Hi All,
Good morning!! As I sat on the plane and tried to conjure up the best way to relate the wonderfully wild and interesting adventures I’ve had over the past few weeks, I struggled to think of when I would find the time to write this email. Thankfully… jet lag solved my problem for me by waking me up at 3:00 AM after a three hour nap… J
So, let me start here… I hope my email finds you in good spirits, enjoying the new year. I am not sure if you are tired of receiving my “Bucket List” / general email communication (certainly, let me know if you are!) but several people have mentioned how much they appreciate it. Personally, it has been a blessing for trying to keep in touch with people and something I will likely continue to do and hopefully send more frequently. If you shuddered briefly there and thought “MORE EMAILS!?” – let me explain. After a long flight with nothing to do but think about New Year’s Resolutions I realized I have become trapped in a vicious “Friend/Phone Call” Catch 22 – I struggle to find time to talk with people so I chat with friends infrequently, which leads to longer phone calls, which makes it even harder to find time (and enthusiasm) for phone calls which makes them even less frequent which makes them even longer which… I hope you can see where this is going J
So, my solution is this: I am going to send you an email with my little updates and I hope you respond with interesting news and exciting observation or we can follow-up with a phone call. My goal isn’t to eliminate verbal conversations, but I do want to help cut them in half by removing some of my update!
Please forgive any typos- I refused to proof read this!
Onto to my trip!
After a couple unsuccessful attempts to share stories with friends and family and numerous failed attempts at starting this email, I realized the unique challenge I face when summarizing the trip is that the experiences that made the trip so meaningful/unique/_insert positive adjective here_ were had to summarize with a few photos and words. As I was motoring along in a water taxi around Inle Lake I realized that the trip was less about sights, sounds and smells and more about the experiences and emotions I felt…
…The peace and serenity as I biked around Bagan and the 1200 religious stupas and pagodas built millennia ago…
…Holding two Thai orphans hands after we delivered gifts and spent a morning playing with them on New Year’s Eve…
…The small vibrations that made my teeth chatter while taking a boat taxi around Inle Lake…
…Sharing a wonderful start to 2013 as I watched fireworks burst overhead at a rooftop NYE party in Bangkok…
…The paralyzing terror of seeing the whites of the oncoming driver’s eyes as our driver made the bold decision to pass a truck while we went around a mountain bend…
…The relief of getting off our final domestic flight in Burma after the worst landing ever (note: I’ve conservatively experienced over 600 airplane landings) landed…
I promise I’ll try to avoid waxing poetically or writing sentimental gobbly-gook– but, it was way too difficult to just jump right into stories… onto the FAQ (which builds in some interesting observations and educational aspects… I inserted some links so you can reference the wiki articles on some of the places I travelled.
Where exactly did you go again?
For those of you who are scratching your heads in wonder and thinking, “I didn’t know Nick left the country,” let me get you up to speed. I left on December 27th for Southeast Asia and didn’t return until January 13. When I was there I spent my time across the following places:
Bangkok, Thailand (5 days) – Bangkok (capital city of Thailand) was phenomenal but likely different than most individuals because I failed to visit/explore of any of the landmarks/historic sites. I am sure you are asking yourself how/why I that would happen? The short version is I was in Bangkok with a number of classmates who arrived a few days ahead of me and saw all of it already and no one really wanted to back to a tourist trap twice in a week – can you imagine going to the top of the Empire State Building two times in one week? Also, one of my classmates is from Thailand (fun fact: his dad was one of the ranking Admirals of the Thai army) and he organized some “off the beaten path” excursions, which included: 1) visiting a local, outdoor market in suburban Bangkok, 2) visiting an orphanage to deliver toys and play with the kids [my Mohawk was a hit!], 3) participating in Buddhist New Year’s celebration & meeting the religious leader of the temple.
