From Behind the Bamboo Curtain

First thing first, I am alive and well. I am actually sitting in the Bangkok airport eagerly awaiting the arrival of my young cousin for a debaucherous trip to the southern islands to finish off the trip in style. However, we don't plan to lose the knowledge that we have gained thus far. Don't worry mom, Craig, or Julie, debauchery is hyperbole and an unnecessarily strong exaggeration. But for my contemporaries, you know what I'm talking about.

As for Burma, well, in short, it's the most interesting and amazing place that I have been. But we were ready to get the heck out of there. I have analyzed the cut lure, geography, and political situation so much and have written so many observations and thoughts that I will not share them with you now. Burma is a place of unique culture, unlike anywhere else in South East Asia or India. Their traditions and outlook on life are very special.

Here is a one-two punch summary: Yangon- capital, beautiful pagodas, diesel in the air, craziness (meaning daily life, not the night life, the town shuts down at 10pm and the electricity is cut at 11pm); Inle Lake- serenity and beauty, perhaps my favorite place of the entire trip, lived with monks; Mandalay- more pagodas, more diesel, and marionette shows; Bagan- more than 4,000 pagodas, oy.

I will also share one little anecdote. Having read that Burma had no ATMS, Nate and I hit up the one in Bangkok and withdrew several hundred dollars in Thai Baht. That combined with my left over Vietnamese Dung and travelers cheques should be more than enough to get through a few weeks in Myanmar, I thought. Upon arrival, we discovered that no "international" banks or exchange places would change travelers checks or Thai Baht. What a predicament. Furthermore, no one had even heard of Dung. uh-oh. With no Western Union, no ATM, no U.S. dollars, no internet, one could quickly find himself in a very precarious position. Thankfully, there was a bustling black market. Changing travelers cheques for a 12% commission plus another 4% for currency exchange was painful. My advice to you would be to bring crisp $100 bills to Burma. For two full weeks of travel, including travel expenses, guest houses, food, activities, and souvenirs, I spent around $200. Cheap enough.

That is all for now. We have an evening departure and I will most likely be too busy getting as tan as this jew can be before my return to the states to write anything with depth. However, I do promise a solid analysis when I get home. I get home on the morning of June 22nd and my phone should be working shortly afterwards. I miss you all. Can't wait to see you soon!