | Jul 31, 2011 | Border Crossing, Lessons Learned, Mo' Money Mo' Problems, Myanmar, Mythbusters, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, What Dreams May Come
Well, I’m finally here. Although this isn’t my first time officially in Myanmar, I’m actually exploring the country for more than a day this time. A few myths about Myanmar that are well, actually true (I learned them all the hard way): There really...
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