vrijdag 30 oktober 2009

After Myanmar

Today is 31. October
The last so many days we were in Myanmar.
I was not able to do something with my blog overthere because " access denied" .
Has probably to do with the military bloc everything they think is bad for their position.
People in Myanmar don' t talk about the political situation or they do it very secretly.
We found out that everything is OK for the Burmese as long as they do what they are told to.

On my own computer I already made text for this blog but it is not possible, today on the airport of Bangkok, to hook it on to their internetsystem.
After we are in Siem Reap (Cambodia) we hope to make a new add to my blog on our own computer, WITH pictures.
About the pictures: we made a lot of Bagan, which is the place where during the 10th. till the 13th. century, lifestandard is high (for those days) because of being able to crop rice twice a year and so make lots of dough (money or whatever they had at the time).
We both (Ankie and I) enjoyed our stay in Bagan very, very much. Very good choice.
It was awesome bcause of:

- the friendly people (especiall our guide was a great guy)
- we were driven around in a horsecart which was nice
- the views on the Irrawady-river (we had a sort of bungalow with river-view)
- a rivertrip we made one day at sunset (beautiful)
- all the stupa' s, pagodas, temples, monastries, etc. etc. you can see, visit and get in and on.
In 16 square miles there are almost 5000 buildings, big and small)
- not many tourists (because of the situation overthere; for us very nice, but not for them)
- very good food and drinks
- very good service everywhere
- monks everywhere (beats the South of Limburg)
- etc.

The weather was hot but...........we don't complain (it's the time of year and its warm overthere all year anyway).

Yesterday afternoon we visited a well known market in Rangoon.
Rangoon is nowadays Yangon because new government means new rules and, in Burma, new names too and a new Capital city and a new university - kilometers outside Rangoon - so students can't riot in the big city.
Even the largest river (The Irrewady) has got a new name : Ayeryewady.
The market - a covered one - sells almost everything from woven materials to sweets, from flowers to gems (Myanmar has lots of gems like rubies, saphires, amethist, etc.), wooden souvenirs to food (amongst - of which I have some dark pictures - deep fried cockroaches*).
When we were there the light fell out and the whole place turned very dark.

* people love them in Myanmar.

In the afternoon we visited the Dwe Dagon Pagode (a huge golden one) with lots of Buddha statues (hundreds and hundreds or not thousands) in all forms, designs, large and small.
We were there for more than two hours and we would not have missed this for whatever.

When we came back in our hotel there was no water and that was rather shitty because we wanted to shower of course.

In a few hours we fly to Siem Reap (Cambodia) to visit Angkor Wat (The temple of Angkor).

All is well here and warm.
Till the next time.