My Trip to Burma: Arrival in Nyaungshwe, the incredible Pindaya Cave, a paper Factory, a cool monastery, and the raucous Fire Balloon Festival.

This morning we’re heading east, from Bagan to the Inle Lake area.  Such chaos at the airport.  There are three or four domestic airlines in the airport, each located next to each other, in booths smaller than a Paris hotel room.   I‘m crazy paranoid about our luggage, given what happened on day 1, but it all goes smoothly.  We land…

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My Trip to Burma: Bagan Part 3 – Palm Sugar, a Local Village, and the Nats of Mount Popa

The day started out great, with a lovely buffet breakfast at our hotel.  Nice selection of food, although as I’ve said before, I just can’t get into real Asian cuisine – noodles, fried rice, etc. – for breakfast.  I need my eggs, pancakes, and bacon.  Fortunately, they had all that.   And a nice view of the river. Our guide…

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My Trip to Burma: Bagan Part 2 – Balloons over Bagan, Pagodas and Monasteries, and Sunset on the Ayeyarwaddy River.

No rest for the weary.  Woke up super early this morning and went to the hotel reception area to meet the bus that was taking us to the balloon ground for our hot air balloon ride over Bagan.  Every morning and evening, from October to March (the winter season), Balloons Over Bagan takes people on a magical flight over the…

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My Trip to Burma: Beautiful Breathtaking Bagan Part 1 – Fascinating Pagodas, Impressive Lacquerware, and an Amazing Sunset

Vacation is supposed to be a time to relax.   Well, not today.  We set our alarm for 4:00 a.m., quickly got dressed, and checked out of our hotel in order to meet our driver and zip to the Yangon airport for our flight to Bagan. The domestic terminal at Yangon International Airport is total chaos, but somehow, people seem…

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My Trip to Burma: Yangon Part 3 – The Holiest of All: The Shwedagon Pagoda.

We started with a bang.  Our first full day in Burma saw us spending the afternoon at the Shwedagon Pagoda. Nothing prepares you for the Shwedagon Pagoda.  This is the most sacred shrine in all of Burma.  At 325 feet, the stupa totally dominates Yangon’s skyline.  No site is more revered.  No site is visited in such numbers.  Legend has it that the shrine contains…

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MArk and Arnie in Myanmar

My Trip to Burma: Yangon Part 2 – Pagodas, and BIg Buddhas (Seated and Reclining)

After a morning of architectural sightseeing, it was time for lunch.  Although there is no shortage of authentic Burmese restaurants in Yangon, Feel Myanmar is probably the city’s best place to sample Burmese food. Food is laid out in a big buffet spread at the back of the restaurant.  I asked Myo if we could stop there and eat, and invited…

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Myanmar Stray Cat

My Trip to Burma: Yangon, Part 1 – Cool Colonial Architecture

We stayed at the Hotel Grand United 21st Street Downtown., located on the edge of Chinatown.  Nice hotel, good price, friendly staff.  After a restless night (still frazzled a bit from the long flight and lost luggage), we headed up to the 9th floor of the hotel for breakfast.  There’s a lovely terrace up there, with nice views over 21st…

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Last day in Oslo: The National Gallery and the Contemporary Art Museum, a last peek at the Opera House, and then (sigh)… home.

Our short little trip to Oslo is coming to an end.  Our flight back leaves at 6:00 p.m.  Need to be at the airport at 4:00.  Gotta catch the train at 3:30.  This gives essentially half a day more of sightseeing before we say goodbye.  So, one more stroll up Karl Johans gate as we make our way to The…

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Oslo: City Hall and the Opera House, The Edvard Munch Museum, the Botanical Gardens, and a final walk through Grunlerløkka.

Our next to last day in Oslo started with a trip to City Hall.  City Halls tend to be the dominant buildings in Scandinavian capitals, rather than churches.  Perhaps that’s why Scandinavia always ranks so high on the list of countries with happy, satisfied people.  Here, people pay high taxes, have high expectations, and usually get what they expect: a…

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Amsterdam and Paris 2015 – Day 10 – Last day in Paris. Exploring Montmartre and the Museum Fragonard at the Veterinary School.

Day 10 –  Last day in Paris.  Exploring Montmartre and the Museum Fragonard at the Veterinary School. (Continued from Day 9) For the last day, I figured we should take the obligatory trek to Montmartre.   It’s a trendy neighborhood, and it has so much history.  So many struggling artists, poets dreamers and drinkers came here for the cheap rent…

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Amsterdam and Paris 2015 – Day 9 – Promenade Plantee, Cat Cafe, and Pompidou Center

Day 9 – Promenade Plantee, Cat Cafe, and Pompidou Center (Continued from Day 8) Our next-to-last day started at a hip breakfast place called Lockwood.  They open early for breakfast, and stay open late for dinner and drinks and music.   I started the day with pancakes, which immediately put me into a sugar coma. Next we were off to…

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Amsterdam and Paris 2015 – Day 8, Part 1 – The Cimitière des Chiens (or, I DO Wanna Be Buried in a Pet Sematary)

Day 8, Part 1 – The Cimitière des Chiens (or, I DO Wanna Be Buried in a Pet Sematary) (Continued from Day 7.  Day 1 starts here.) Our eighth day in Paris started with a long train ride to the Northwest of Paris, to a suburb called Asnière-sur-Seine, for what turned out to be the highlight of the trip. Paris…

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