Latest on Burmese Visa
 

It was delightful to find a Burmese visa in my mailbox today. I had sent in the application, with confirmed airline schedule, evidence of my first night's stay, and copy of ticket voucher for Pandaw cruise, on July 31. Wanting to spare any of you who are unknowledgeable, as I was, about how mail should be sent to the Burmese Embassy (and, maybe to others), here are some tips. Do not use a large manila envelop to house your visa and other material. Do not include a self-addressed stamped manila envelop for the return of the visa. In both cases, get large priority mail envelops at the US Post Office and place on them postage stamps currently costing $5.60 each. At the same time, you can purchase the money order for $20 to pay for the visa. It is a simple process if you know the procedure. ZZ

P.S. This information is for people posting their applications in the United States.

Glad to hear your visa arrived! How long did it take?

Which Pandaw cruise are you on?

Kathie: I mailed the visa application on July 31; the passport returned with the visa on August 9. I get nine days door to door.

I am going on the twenty-night Chindwin and Upper Irrawaddy Rivers cruise, beginning September 4. ZZ

Zambezi, I'd love to take that cruise! I look forward to your report.

It sounds like they are back to processing the visas very quickly - that is great!

Wow. I am looking forward to this trip report! :-)

We are seriously considering this trip for 2015.

I go with some apprehensions. First, I wonder if the changes in the country since I visited it twice in the early 1990s will be disturbing, although I acknowledge the wisdom of the philosopher who taught, "The only thing permanent is change." Second, as one who usually travels independently, I wonder how I, somewhat of a maverick, will conform to the culture of a group of forty or so. Then, there is the weather---the end of the monsoon season, I hope---just how muddy those river banks will be, if my clothes, shoes, and I will be dry most of the time, and how much rain will fall.

Nonetheless, I am very excited by the prospects of this great adventure and am trying to remember that most things people worry about never happen.

I intend to write a full report and I hope that it will be helpful to all of you waiting to hear of me. ZZ

Zambezi, I'm sure the changes you witness will be remarkable.

As someone who is also an independent traveler, I had thought about a similar cruise several years ago, but was concerned that I would weary of the group-ness of the cruise. I had some email correspondence with Paul Strachan about it. He told me that passengers are free to do as they wish at the various stops, and people can and do make other arrangements. I found that encouraging. Still with all that time together on a small boat, I expect I will need to make sure I get some alone time.

A cruise like this is really the only way to access some of these places, which is what draws me to this cruise. To see more of Burma, Burma off the tourist track, will be a real treat.