Myanmar

Myanmar, along with Laos and Cambodia, was one of my "must-sees" before leaving Asia.  I decided that the best way for me to see the country was by bicycle.  I  toured with Spice Roads Adventure Cycling.

Before going on this trip, I did some gym cycling but no real bicycling.  Needless to say I was not in shape for the mountainous terrain that we encountered.   So...the ride played out like this:

Myo & Will rode together really fast up all the mountains, then waited for me at our snack or lunch place.  Win (the van driver) drove the van behind me.  Whenever my legs would not allow me to finish a hill, Win would be there.  I'd put my bike in the van and ride in the air-conditioning.  Worked for me!

Win (in the white shirt and traditional Myanmar longyi) - my guardian, snack supplier and savior

 Click here if you want to learn how to tie a longyi - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj4gb4K0s5U

Luckily, I got stronger as time went on.  I relied on Win less and less and had some very enjoyable rides.  The scenery was amazing!  If I hadn't been there myself, I would not have believed that Myanmar was so scenic.  A very nice surprise.  The best parts were the smiles of the people and the kids standing on the side of the road giving high fives as we rode by.

The trip started in Yangon, but we did not ride bicycles there.  Instead, I used my free day to ride the circular train around the city.  The neatest part of the train was getting to watch the people, especially  the hawkers who would walk through selling things.  Some had very nice singing voices.  Over the 3 hour ride, several hawkers came through selling these leaves and putting a white substance on them.  It looked like glue to me.  I wondered why people would want to buy this.  Turns out they were khat leaves, and people chew them (I guess it's like chewing tobacco??!!??).  Myo says it is what causes many cases of mouth cancer.  More about khat here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khat

From Yangon, we visited Heho, Kalaw, Inle Lake, Pindaya, Mandalay and Mount Popa.  Our last town was Bagan.  Bagan...OMG...we definitely needed more days here!

I posted pictures on Facebook throughout the trip.  I'll use those and a few more for the photos that follow.  Enjoy!  I sure did:-)

Yangon

Circular train

If you're interested, here's a link to another blog about the train (it has really good pictures): http://www.bordersofadventure.com/riding-the-yangon-circle-line-train/

Will & Myo in Kalaw

The snack/savior van

Carrying harvested rice...on the way to Inle Lake

Inle Lake Fisherman

For those with an interest in fishing, here's a link to information about the Inle Lake Fishermen:
http://www.myanmartravelessentials.com/activities/the-art-of-fishing-and-one-leg-paddling-inle-lake/

Buddhist Novices going to temple in Nyaung Shwe

Shwe Umin Cave - Pindaya

Spectacular scenery on the way to Mandalay

The crew in Mandalay

Popa Taungkalat Monastery from the hotel

Monkey at Popa Taungkalat Monastery (as I was climbing to the top)

Standing in front of Popa Taungkalat Monastery

More about Mount Popa and Popa Taungkalat Monastery here:
http://www.go-myanmar.com/mount-popa

It seemed like Bagan had pagoda's everywhere

Me among Bagan's pagodas

The bike crew in front of Dhammayangyi Temple

Bagan Museum (a nice respite from the heat)

Last meal in Bagan - for more about Bagan - click here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagan

A Quickie...

Definitely not what you may think!  First, let me thank Anne-Renee for posting last week.  It's always good to read about shared experiences from another perspective.

I am traveling to Myanmar tomorrow and wanted to get something out before leaving...hence the quickie title.  While I would love to send you updates from the road as I bicycle through Myanmar, I'm not sure when/if I'll post again before returning to Atlanta on August 3rd!

This is a recap of all that's happened over the last week or so.

So long Angi - Hua Hin Train Station (took train to Surat Thani)

Bungalow in Don Sak (near Surat Thani)

Boat to Koh Samui

Our tour guide in Koh Samui (Dr. Surakit - hilarious guy)

Lamai Beach - Koh Samui

"Grandfather" at Lamai Beach (people raved about the shape of one of the rocks)

Anne-Renee after her first Thai motorbike ride

Images of Don Sak

Me and Syanon

Near the ferry (we saw a couple of dolphins here)

Eating at a seafood restaurant during a heavy rain storm

Did we ever eat!

l-r Syanon, Me, Anne-Renee and Iad

At a garden restaurant

Hotel restaurant

Breakfast on our last day

Saying so long at the train station in Surat Thani

Last Day in Hua Hin

Muddy beach entrance

Last look at the beach

So long Soi 96/1!

Until...????

A guest in Thailand...

