When visiting Myanmar’s largest lake one will find a ring of quiet villages, a floating pagoda, and few foreigners. Working elephants have been traditionally used by the Burmese for logging and some were still around the lake. Upon learning this, seeing one of the gentle giants quickly became my sole goal for this destination.    … Read More

Ashley met a guy in Laos who said he boated from Katha to Bhamo, and then hitched from to Myitkyina. So here we were, ready to give it a shot. Did this random guy mention that the road would be restricted to foreigners due to the regular spats of military violence? No. Did this random… Read More

Katha was the setting for one of George Orwell’s first novels, Burmese Days. A favorite read for backpackers in Myanmar, I made sure to grab my own copy before I got there. Bhamo was to the west and had a bamboo bridge that got washed away and rebuilt by villagers each year. Both towns don’t… Read More

2,200 Buddhist temples dating back to the 11th century scatter across 26 square miles in a multitude of shapes and sizes. I had a wonderful time at this top tourist destination, and that was saying something considering two setbacks—May was during hot, triple-digit season, and most of the viewpoints were under restoration, severely limiting options… Read More

So began my Burmese Days in this busy, dirty town discovering gems that were both obvious and subtle. While aware that the Schwedagon, with its several metric tons of gold and jewels, was known for being the most impressive pagoda in Southeast Asia, I was also adjusting to high temperatures and seeking opportunities with the local community.… Read More