Lake Inle, Burma: Pagodas, Floating Markets & Jumping Cats

Lake Inle is not that large of a lake, though it certainly feels like it. Most people live very close to the lake and make their living from it. They fertilize their fields with the nutrient rich black mud they pull up from the bottom and they use the floating plants they gather to create …

Wandering Backwards: What Really Happened in Bagan

I went out for drink the other night with my friend and we started chatting about Burma, specifically my time in Bagan. I spent most of my time in Bagan while I was in Burma so a lot more happened than just visiting some temples like I wrote in my post. I was telling him …

Weekly Photo: Taung Kalat, Mount Popa, Burma

Tuang Kalat (“Pedestal Hill”) is often referred to a Mount Popa, but it’s actually a volcanic “plug” near Mount Popa. A Buddhist monastery is located at the summit of Taung Kalat and it’s 777 steps to the top. Throughout the entire, steep climb you have to fend off monkeys, vendors, and “donation” requests from people …

Bagan: 2,200 Ancient Temples

When I first arrived at Nyaung-U in Bagan after a short flight from Yangon I was greeted with free wifi at the airport so I thought it wasn’t too bad.  Then I saw my “taxi” to the hotel—a horse and carriage. I kid you not. This is a major form of transportation in Bagan—throughout much …

Now is the Time to Visit Burma

I’ve wanted to visit Burma for quite some time and was really excited when the political situation finally improved enough to make it ethical to do so. Yes, I do worry about such things. Burma has a pretty bad track record when it comes to human rights violations, but they are improving. When I was …

Weekly Photo: Fisherman on Lake Inle in Burma

Lake Inle in Burma is a beautiful lake that reminds me of the Tonle Sap in Cambodia (though not nearly that large). The fisherman on Lake Inle, however, have a trait that is uniquely their own. They wrap one of their legs around a paddle and in a circular sweeping motion they paddle their boats. …

Weekly Photo: Shwedagon Pagoda

Probably the most magnificent sight in Yangon, the Shwedagon Pagoda, also called the Great Dagon Pagoda, is a gilded, golden marvel. At over 2,500 years old, it’s the oldest pagoda in the world and was supposedly built to enshrine 8 hairs of Gautama Buddha. Whatever the reason it was built, it’s a beautiful site, especially …