Greetings from a guest blogger, Gloria's friend Anne-Reneé.  I arrived in Bangkok on the 30th and have been having a lovely time, taking in the sights and sounds of Gloria's Thailand.  A few of my observations.

Two good decisions around this trip - one, to come to Thailand. Two, to put my trip in Gloria's hands. She is an attentive, thoughtful, accommodating host. I suspected this would be the case, was immediately confirmed when she booked us into the airport Novotel for my arrival night, walking distance from the baggage claim.  A great place to land after 21 hours of flying time:

What a sensible idea to have the international airport, free internet, bus station, local train station,  day (Boxtel) and full service hotels, food court and massage parlor in one building! Though the Bangkok traffic horror stories are legend and the mass transit options don't mesh perfectly, there is clearly more planning here than in most large cities in the US.  To fill the transit gaps there are tuktuks, songteows, moto taxis, taxis, boat taxis, dedicated bike lanes and probably more.  Gloria is a pro at the various options and negotiates/operates in fluent Thai to boot. If not for technical difficulties I would provide Gloria's Thai voice for you to hear for yourself....
Gloria in the Talisman tuk tuk



Gloria catching the breeze at the back of the songteow














 Some of the other infrastructure is less impressive; here is a common example of the electrical grid, seen from sidewalk level.  Electricity works reliably but there may be a need for alternative long term solutions.

Of note in our wanderings through Bangkok

• 4th July celebration at the international school complete with BBQ in many forms, Miller Light and Sam Adams beer, sack races, bands and even Dairy Queen ice cream cones and (only one guy) in a Trump T-shirt.  This re-creation of a piece of the US in Thailand felt a bit surreal but maybe it was the lingering jet lag. 
• Cabbages & Condoms restaurant and gift shop run by a broad ranging NGO where "the food is guaranteed not to make you pregnant". We enthusiastically joined in with the theme....
  Condom outfitted man and condom Teddy bear
  
  
   
  Bangkok Arts and Cultural Center a modern museum with quirky exhibits, shops and restaurants, cinema, and of course conveniently attached to a train station.  Among the exhibits, we came across:
   
• 
  Lilac Ovary (creative safer sex idea?)
  
  
    
   
• Thawadchai Tokum, a young artist with moving images of "invisible" homeless in Bangkok whose plight he wants to highlight. According to him most homelessness is due to mental or social issues with no available services or family who can support or take the people in.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Off to next stop, headed south via express bus (very) air conditioned, large reclining assigned seats with footrest, free bottles of water....departed on time and arrived early, one block from Gloria's home away from home in Hua Hin.  What more can one ask?  
   
  Of note in Hua Hin
  Gloria's circle includes the expats in her soi, primarily a mix of European and US men with (mostly) Thai wives here at a birthday celebration at "Say Cheese" restaurant which included beer, Dutch food, beer, pool, beer and a side trip to the night open air market. They helpfully offer many tips and reasons that I too should be a retired expat! That guy I'm leaning on after one too many waters is a retired CDCer...
  
  
    
  
  
  Food - yummy fried fish with Thai herbs, morning bread at German bakery, all natural freshly made smoothies overlooking the sea and today the food pinnacle, our Thai cooking class. Early morning pickup, visit to the market to buy the ingredients, then off to the lovely home of Beau for a day of cooking and eating; cashew chicken, red curry pork, green papaya salad, and of course mango with sticky rice. If you ever make it to Hua Hin, don't miss this.
  Host and teacher Beau
  
  
  
   Not staged - that is actually me stirring real food in a real pot!
  
   
  Our beginning to end red curry pork 
  
  
  In previous posts, Gloria mentioned some of the well known issues (Images Spark Racism Debate in Thailand) around race and dark skin.  My experience - from the mild surprise that we aren't from Africa to several sightings of golliwogs, including this pair owned by her landlord. I doubt that Buddha would approve. Nuff said.
  
  
  
  My special research project is "Massage in Thailand". As a dedicated researcher must, I have thrown myself into the task of having enough samples to made definitive comments.  So far I have conclusively deduced that:
  
  Thailand has lots of petite friendly women with strong hands, elbows, knees and feet
  As with American football, a Thai foot massage involves a lot more than footwork
  Daily 1.5 to 2 hour massages (for <$20 US) are good necessary for my physical and mental health
  Traditional Thai massage where women walk on your legs and back is not usually practiced on women with big hips. After two days of feeling like the women were having trouble keeping their balance, I switched to other types of massage
  
  
  My field work continues. Tomorrow, off from Hua Hin by train to Surat Thani to visit a friend of Gloria's...AR
  Hua Hin train station, built 1926