Small Cheese

Euphorbia tithymaloides With Flowers That Resembles Little Bird

SmallCheese — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:01:22 +0000

Mom taken a stem of this flowering plant from mother-in-law. After a year under her care, the plant, commonly known as Little Bird (小鸟花), is now full of little red birds :)

Gallery of Euphorbia tithymaloides, taken by Nokia N8 and touched up by Google Picasa freeware:

Myanmar(Yangon) Trip Itinerary For 5D4N – Day 5

WhoKnow — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:27:51 +0000

Today was our last day in Myanmar and also in Bagan City, so we took the earlier flight back to Yangon.

Actually we can leave at afternoon and morning we still have time to go around, because the agent suggested to us try not to take the evening flight. The reason given was the flight may delay due to the raining day, and it may delay us to check-in back to Malaysia also. We don’t want to take the risk so decided to leave Bagan in the early morning.

Day 5
0500 to 0600 – We wake up very early and pack the luggage then check-out.

0600 to 0700 – This day has heavy rain in the early morning and flooding on some of the road but we are lucky can reach Airport on time.

0800 to 1100 – Take internal flight from Bagan to Yangon. That is not a direct flight.

1030 to 1800 – We lunch at Inya Lake Seafood Restaurant, then take taxi to back to Kan Daw Gyi Lake because we really no idea where to spend our time. After we dinner at Dolphin Restaurant, we take taxi back to Yangon International Airport.

1800 – Check-in and then waiting for departure . We reach Malaysia at 0010.

Tips:
1. The flight ticket we book is not the direct flight and it will stop at Mandalay first only go to Yangon. We sit in the plane for 20 minutes waiting for the fuel refill and passenger boarding.

Myanmar(Yangon) Trip Itinerary For 5D4N – Day 4

WhoKnow — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:26:05 +0000

This day we booked the Horse cart to travel the Bagan City from 0900 to 1800.

Start from time we reach Bagan was raining until night, so we also feel boring and lazy to walk and we just stop the place for short and take photo only. We lunch at Golden Myanmar Food Restaurant and I like their local food.(The food can be refilled).

Day 4
0530 to 0600 – After 12 hours sleep in the bus we finally reach Bagan, there are many taxis waiting to fetch you to hotel. Before we leave Yangon, I have asked the hotel staff to translate the name of the Bagan hotel to Myanmar language.

We very fast getting the taxi because the driver able to read the address that written in Myanmar word. Along the way to hotel, there is 1 guy (the driver’s friend) start introducing and telling the story of the place and recommend the place that we must go. After that he suggests us to take his Horse Cart to round the Bagan town for 1 day. We worry other people may have communication problem so we take his offer for the day trip with his Horse Cart. The most important thing is he can speak and understand English.

0600 to 0900 – We check-in hotel and then breakfast. After that we back to room to take a shower and a short rest.

0900 to 1800 – Start our day trip from New Bagan to Old Bagan and end the trip at New Bagan town, because we want to walk around the town.

1800 to 2300 – We dinner in the hotel restaurant and book transport to airport on the next day.

Tips
1. Transport from hotel to Bagan Airport – 5000kyat/car.

Myanmar(Yangon) Trip Itinerary For 5D4N – Day 3

WhoKnow — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:24:03 +0000

This day we will depart from Yangon to Bagan by bus in the evening. We spend our time to walk around and take photo before the time we go to bus station.

Day 3
0700 to 0900 – We wake up and then take breakfast in the hotel.

1200 – Check-out and keep the luggage in hotel.

1230 to 1600 – We go to Aquarium (just behind the Dolphin restaurant) for fish feeding, and walk around the park to see flower.

1600 to 1700 – We decide to take dinner a bit early at Dolphin Restaurant, because later we will take bus to Bagan.

1700 to 1810 – Take taxi from Clover Hotel to Bus station.

1830 to 0530 – Waiting for the bus and depart from Yangon to Bagan for almost 12 hours journey.

Tips
1. Hotel doesn’t have direct bus ticket from Yangon to Bagan unless to Mandaley, the only way is to book the ticket from the agent (elegantmyanmartours).

Myanmar(Yangon) Trip Itinerary For 5D4N – Day 2

WhoKnow — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:23:00 +0000

For the second day we just walk around the Yangon city, Shwe Dagon Pagoda, Kan Daw Gyi Lake and Aung San Market.

