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...
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
If it’s not already playing, 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...
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...
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...
