Myanmar 2004

TM-04 - Thailand and Myanmar trip Date of the trip: Feb 25 - Mar 18, 2004 ITINERARY: On Feb 25 early drive in rented car from Vista to Los Angeles airport. Flight via Tokyo (Narita) to Bangkok, THAILAND where Feb 26. Next 8 days are devoted to sightseeing Thailand starting with an early morning flight from Bangkok to Phitsanulok (visiting Wat Yai there, a “wat” is a Buddhist temple in Thailand). We continue in a van to Sukhothai (seeing the Sukhothai Historical Park with Wat Mahatat and number of other wats) then drive to the Si Satchanalai-Chalinang Historical Park (with its Chang Lom Wat to name at least one). From there by van all the way to Chiang Mai, which is with Bangkok the most prominent place in Thailand to visit. There are more then 300 temples in this city. The following day sightseeing Chiang Mai wats and a cable car ride to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep and a visit to a Jade Factory. One day is spent in Mae Sa Valley riding elephants and visiting an orchid garden. On Mar 1 we leave Chiang Mai by road for Chiang Rai in the far north of Thailand. In the afternoon we take a boat trip on the Maekok River dropping on the local Hill Tribe people whose women have rings on their stretch necks (Long Neck Karens). Next day we enter the Golden Triangle where Laos, Burma and Thailand meet. Chiang Rai is a gate to it. There we also visit a “Hall of Opium” which explains all about this substance. The following day flight from Chiang Rai to Bangkok. A day of sightseeing the city and another one visiting the “Bridge on the River Kwai” in the western part of Thailand with a 1.5 hour train ride on the rails the British POW’s built in WWII. On Mar 6 a flight from Bangkok to Yangon (formerly Rangoon) the capital of MYANMAR (formerly BURMA). We are going to devote full 11 days to exploring this country. The first afternoon a sightseeing of the city with a visit to a large statue of “Reclining Buddha” and then to the beautiful bell shaped gold covered “Shwedagon Paya” (stupa). It is 98 m tall and about 40 kg of gold-leaf was used to cover it. Early next day flight to Bagan for 2 days of visiting this large plain dotted with thousands of temple ruins whose fame started in the year 1044 and ended 1287 when the Mongols entered the scene. On Mar 9 flight from Bagan to Mandalay, the second biggest city in the country and its capital before the British took over. It is still Myanmar cultural center. We spend 4 days sightseeing the city and its vicinity with its Golden Palace Monastery, many payas (stupas), Mandalay Fort and Mandalay Hill (I climbed 1000 steps to the top) and a day trip on a boat on Irrawaddy River to Mingun to see its Paya and the largest un-cracked bell in the world weighing 90 tones. Our trip continues by bus to Kalan, which was British summer resort to escape the heat of Rangoon and Mandalay. A day is spent on Lake Inle to visit Intha People living in villages on stilts in the lake. They grow vegetables on floating islands. Then a flight via Mandalay to Yangon. It is followed by a day trip by bus to Bago which has a long history. There is a huge reclining Buddha (55 m long) and number of payas and monasteries there. On Mar 17 I visited the National Museum of Myanmar in Yangon. In the afternoon flight from Yangon to Bangkok in Thailand for overnight. On Mar 18 early flight from Bangkok via Tokyo to Los Angeles where the same day thanks to the Date Line. A rented car takes me home to Vista. Travel office: Adventures Abroad (AA) - Canadian travel company Who took part: In Thailand there were 7 travelers and a Thai leader from AA. In Myanmar there were 6 travelers, a Myanmar guide and a leader from AA.