Let's Play Catch up

It is so great to hear voices from home. Thanks for the comments!

We're in Pattaya, Thailand now. Just got here from Yangon, Myanmar this morning. It's been a long day with delays for fog keeping us in the airport in Myanmar for almost two hours. An ultra modern airport with even auto flush on their squat toilet - whoo hooo! But no coffee to be found anywhere. With our wake up call at the Yangon hotel being 4:30 a.m., a morning without coffee was not top on my list. Still, I love Myanmar, love the atmosphere, the people, the food. Despite politics the people are awesome. So on the next few posts - let's play catch up.

The pictures in this post are all from Inle Lake where whole villages live on stilt houses that appear to float amidst the mist and pampas grass.

Two days ago we had our much needed R & R. Lounged around the pool, got travel arrangements underway and relaxed. The hotel we stayed at in Bagan is a splurge, an oasis that straddles the Ayerarwaddy River and houses at least two original ancient stupas which mostly date a mix of the 11th through 13th century.

It's not easy blogging out of Myanmar. On that day I was alone in a dining room area in the back of the hotel. No computer guru to help out and without the time and/or the software you're hooped. On a dial up modem you're guaranteed no time to get through all the lockouts. So a half hour on the internet ends with no results - no mail, no blog, no successful searchs. I can't even access my website. On our last day we learn that the government has recently imposed a $10,000 US dollar charge per year on anyone wanting satellite TV and a $700 US dollar charge on anyone wanting internet. That shuts down most of Myanmar as the outside world just became unaffordable. People have two weeks before they pay or are shut down. Yet amazingly despite the obvious heavy hand of government, except in Yangon, the military presence has been subtle.

But those thoughts are far away as breakfast is served in a garden overlooking one of the earth's mighty rivers. An ancient stupa towers in the background and an attentive waiter hovers in te background dedicated solely to our table. Yes, life is good.

Until next time.

Ryshia