Burma - Our Mad Dash Across Too Much
Dec 7th, 2014, 02:40 AM
#42
The photos of Mrauk U are truly captivating, and no other tourists in sight. Thanks for sharing these.
Glad you're enjoying Egypt -- I look forward to the posts from this trip now.
Paule
(progol, aka "provolone"-- see below)
Autocorrect strikes again: "Yestravel provolone and annhig -glad you are traveling along!"
Glad you're enjoying Egypt -- I look forward to the posts from this trip now.
Paule
(progol, aka "provolone"-- see below)
Autocorrect strikes again: "Yestravel provolone and annhig -glad you are traveling along!"
Dec 7th, 2014, 08:03 AM
#43
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Kathie,
NY in Dubai then just a few days in Yangon before a long spell at Ngapali Beach and with some $'s and stuff for Mama Sue's school at Linthar
http://www.myanmar-aid.org/home.htm
Big travelling year in 2015 with Danube cruise to Budapest and then the biggy-a return to Myanmar in December with a 16day Pandaw cruise from Yangon to Katha. Loads of TR's to write !
wtb
BBC news this am, British Embassy closed in Cairo, major terrorist warning. I know you have left the capital and are on the way South down the Nile but do take care.
SS
NY in Dubai then just a few days in Yangon before a long spell at Ngapali Beach and with some $'s and stuff for Mama Sue's school at Linthar
http://www.myanmar-aid.org/home.htm
Big travelling year in 2015 with Danube cruise to Budapest and then the biggy-a return to Myanmar in December with a 16day Pandaw cruise from Yangon to Katha. Loads of TR's to write !
wtb
BBC news this am, British Embassy closed in Cairo, major terrorist warning. I know you have left the capital and are on the way South down the Nile but do take care.
SS
Dec 11th, 2014, 07:21 AM
#44
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Just to let you all know we are having a magical time in Egypt and I'm posting from a Dahabiya on the Nile, we are the only people on the boat! I only wish there were more tourists here as it very hard as so many depend on the tourist dollar. Before I turn this into an Egypt report, an FYI for another blog post this one on all the fabulous crafts we saw in Burma including weaving, carving, sculpture etc. all of the crafts are a fascinating part of a visit though we found we had to be vigilant to avoid the whole, " exit through the gift shop" experience!
I have an upcoming post on our Chin village visit and one on Yangon before I wrap this up!
http://somuchmoretosee.blogspot.com/...a-weaving.html
I have an upcoming post on our Chin village visit and one on Yangon before I wrap this up!
http://somuchmoretosee.blogspot.com/...a-weaving.html
Dec 11th, 2014, 09:05 AM
#45
that's great to know, wtb. There was a very informative piece on Newsnight a few days ago which painted a very worrying picture of the increasingly severe crackdowns on anyone who poses any sort of supposed threat to the regime.
It would be great to see Egypt when there are so few other tourists there but OTOH I'm not sure that I want to give any succour to the authorities.
It would be great to see Egypt when there are so few other tourists there but OTOH I'm not sure that I want to give any succour to the authorities.
Dec 11th, 2014, 10:22 AM
#48
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Yes, the crackdown are very real and increasing, the BBC ran a very good peice on the situation yesterday which has been complicated again by a crackdown on a gay bath house in Cairo.
I'm not sure it's succor to the authorities/military as there's no boycott called by the opposition (like Burma for example where we didn't go for many years) but I get your point none the less.
I'm not sure it's succor to the authorities/military as there's no boycott called by the opposition (like Burma for example where we didn't go for many years) but I get your point none the less.
Dec 11th, 2014, 01:00 PM
#49
wtb - i thought after I'd posted that I didn't want you to think that I was criticising your decision to visit Egypt at this time; if we only went to places that were entirely ideologically sound then we'd probably go nowhere, not even our own country.
and as tourists we can learn much more by visiting a place than we can by sitting at home, so long as we keep our eyes and ears open.
and as tourists we can learn much more by visiting a place than we can by sitting at home, so long as we keep our eyes and ears open.
Dec 11th, 2014, 11:55 PM
#51
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>>
I think there's enough caution in the current UK FCO Travel Advice for Egypt to put enough doubt into my mind about visiting the area anytime soon...
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/egypt
Terrorists who want to target tourists tend not to give too much warning, and your eyes and ears might be useless by the time you know it's happening.
