Myanmar on the Mind.............

Needless to say Myanmar has been on our minds of late!! The recent cyclone, coupled with the massive and widespread death/destruction there during the past month has weighed heavily on our psyches. Chels and I were fortunate enough to travel in Myanmar (Burma) for 3 weeks in April of 2005. Below are just a few of the shots of that trip to help convey what we saw there. Without a doubt, our trip to Burma was easily our favorite, most memorable, rewarding, and adventurous traveling to date. The people, in addition to the varied landscape and culture combined together helped to make this a truly magical trip.

We have been sitting here feeling helpless to their plight in Burma. Currently, over 135,000 people have died. U.S. Navy ships are sitting off shore, ready to deliver much needed aid. Myanmar's Defense Minister was recently quoted "I believe the resettlement and rehabilitation process will be speedy." While the U.S. Secretary of Defense has labeled the ruling Junta of Myanmar as "Deaf and Dumb". Burma, as we found while traveling there, is a country that is extremely remote and cut off from the rest of the world during the best of times. One can only imagine how villagers are suffering currently and becoming more and more infringed and on the edge of survival while world governments do very little to help quell the political wrangling post cyclone.

These shots offer a view from our eyes as we saw Burma, in better times, four years ago, however, still stretched in many ways for basic needs and survival. One travel nugget that we both took from our times in Burma was how the Burmese managed to smile and be generally happy despite living under certainly one of the more oppressive regimes in the entire world.

Enjoy...

Trying to get out of the heat whenever possible.
Yangon, Myanmar Airport

Suddenly rich (and sweating in the heat!) with black market Burmese currency. The money is worth hardly anything, so you have to carry bundles of it around with you!

Signs of old British rule and poverty from our guest house in Yangon, formerly Rangoon.

Monks at Shwedegon Temple

Shwedegon Temple in Yangon

Street fruit vendors in Yangon

A child monk and beggar in Bagan, Myanmar

Mom and daughter with Thanaka, a paste made of ground wood and worn by many Myanmar women. It is used for cosmetic beauty as well as for a cooling sensation in the heat and works as a sunscreen of sorts.

Older women puffing big Cheroot cigars!

Unsuccessfully bidded as a World Heritage site, Bagan has over 1000 temples within a 16 mile radius, all constructed in the 1000s to 1200s.

Vendors everywhere.

Bagan....... it was well over 100 degrees out for the trip.

Lots of smiles despite the oppressive regime

Chels.

Hand rolling Cheroots.

Mt. Popa, a side day trip from Bagan. It is a crazy site, a volcanic peak with a Buddhist monastery located on top.

Chels with the masses who constantly wanted their pictures taken, walking to the top of Mount Popa.

Friendly, smiling kids.

Harvesting palms for a local drink.

Rush hour on Inle Lake in Northern Burma

Typical Burmese early morning scene.

Dugout boats with V8 truck engines mounted on the rear were the standard mode of transport

Inle Lake floating market

Fishing on Inle Lake

One can easily see how a cyclone would tear through these types of living quarters

Fresh corn on the streets.

Vibrant colors seemed to be everywhere you looked

Swimming with the locals...

Taking the Yak bus home after school!

Only a small population in Myanmar has these elongated necklaces.

Not afraid to pile it on. This picture says it all about Burma.

We are sending our wishes to the people of this beautiful country.