I will mention quickly – Thailand is where Red Bull was first created. My classmate’s parents made small gift bags that included a bottle for us (costs maybe 30 cents compared to the $4 dollars we pay in the US). Feeling a little jet lagged, I was super eager to try it… downing it all in one gulp (note: it isn’t carbonated there.. just the syrup)… Feeling pretty pleased with myself I mentioned it to some friends who stared at me in horror. Evidently, they all received a warning that I missed that the Red Bulls in Thailand are concentrated and, in their words, “a single bottle is like drinking four 5-Hour Energy drinks”… I was up until 3 AM that night so I would say they estimates were pretty accurate 😛
Incidentally, we had an opportunity to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Bangkok which involved a roof top party with 1000 people dancing to rave/trance/electronica. Not entirely my scene, but it did seem like the perfect background for some crazy scene in a Bond movie where the villain would go parachuting over the edge to get away… just my two cents.
Yangon, Myanmar/Burma (2 days) – Yangon is the former capital of Myanmar/Burma and its major commercial hub. Let me pause for two quick fun facts on this:
Fun Fact #1: The reason I keep saying Myanmar/Burma is because the whole name change happened in the last 5 years and it switched from Burma to Myanmar. The reason the issue is slightly contentious is because the government changed the name without asking anyone’s opinion … however, most people do agree the name Burma wasn’t exactly accurate/right because Burma is the name of the largest ethnic group in the country but there are over 130 unique ethnic distinctions.
Fun Fact #2: The new capital city was established in 2006 and was planned city, built by the government to reflect its power/authority/yadda yadda yadda. We never went … but I heard it is pretty terrible.
We spent a whirlwind couple days traveling around the city – seeing one of the largest Buddhist temples/complexes (Shwedagon Pagoda) which was one of the most amazing and marvelous religious symbols I have ever visited (easily on par with Notre Dame). It is difficult to convey how awe inspiring it is, but from a quantifiable aspect… suffice to say that the entire temple area is coated in over 7 TONS of gold. Which when you looked at the abject poverty just outside the gates, I couldn’t help but wonder if those resources could have been allocated a little differently (especially, given the fact the average Burmese person earns $4/day).
The only other quick story I’ll share – when I was reading about Burma they made a note in the Lonely Planet that we would most definitely be spied on. While I am only 20% sure the gentlemen we encountered was a spy… there was a very curious and “helpful” citizen who walked with me and my small group for 10-15 minutes asking questions about our trip, while they started normal enough they eventually slipped into a more invasive vein about what our thoughts/views on the Burmese government are. I was ready to write the experience off as a possible culture breakdown and not a spy, until he repeatedly showed up around our group during the rest of the day… first on the street, later outside of our lunch restaurant, and hours later he saddled up again as we were in a market…
Mandalay, Myanmar/Burma (2 days) – Easily the least touristy place we traveled to in Burma. We spent most of time exploring some of the off the beaten path destinations: 1) the Mandalay bridge – a 20 foot high, 1000 year old, rickety bridge that monks and pilgrims cross each morning to visit a Buddhist temple. 2) we climbed Mandalay hill which was a 600 M hike up that we had to perform barefoot to see the sunset… unexpectedly and somewhat obnoxiously, when we got to the top we were charged a fee to use our camera for photos… each camera cost a 1000 Kyat (~$1.3)… Even more frustrating was the elevator I discovered… after we hiked all the way up!
Mandalay was my first introduction to Burmese tobacco products. Given the sanctions against the country, western cigarettes and tobacco either aren’t available or too expensive for the locals to purchase. In lieu, they have two interesting alternatives … 1) Betelgeuse (pronounced Beatle Juice) which is a red-rooted plant that they chew compulsively and stains their teeth blood-red. 2) Hand-rolled cigarette/cigars. Unlike the treasured Cubans and Dominican cigars people rave over, these cigarettes are made with tobacco that is freshly picked and dried… and still very green. I tried one with my classmates and it felt a little like getting kicked in the chest by a donkey… not something I would advocate people do on a regular basis!
