Saved by a floating digger!

I recently spent 10 days travelling in Myanmar with Leanne (my old roommate). I'd ummed and ahhed about going to Myanmar because of the human rights issues going on there, and not wanting to support the powers that be there. However after talking to friends that have lived and travelled extensively there I reached the conclusion that it was possible to travel there, and contribute much needed income to the local people without lining the government coffers too much. Lets just say it was a decision I'm pleased I made.

Myanmar is an amazing place (I seem to say that a lot!). Yangon must have been a stunning place in its time, but is more than a little run down - I guess 20 odd years of corrupt management will do that. However the Shwedagon Pagoda is still the most spectacular temple that I have ever seen. Gold as far as the eye can see, and unlike many I have visited there were hardly any tourists, just locals doing there thing.





From Yangon we caught a flight to Bagan. A place that I had never heard of before but that was the highlight of the trip. Life in Bagan was like stepping back in time. About 800-1000 years ago the inhabitant built 4000 stupas, temples and pagodas over the space of a couple of hundred years, and today there are still over 2000 of them left. Sight seeing in Bagan consisted of hiring a horse cart and driver and setting off to explore. Leanne and I were lucky enough to get Naing Naing and Honey as our team. Naing Naing was an amazing guy about my age that spoke English perfectly and knew a lot about the area. Honey on the other hand was a little old and slow, but she managed to haul the two of us around for two stressful days of sightseeing in the morning, lazing by the pool in the afternoon and then heading out for sunset and dinner again in the early evening. It was pretty magical to lie back in the horse cart and watch the millions of stars in the sky as you rode back from another amazing dinner costing less than US$5.














Besides the amazing temples and sunsets, which provided a million photo opportunities for the both of us, there was also shopping! The art on sale in tiny little shops or laid out on temple grounds was stunning, so although I'm running out of wall space I was compelled to support the struggling local artists (that's my excuse anyway!). You will be very proud of me however that I managed to control myself when it came to buying gemstones. However when they are being sold to you in the middle of a field of canola flowers by a man that comes up to you with a business card holder which he opens up and holds up suspiciously semi-whispering "gemstones?", it isn't too hard.


From Bagan we flew to Inle Lake, where we spent two nights staying in a floating cottage on the lake. We spent a day out on the lake in a boat travelling through some of the floating villages and visiting crafts people. It was amazing to see life carrying on in the middle of a lake, school, blacksmiths, and even pigs in pens! So after a little more shopping and several (hundred) more pictures we started out way back.










Unfortunately that is where the problem struck. Our driver decided to take a shortcut back, spurred on I'm sure by the threatening thunder storm and driving rain. The shortcut took us through a field of floating water lilies the size of about 4 rugby fields. As would be expected it didn't take long for the thick covering of water lilies to block our path and tangle in the outboard motor. As Leanne and I took the opportunity for some nice close up shots of the fauna, our driver muttering to himself (and I am sure cursing in Burmese) walked back and forward up the narrow boat trying to clear a path. After every 5 or so minutes of work he would return to the motor and jet forward another foot or two. As we prepared to be drenched, we suddenly heard another motor in the distance, coming towards us was a house boat, with a digger attached to the front. It slowly dug its way through the flowers and cleared a path (see the photo documentation of the entire rescue). Finally a path to freedom appeared and after what I assume was some good natured ribbing of our driver by our rescuers we jetted off before the rain hit us. Saved by a floating digger!








Back in Yangon, we decided to make the most of our luxury hotel and the tips from our expat friends - enjoying the high life, and of course a little shopping!

Add it to your list of places to go - stunning, untouched and amazing locals who need the support of tourists!