For the actual plan we will depart from Yangon to Bagan in the evening, but due to the peak season and late confirmation for the air ticket reservation so we stay another day in Yangon.

Day 2
0700 to 0800 – Wake up and breakfast in the Hotel.

0800 to 1300 – Go to Shwe Dagon Pagoda which is around 15 minutes walk from Clover hotel.

1300 to 1400 – Back to hotel and take a shower.

1400 to 1600 – We take taxi to Bogyoke Aung San Market and lunch there. There is a building with more than 30 counters selling the jade, crystal and many kind of jewelry.

1600 to 2030 – After Bogyoke Market we then take taxi to Kan Daw Gyi Lake. After that we take dinner at Dolphin restaurant because it’s near to the lake.

2100 – Back to Hotel online and rest.

Tips:
1. Remember to bring a small plastic bag to keep your shoe/slipper if you plan to go Shwe Dagon Pagoda, because you are not allowed to visit the temple with shoe.

2. Don’t take the plastic bag given by the children – that is not FOC, just keep your hand in pocket and don’t bother them.

Myanmar(Yangon) Trip Itinerary For 5D4N – Day 1

WhoKnow — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:21:59 +0000

Yeah…finally I finished the blog and free to post my last year Myanmar trip after I’ve back for some time.

This trip is a bit boring for me but may be different feeling for some other people. We only have limited information and time to plan our trip, so we have missed some interesting place to go due to the peak season from Oct to Dec.

For those willing to go Myanmar, we will strongly advise to do arrangement properly before departure to avoid any inconvenient especially for the transportation. We missed the flight to Inle Lake because we give confirmation late to the agent.

I put the agent information here for you to contact, you can send inquiry regarding the trip information via email and someone will reply you with the details for the trip and fees.

Name : Ms. Aye
No(20), Building (D) , Mya Yeik Nyo Hotel Compound,Pale Road, Bahan Township, Yangon, Myanmar.
Ph: 95-1-401261
95-1-548310 to 548317 ext (2242)
Fax:95-1-401261
website: www.elegantmyanmartours.com
Email : info@elegantmyanmar.travel

Day 1
Malaysia
1530 to 1630 – Drive from home to LCCT.

1630 to 1810 – Baggage drop and document check.

1810 – Depart from LCCT to Myanmar, Yangon.

Myanmar
1930 – Landed in Yangon International Airport.

1950 to 2030 – We take taxi from Yangon Airport to Clover Hotel (Near to Japan Embassy). Normally from Airport to the Hotel is just USD 5 per car, maybe the time we reach at night so the driver charge us USD 5 per person – so expensive.

2100 to 2230 – After check-in the hotel then we walk to Dolpin chinese style restaurant for dinner which need to walk around 10 minutes from the hotel. This restaurant accepts payment in US dollar but the change will be Kyat.

2300 – Back to hotel online and rest.

Tips:
1. Don’t exchange the Kyat in airport because the rate is very low. You can either exchange in Clover Hotel (or may be the hotel you stay with) or exchange at Bogyoke Aung San Market.
The higher rate is USD 1 = 810 kyats.
The lower rate is USD 1 = 780 Kyats.
* Just for reference and the rate will change from time to time.

2. Take the map before you check in at Yangon Airport, you can get it from the receptionist.

3. Before you travelling to this country, remember get assistance from the hotel staff to email you the hotel address in Myanmar language in case the taxi driver don’t know to read and you can show it to the driver. Some driver may have communication problem in English.

4. Check the US dollar notes all are in good condition. Pencil, ink on the notes will not be accepted except airport shop.

5. I keep the US dollars in the diary book and bring it for all the time in Myanmar. There are others uses of the diary book where you can ask the hotel people write down the place name that you want to go in Myanmar language and give to the people drawing direction when you are lost.

6. Must bargain with the taxi driver each time you stop them. They always charge per taxi, so no matter you have 3 or 4 person.

Timelapse Photography: Twilight Of New York In Winter

SmallCheese — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:48:47 +0000

The same good old gadgets, i.e. Sony A200 DSLR and Chine-made non-branded timer, were used to shot the twilight of New York JFK international airport from Hampton Inn.

It looks warm but it was terrible cold (to me) in winter morning of Nov 2011.