Since arriving in Myanmar Christina and I have wanted to experience and better understand monastic life in one of the most devout Buddhist countries in the world. We decided to do this spending 4 days secluded in the Pa Auk forest monastery, a 45 minute ride south of Mawlamyine. Once we got to the monastery they split … Continue reading Living With the Monks
We were told you haven’t really seen Myanmar unless you’ve seen Golden Rock. Golden Rock is a huge gravity defying granite boulder covered in gold leaf which sits precariously, according to legend, on top of a strand of the Buddha’s hair. On top of the rock is a small gold cheti. It’s one of the … Continue reading Sunset at Golden Rock
One of the few places Ben and I had heard of before coming to Myanmar was Inle Lake. It’s a large lake that is 13.5 miles long and 7 miles wide, situated in the mountains of Central Myanmar. There are about 70,000 people living on the lake, most of which are the “Intha” people, Intha … Continue reading Walking to Inle Lake
Our boat arrived in busy Mandalay just before sunset. As our legs adjusted to land Ben and I said goodbye to our friends and checked into our hotel, ready for a soft bed. Our time the city was pretty short. One day we visited Sunset Hill, a series of temples sitting along a tall hill that … Continue reading The Road Away From Mandalay
A week in Myanmar and I am in awe. As Christina eloquently put it in the last blog the country is enchanting. After a few days in Yangon, we decided to take an overnight bus to the temples of Bagan in the central region of the country. Between the 11th and 13th century over 10,000 … Continue reading Temples of Bagan
Three days ago Ben and I hopped on a flight from Hanoi to Bangkok, where we spent a couple low key days preparing for our trip to Myanmar (Burma). There’s a certain degree of mystery about going to Myanmar. Since the British left in the 1960’s, the country has had little outside influence and borders … Continue reading Mingalaba from Myanmar
Vietnam was one of the few places in the world that I had no desire to visit. Christina decided we were not going to miss it so she dragged me over the border kicking and screaming. Once we got here I was immediately happy we decided to come. As we waited at the Cambodia-Vietnam border … Continue reading Good Morning Vietnam!
Ben and I have been in Vietnam for almost two weeks. In that time we’ve managed to make it from Saigon in the South to closeby Hanoi in the North, moving at a faster pace than normal. We have one month on our visa and have decided to spend most our time in the mountainous regions … Continue reading A Tale of Two Cities in Vietnam