I think there's enough caution in the current UK FCO Travel Advice for Egypt to put enough doubt into my mind about visiting the area anytime soon...
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/egypt
Terrorists who want to target tourists tend not to give too much warning, and your eyes and ears might be useless by the time you know it's happening.
Dec 12th, 2014, 01:51 AM
#53
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The safety ones are the ones that'll keep you alive.
Tbh chuck I was only fishing...
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...bes-statue.cfm
You bit mi ol'Janner (wink!).
Tbh chuck I was only fishing...
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...bes-statue.cfm
You bit mi ol'Janner (wink!).
Dec 17th, 2014, 09:58 PM
#56
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Two final blogposts and the Burma trip report is closed far too long after the fact.
I have a post on our Chin village visit which you may find interesting. It's a full day visit upriver from Mrauk U, for a variety of reasons we were uncertain about going but our guide convinced us and we were glad he had. Lots more discussion about the ins and outs, with photos...
http://somuchmoretosee.blogspot.com/...t-mrauk-u.html
A final post on Shwedagon Pagoda which was much more interesting than expected
http://somuchmoretosee.blogspot.com/...da-yangon.html
We are at the end of our Egypt trip and have had a magnificent time. The Old Catract Hotel in Aswan is reason enough to visit, what a fab place. I just hope the trip report and blog posts don't take as long to finish as the Burma ones.
However I do have posts on the rest of our Asia trip scheduled to post while we are away, including Malaysia and hotel reports on Bali
I have a post on our Chin village visit which you may find interesting. It's a full day visit upriver from Mrauk U, for a variety of reasons we were uncertain about going but our guide convinced us and we were glad he had. Lots more discussion about the ins and outs, with photos...
http://somuchmoretosee.blogspot.com/...t-mrauk-u.html
A final post on Shwedagon Pagoda which was much more interesting than expected
http://somuchmoretosee.blogspot.com/...da-yangon.html
We are at the end of our Egypt trip and have had a magnificent time. The Old Catract Hotel in Aswan is reason enough to visit, what a fab place. I just hope the trip report and blog posts don't take as long to finish as the Burma ones.
However I do have posts on the rest of our Asia trip scheduled to post while we are away, including Malaysia and hotel reports on Bali
Dec 18th, 2014, 01:04 AM
#57
glad you've had such a good time, WTB. co-incidentally, I had a brochure come through from people who run nile trips which are super-cheap at present. I casually mentioned this to DH but got a very negative reaction, so i think that if I were to go, it would be by myself. As I'm already heading off alone to Venice in Feb for a week at the language school there, i think that it's unlikely to happen.
Still, I'd love to read about your experiences - perhaps you can post a link to your TR here so those of us following you can read all about it!
Still, I'd love to read about your experiences - perhaps you can post a link to your TR here so those of us following you can read all about it!
Dec 18th, 2014, 07:53 AM
#58
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Wow, Venice sounds great. Iwill post a link to the trip report here when I get round to it. I know it's going to take a while but hopefully it won't take as long as my Burma report!
Dec 18th, 2014, 08:07 AM
#59
I'm really looking forward to Venice, WTB. I've been there several times before, but this is the first time for a language course, though I've done that before too, once by myself, and twice with the college which runs the italian course I go to. This time the college chose Venice, so Venice it is! It's mainly run for benefit of the college's 16-18 year old students but us oldies are invited too.
This year, I think that there will be about 12 students and 3 of us, plus our italian teacher and another member of staff, which will make for a lively group. It's very good value - all transport including flights from London, accommodation in a private home and 3 hour's tuition for 5 days is £700.
This year, I think that there will be about 12 students and 3 of us, plus our italian teacher and another member of staff, which will make for a lively group. It's very good value - all transport including flights from London, accommodation in a private home and 3 hour's tuition for 5 days is £700.
Dec 18th, 2014, 08:08 AM
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Thanks so much for your sensitive post on the Chin Villages. As you know, we opted not to go. I think having the right guide can make all of the difference. Our friends who were traveling with a guide felt it was "human zoo" and were sorry they went. Obviously you had a different kind of guide.
I didn't know you were a cultural anthropologist - no wonder I love your travel accounts.
I, too, would love to read all about your Egypt trip. Please do post a link on this board when we can start reading.
I didn't know you were a cultural anthropologist - no wonder I love your travel accounts.
I, too, would love to read all about your Egypt trip. Please do post a link on this board when we can start reading.