Bagan, Myanmar/Burma (3 days) – Bagan could be best summarized as the Angkor Wat of Burma. They have 1200 stupas ranging from small little temples the size of a closet to massive pagodas that were several stories high. It was an interesting dichotomy of religious sanctity blended with rampant commercialization as vendors would post up at the top of the temples, at the doors in and out, or simply motor behind you as you go to each temple, offering post cards, prayer beads, and “one-of-a-kind” paintings that I saw everywhere.
Inle Lake, Myanmar/Burma (2 days) – Is far and away one of the most visited tourist destinations in Burma. It has an amazingly massive lake where we stayed at a hotel that was on stilts over the water. I was incredibly excited for our time there because I envisioned something akin to Fiji or the Maldives. Let me dispel any myths … it is not… it is VERY, VERY cold… and that cold is exasperated by staying over water! We visited a number of interesting places… a monastery made famous for ‘jumping cats’ that have been specially trained by monks. I never saw them jump, (quick pause to be irreverent) I feel like if I had a cat and I antagonized the crap out of it would jump, so I am not sure what specially training they went through. The other interesting visit was a half-day trip to a vineyard … it was majestic but I don’t think Napa has much to worry about!
Manila, Philippines (3 days) – Manila was a surprisingly conflicting city for me. I, like most of my friends and I think a lot of people, dismissed Manila as a dud. The day before we left to go, I repeatedly heard people refer to it as a ‘city without a soul.’ When I landed I certainly agreed… it is a giant metro area with malls upon malls upon malls. We met up with a classmate who is from Manila who took us to lunch and when we asked about his childhood (and his current winter break) and his favorite activities he responded like an American teenager, “We just hang out at the malls all the time.” In a desperate attempt to find something worthwhile, I took a walking tour in old Manila and met the guide who talked passionately about how Manila’s culture and ‘lack of soul’ stemmed from its history of being conquered and subjugated – first by Spain, then the US, and finally Japan. It was a fascinating tale of how natural resources, religion, and … sadly… war can shred the culture of place.
What was this for again?
This is far and away the most common question I have gotten. There was no “purpose” for the trip other than to see more of the world. Berkeley-Haas has an amazing tradition where students take “Winter Treks” to travel to locations around the world. There trips that vary along the spectrum of organization… there was a “main Southeast Asia” group that had almost 50 people traveling together and two or three smaller groups that overlapped with them for parts of the trip. I was on one of the satellite treks (I initially called it the “Flexi-Trek” but the girls I went with said that sounded too much like a type of tampon L ).
What was your favorite part of the trip?
It is tough to pick one “best” part of the trip because it was such a mishmash of experiences. If I had a pick, it would have been sitting on 1000 year old temple looking out over Bagan watching the sunset. It is amazing how climbing up (and away) from the noise and chaos of life can help you center yourself and find peace. Whether your religious, spiritual, or not… for some reason it felt like your soul quieted for just a few moments.
Anything else?
I achieved one of my final aspirations – getting upgraded on an international 10+ hour flight home. I was pretty excited for the lay-flat beds until I realized my shoulders were about 2 inches too broad to lay down… L Regardless, it was amazing to be on the second-floor of a plane with a real blanket, TWO pillows, and endless streams of water and snacks!
Also, I learned that a Burmese Visa is the secret phrase for additional screening at US customs. I have taken 10+ international trips and I always appreciated coming back to the US, lining up in the “Citizen Lane” and flying through the process. This time… it was an entirely different experience involving 5 different custom agents, two pre-luggage checks with detailed questions about where I was, why I was there and how I financed my trip (which forced me to awkwardly reply, “with student loans…”:) , and three post-luggage checks where I had to remove everything from my bag and detail every hotel and hostel I stayed in. A word to the wise (please note, I had been awake for 25 hours straight when this occurred), never ask a customs agent if they are “real police.”
Sorry this was so long – but I wanted to give you all enough details to ‘satisfice’ your curiosity. If you want to know more shoot me an email or give me a call. One of my resolutions is to do a MUCH better job staying in touch!
Happy New Year!
Nick
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