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11-Days in Myanmar Chronicles Itinerary and Travel Budget

Ferdz — Wed, 23 May 2012 05:45:43 +0000

Admittedly, it was hard to pack my stuff on the day of my leaving the country. I thought that the time I stayed there was too short but really memorable. I had my breakfast at Motherland Inn2 and rode their free shuttle to Yangon International Airport. Checking-in, passing through the immigration was a breeze and gave me enough time at the pre-departure area. And there were no exit 10,000 kyat exit fee as I read on some old text. All that kyat I was saving went to some souvenir ref magnets for home. Sitting at the chair looking at the runway, looking at my notes. I spent 11 days in Myanmar spending a little over P23000 during the trip.

Yangon: A Monk’s Guided Tour of Shwedagon Paya

Ferdz — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:30:39 +0000

"You can take a picture on this spot. You'll get a better view of the stupa here" a voice told me in somewhat a better Burmese-English while I was taking a photograph inside one of the pavilions in Shwedagon Paya. I looked back to see a young monk with glasses. He introduced himself as Xanther. He volunteered to take my photo. Thinking about it, I don't have a personal photo here yet so I obliged. He seemed like a friendly guy and offered to take me around the paya if I wanted. I wasn't sure at first but he might be one of those young monks trying to practice their English so I let myself be entertained.

Yangon: On Foot to Shwedagon Paya from Downtown Yangon

Ferdz — Mon, 14 May 2012 02:50:40 +0000

I let the wind lull me to sleep inside room 205 of Motherland Inn II. I arrived early morning in Yangon from Mandalay, took a shared taxi to town, had the free buffet breakfast at the inn and headed to my room at the upper floor. Finding the wide open view at my window, I opened the glass windows and was delighted to feel the gust of wind coming in. I turned of the aircon and left the window open except for the screen and let myself drift to dreamland.

Palawan: World Vision Lakbay Pag-Asa 2012 Part 2 of 2

Ferdz — Thu, 10 May 2012 00:30:32 +0000

Day 2 of our Puerto Princesa tour found us visiting the areas where a lot of the sponsored children and families reside. We were also graced by the presence of Miss Universe runner-up Ms Miriam Quimbao, who is a fellow sponsor. She flew in that morning from Manila and would leave later that day as well just to attend the event and lend her support.

Palawan: World Vision Lakbay Pag-Asa 2012 Part 1 of 2

Ferdz — Mon, 07 May 2012 04:37:26 +0000

It was a tense moment mixed with anticipation while I wait behind closed doors when I knew my sponsored child would be the next one coming in. How would I react? How should I feel? Aside from the annual reports of his progress, he's a complete stranger to me. I came to Puerto Princesa, Palawan to volunteer my photographic services to World Vision, a non-government organization known to help educate less-fortunate children around the globe. It was 5 years ago when I started to sponsor a child and little did I know I'll come face to face with this child 5 years later.

Mandalay: Eating Gold Leaf and Transit to Yangon

Ferdz — Thu, 03 May 2012 00:30:52 +0000

Morning of day 10 in Myanmar finds me deliberately waking up late. I made sure I’m well rested for tonight’s bus ride to Yangon. I took the day easy enjoying the comforts of the hotel and catching up to my online world. When I checked out, I left my baggage at the reception and decided to visit one of the Gold Leaf Workshops in Mandalay. A Gold leaf sheet is an essential part of the day-to-day lives of Burmese people. It’s their main offering to Buddha where they place it on layers on their images. And some even goes to eating a leaf a day and claims to give them good health.

Sagaing: Sunset by Irrawaddy River

Ferdz — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:30:39 +0000

There was still time when I got down from Sagaing Hill. I asked my motorbike driver Tubo, if we got time to visit this one temple I was eyeing. He insists it wasn’t included on what Olsen advised him so he cannot. Insisting further that it’s just a few minutes away, he stood his ground. I wasn’t in the mood to argue so I just asked his suggestion on where we could kill time before going to our sunset spot. He told me we could visit Tupayon Paya just a few yards from Ava Bridge. So off we went.

Sagaing: Hundreds of Stupas Seen at Sagaing Hill

Ferdz — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:30:49 +0000

Morning of Day 9 finds me a little sad realizing my journey in Myanmar is nearing its end in a couple more days. I moved in from my stuffy hotel to my roomarama-sponsored accommodation at Mandalay View Inn. It also gave me time to do a little backpack-keeping and chores. I also realized that I’m [...]

Amarapura: Sundown at U Bein’s Bridge

Ferdz — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:30:22 +0000

The travel time from Mahamuni Paya to U Bein’s Bridge in Amarapura took about 45 minutes or so. And within those minutes I saw how crazy the traffic is or the lack of it. “Anyone can just drive motorbikes here, even young ones” says Olsen, my motorbike driver. No wonder, nobody is really teaching people how to drive here. And as farther we leav the city, the road also seemed to be a blur. Sometimes we would just turn and find a road I wasn’t even sure it was. “How about license?” I asked. Most people don’t have it since its very hard to get and expensive. If people get into trouble they just pay a fee. Despite the chaotic road traffic, I’m somewhat comfortable with his driving skills since he assured me he doesn’t “Drink and Drive”

Mandalay: Quiet Beauty of Shwe In Bin Kyaung and the Famous Mahamuni Paya

Ferdz — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:30:23 +0000

From Mandalay Hill, we continued on our “US$10 Combo Ticket Free” route in Mandalay. The US$10 Combo Ticket is a government fee that can give access to several tourist sites in Mandalay. I wasn’t keen on spending on it as I’ll use it to pay for my driver instead. There are alternative sites in Mandalay that are equally good but doesn’t need that combo ticket. Like the Sandamuni Paya which is an alternative to the nearby Kuthodaw Paya. Mandalay Hill sometimes has ticket inspectors but an alternative hill is Yankin Paya. Now we’re off to two more impressive sites - a beautiful ‘teak monastery’ and the most important religious site in Mandalay.

Mandalay: A Barefoot Climb on a Crowded Mandalay Hill

Ferdz — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 03:49:01 +0000

The soles of my feet already felt very thick it would probably take a few foot scrub sessions to take out the dead skin and callouses from too much walking. By this time, after entering many temples and sacred grounds for almost a week, I’m already used to removing my footwear before entering temples. For Mandalay Hill, my next place to visit, I had to remove my slippers before climbing the 760-feet high hill. I really don’t mind the climb since after the two gigantic Bobyoki Nat guardian statues is a shaded stair pathway leading to the summit. What amused me was the footwear storage at the foot of the hill with a sign “Footwear not Allowed. Don’t carry shoes” clearly directed at foreigners where they’ll have to pay to store them. I saw a lot of locals carrying their shoes inside plastics so I just decided to clip my slippers to my bag and started the climb.