Tripping the Life Fantastic

Bagan, Myanmar (June 13-15) My next destination in Myanmar was the area around Bagan . It is a landscape literally littered with some 4400 temples, rivaling Angkor Watt in terms of its memorability (so I have read as I have yet to actually visit Cambodia's crown jewel). I was surprised to discover that Bagan has not been declared an UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the fact that during the 1990s, many pagodas which had been damaged in an earlier earthquake underwent restoration by the military government which paid little heed to original architectural styles and used modern materials. Frankly, I have to wonder whether it may have been this but also the fact that the military government responsible for the renovations had been largely condemned/sanctioned by most of the world for its human rights abuses. Hmmm....food for thought.... I arrived there in the middle of the night by bus and was relieved to see that there was someone from my accommodation, the New Park Hotel , wh...

Myanmar , a largely impoverished country that has been isolated from the rest of the world since 1962 when the military seized control of its government, is somewhat heartbreaking, particularly the capital city of Yangon. It is immediately apparent upon exiting the international airport, that this city is falling apart at the seams infrastructure-wise. The roads are filled with potholes, the buildings are crumbling and the sidewalks? Let's just say that I , the klutziest of klutzes, had to remain constantly vigilant else I find myself tripping over a crack/hole in the pavement. Furthermore, it broke my heart a little every time I walked past an old majestic colonial building that had been tragically neglected since the British were kicked to the curb in 1948. Seriously, if some rich philanthropist à la Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey or Warren Buffett would just hurry up and donate a thousand cans of paint and give these buildings a much-needed makeover, it would make a world of differe...

Part Two -During the Monsoon The next morning I took a ferry from Phi Phi to Krabi , on the mainland, which was delayed by an hour due to rough seas. And the moment we docked in Krabi (and I do mean literally " the moment "), the rain once again began to beat mercilessly down upon our noggins and did not cease for the next 3 days!!! I had booked a single room at the Baan To Guesthouse in Krabi Town, which ended up being a lovely choice. My room was refreshingly cool, crispy clean and most importantly... BUG-FREE! The sweet Thai proprietress of the place, Annie, called absolutely everyone " Darling! " and cooked up a mean Massaman Curry. Her husband-to-be, Peter, hailed from Sweden and wore clothes that were predominantly orange in color and reminded me of a prison uniform from one of my favorite all-time films, "Shawshank Redemption." There was another husband/wife team working there who happened to be tennis lovers so I was able to catch the Quarte...

Part One - Before the Monsoon Phuket & Ko Phi Phi (May 28-June 5) Essentially my time on the Southwestern coast of Thailand can be divided into two parts - before the heavy, flash-floodlike rains...and after . The first relatively dry segment, on Phuket and Ko Phi Phi Islands, was spent rather idyllically- strolling along pristine beaches (with sand so soft, a baby could sleep bucknaked on it), perusing the exotic fresh fruit and vegetable stalls, inhaling the strange but mouthwatering aromas of an assortment of Thai local dishes, and photographing the extraordinarily playful monkeys hanging around the Buddhist temples and beaches. Bliss! I traveled from Bangkok to Phuket Island on an overnight train and, frankly, I was rather impressed. The 2nd-class sleeper car was both comfortable and clean. I also felt quite safe as I locked all my valuables up in my portable safe and attached it to the iron rod above my bed. Didn't want to lose my brand new iPhone after all! My ...

Bangkok, Thailand (May 24-28) Quick question! What is a sure fire indicator that one has landed in Southeast Asia in the summertime?!? The layers of sweat which instantaneously accumulate all over your body literally the moment you step outside! (Psst! And the ubiquitious presence of "Lady Boys") I mean I feel as if I am seriously suffering from some sort of bodily affliction which only affects my sweat glands. Adding to my level of physical distress is the number of insect bites covering my body (mosquitoes and...something else...unseen...and yet horribly bloodthirsty... BED BUGS!! ) which can be found in all the usual suspect places (lower limbs and arms) as well as a few unmentionable places difficult to see, let alone scratch without drawing attention from all males in my proximity. Arriving in Bangkok in late May, which is the beginning of Thailand's sweltering & sticky summer rainy season, shook me by surprise. We're talking a heavy duty dose of cul...

Cape Town & Gansbaai, South Africa (May 19-23) Can't believe I am wrapping up yet another continental segment in my RTW trip! This puts me at 2/3 of the way through it by golly and hot d**m! At times, I must confess, it feels as if I have been happily and confidently travelling since the day I took my first step (unsupported) as a toddler but then there are those " other " days when it is as if I have just woken up in a strange, strange Heinleinesque land and find myself freaking (the hell) out at the prospect of hailing a taxi or purchasing sanitary items. Thankfully, I have been experiencing far more of the former than the latter. I flew back to Cape Town on Saturday the 19th, checking back in to the Amber Tree Lodge one.more.time. for good measure and proceeded to map out my final 3 days in South Africa. Day 1? I simply chilled out, did some writing on my blog and called my parents using Skype, which was a call I should have made ages ago as I hadn't...