Myanmar

New Year “Hmong style”, good times in the Wild, Wild West, amazing hitchhiking experiences

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Women from the Hmong ethnic group

12.01

MAP_Chaing Khong 1We hitchhike near the border town Chiang Khong. It is a small town which is also the entrance point to Laos. There is a bridge and one could also cross with a boat on Mekong that costs 0,75 euro. People leave us in the beginning of the town and we have to walk for 4-5 km. to exit it. It is a nice place without many tourists and the walk is pleasant. We continue towards the mountains located on the border with Laos. The region becomes more and more interesting. It is inhabited by the Hmong ethnic group. Everywhere we see people dressed in their traditional outfits sitting around fires they have lit next to their huts. Continue reading →

Entering Thailand, adventures in the jungle, Christmas in Asia

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Buddhist temple at Tak

22.12

We cross the Thai border rather quickly. The employee asks us if we are OK with two-months visa because the one we have in our passports is without expiration date. We are overjoyed and say “yes”, he stamps our passports and here we are… walking on the streets of Thailand. This is the second time we are here but nevertheless we get a culture shock upon entering. The contrast seems even stronger to us the 7 months we spent in Pakistan, India and Myanmar. Continue reading →

Tough nights in Yangon, the Golden Rock, good-bye Myanmar (for now) – we love you so much!

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Yangon’s center

13.12

In the morning we can’t explain to the monk that we will not use a bus but regardless he takes us to the bus stop at the main road and we leave Kyuangon. We walk by the road and half an hour later a cistern takes us for 50 km. They leave us at a gas station 20 km. before Yangon. Continue reading →

How to asphalt a road by hand, the drivers who drink beer every time they stop for a rest and arriving at much yearned for beaches with palm trees

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Children of Myanmar

06.12

Map_KyaukpadaungWe climb down the mountain on a narrow pathway and reach the main road. We have prepared mentally that we will walk 5-6 km, but after twenty minutes a businessman takes us to the nearby town Kyaukpadaung. Then we start to wait. And wait. After an hour a luxury car stops and takes us to the place we want to go – namely Magway. Traveling is pleasant accompanied with the usual views of palms and bamboo houses. We pass 150 km. without even noticing. Continue reading →

Hello Myanmar! Mandalay – the pagodas’ heaven and how we became captives of goodness

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Burmese with a cart

25.11

We enter Burma – now officially Myanmar: a country we don’t know almost anything about. What we know is that it is a Buddhist country and after many years of military dictatorship and a few days ago the elections were won by a democratic leader: Aung San Suu Kyi who had spent many years as a political prisoner and won Nobel Peace Prize. All the travelers we met who had been there were very impressed by the country and said it’s very special and the people are extremely hospitable and nice. This is all the information we have for now. Continue reading →