I admit it. This picture was taken a few years ago, but I think I still look vaguely like that. Depends on the day (and the time of day). And today, just before I uploaded this picture, an Indonesian English student told me how much she liked my nose. I heard that a lot in Indonesia. Apparently, a large nose like mine is a good …
Read the full story »VIDEO: Mandalay to Kuala Lumpur on AirAsia – A Short But Also LOOONG Journey
With my visa for Myanmar soon expiring, I had booked a flight from Mandalay back to Kuala Lumpur, a city which has served as my base for a while. There were no direct flights, so I booked a flight with a 2-hour stopover at the (dreaded) Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok.
In a rare stroke of luck, I found a flight that did not depart at …
VIDEO: Bustling Life Along the Irrawaddy – A WALK BESIDE MYANMAR’S LONGEST RIVER
One of my favorite activities is simply to walk around and watch how people work and live their lives in other countries. I would normally take pictures on these walkabouts, but I used my GoPro this time and shot video instead.
And my favorite place for these walkabouts is anywhere near water – along an ocean, around a lake, or, as in this case, beside a …
VIDEO: Astonishing Unfinished Pagoda of Mingun – MANDALAY, MYANMAR
A mere ten-kilometer boat ride from Mandalay lies what some people call the largest pile of bricks in the world at Mingun. This astonishing pile of bricks was intended to be the largest pagoda in the world. It was never finished, and it was badly damaged in an earthquake. Yet, what remains is an incredible sight.
Guarding the entrance to the pagoda are two equally massive …
VIDEO: Bagan to Mandalay – A Day on the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar
Mandalay is not that far from Bagan. I believe it is about 170 kilometers by road, and if you need to make that trip to catch your flight, there are a lot of very comfortable and reasonably-priced buses waiting to take you. Some of them will even come to your hotel and pick you up there and drop you off at your hotel in Mandalay.
You …
VIDEO: Where, Oh Where, Is the Bagan Viewing Tower? (BAGAN FROM ABOVE)
Eyesore or wonderful vantage point for viewing the Bagan Archaeological Zone? That was the question I wanted to answer about the Nan Myint Tower, or the Bagan Viewing Tower. I had a bit of a struggle finding my way there, which seems odd considering it was supposed to be an imposing tower dominating the landscape. But I did eventually find it, and I was able …
VIDEO: My Favorite Bagan Temple – Where the wind takes me!
It was another very windy day in Bagan, and I jumped on my rented e-bike to do some more exploring. I had a vague idea of some of the pagodas and temples I wanted to visit in the Bagan Archaeological Zone, but I also wanted to be open to surprises along the way. So I set off with the idea that I’d follow my impulses …
VIDEO: Bagan E-Bike Tour – Museum, Temples, & Pagodas
The Bagan Archaelogical Zone has over 2,200 religious structures to explore. Where to start? I decided to start with a visit to the Bagan Archaelogical Museum. And from there, I visited three of the most famous temples and pagodas in Bagan. And it was all by e-bike, of course.
SILENT SPEED – Renting An E-Bike in Bagan
In the “old days”, you made your way around the temples and pagodas of Bagan by bicycle, by horse-drawn cart, or by private car. Nowadays, however, a new option has appeared with a vengeance: e-bikes. E-bike rental operations are everywhere in Bagan, and chances are that your hotel can rent you an e-bike or there will be an e-bike rental company right across the road.
I’d …