[ A Human Rights Watch article ]
Burma remains one of the world’s most repressive and closed societies.  Led by a shadowy clique of generals, Burma has been under military rule since 1962.  The military government has announced that it will hold the first elections in 20 years in 2010 -as the next step of its “roadmap to democracy.” The generals are hoping that the rest of the world, particularly its main trading partners and diplomatic supporters-China, India, Thailand, Singapore, and Russia-will accept a sham electoral process and treat the government as a legitimate member of the international community.

But instead of addressing Burma’s human rights problems, in the past two years the military government has intensified arrests and intimidation of political activists and government critics. The number of political prisoners has doubled, offices of the National League for Democracy (NLD) opposition party have been forcibly closed, and freedom of expression, assembly, and association have remained almost nonexistent. NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi has spent more than 14 of the past 20 years under house arrest. On August 11, 2009, she received a prison sentence of 3 years, based on spurious charges of violating the conditions of her house arrest. This sentence was subsequently reduced to 18 months, to be served under house arrest. Other Burmese activists have been locked up for “crimes” such as providing assistance to cyclone victims and peacefully protesting against forced labor.

In the run-up to the 2010 polls, Human Rights Watch is launching its “2100 by 2010″ campaign to press for the release of some 2,100 political prisoners currently held in Burma. The campaign involves the global public and will provide leverage with key governments and United Nations agencies ahead of the 2010 elections, which cannot be considered credible as long as the opposition is in prison.

For more, including Videos, Photos.. Please Visit:
Human Rights Watch – http://www.hrw.org/en/free-burmas-prisoners

I got up the usual around 7 am. Had breakfast at our hotel – Gypsy Inn. At every guesthouse you really feel at home. The owners greet you upon arrival, bring you fresh towels, and their wives and daughter/relatives will cook for you, sit on the patio and chat w you about your origin, help you plan your itinerary around. After breakfast, we walked to the local village market, a whole swap meet of people sitting on wooden benches. Mainly fruits and greens. Some sold half alive fishies tied together, flapping at it’s last breath. Further down they sold clothing, etc.

I rented a bike and went for my morning alone-time through the village. I first went left out of the hotel which is a less touristy area as there are no restaurants or stores catered to travelers, mainly all residential. I biked down a path towards a temple and passed by a school. As i’ve mentioned before when traveling, the native children almost always are my favorites to encounter, as well as schools. It seemed that everytime i passed by a school, the children were always singing. Maybe they learned through songs?? Or was that how it was when we grew up? I dont remember. It’s been awhile.

When I reached in my bag for my camera, I realized it wasn’t there. But i knew 20 minutes before I was taking photos. I started panicking. I’ve got 500 photos already in my camera of 1 week’s worth of trip. I frantically rode back the path I came. As miracle would happen, or if I were religious, I’d say GOD saved me. But I’m not, so I’ll say that the people here in Burma truly are the most honest, genuine people I’ve ever met. A 50 some year old Farmer spotted me from couple houses ahead and waived at me, gesturing the motion of taking a photo with his hands. Whew! He has it!

I parked my bike in front of his factory, among 3-4 other men around, he cannot speak English, but speaks to me in Burmese and hands me my camera back. He reenacted how he found my camera, walking over to the street, picking it up, and coming back. He and his crew invited me into their patio for Tea and to sit down, asking my origin, blah blah. Then they invited me into this factory for a little tour, and saw that it was a huge factory of fruits. What angels! They could have easily kept my camera, since none of them probably own one. Or they could have sold it, bringing in 1/3 of a month’s income for them.

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Thereafter, I biked the other direction over the main bridge towards the Hot springs Chad had been the day before. He said it took an hour ride, and to make a left at a fork in the road. I never found that fork in the road or the hot springs, but the bike alone was fantastical! Was a straight rocky dirt road, passing by villages, huts, women with huge baskets over their head of the daily groceries, same school children walkin to school and motorbikes that road fast past me. Everyone stares, but rarely will they initiate the smile until you do.

I made sure to get back around 12 to check out. We sat in front and talked to the hotel owner for a bit. He told us stories. One of a family friend who was sponsored by the US to go to College there. He thanked us from the heart for being so generous in the US. He also talked about many friends and family who do get college education in the big cities of Burma, but after graduation, not being able to find a job and going to generic things like agriculture – leading tours, accomadating tourism.

Our taxi came at 2 for us to get to the airport. We flew from Heho (the near by city) to Yangon (the capital where we were the first day) and checked in again to our first hotel White House. Generally I like to try new things, new hotels, but the owners at White house were so accomodating, we had to go back to show our support for their guesthouse.

Got in around 7 and took a walk to the much recommended Chinese family restaurant Golden Duck Restaurant a few blocks down. It’s a 2 story restaurant with food similar to Sam Woo’s back home, with Duck meat as the focus. The top floor where we sat was packed, and it could be assumed that the people there: business men and families were among the upper class. Every table having a bottle of Johnny walker, smoking and many lavish dishes comfortably. I ordered some prawns and we got a few Mandalay ales.

Arriving in Yangon from Bangkok the first day, we had a sense of relief of leaving a bigger dirty city, to a smaller dirty city.. But then arriving back from Inle Lake to Yangon (the bigger city in this case), it felt dirty. Im just really not a fan of big cities when out of US. I’m glad we’re out of there!

Currently reading: Burmese Days by George Orwell

Then I took my daily morning walk alone through the neighborhood. This time in search of an internet cafe. Found the one they recommended but it was down, so I sat in front listening to my ipod and burmese people-watched.

Chad rented a bike for the day $1 and biked an hour to the hot springs. I may do that tomorrow, but the sound of hot springs seems dirty to me. He said it was OK.

I’m use to the staring by now. And I understand the confusion when I tell them im from US and then have to explain my parents are from Taiwan.

Had breakfast back at the hotel, and walked back out around 9 am for the internet. Still not working. I got hungry again so I settled at a random Burmese restaurant and got the Chicken meat in curry. Came with rice, a plate of sliced tomatoes with hot sauce over it (interesting but yum), and a veggie soup. I see a group of local male workers, and a pitcher of beer is poured. As I walked to the back of the restaurant for the ‘toilet’ they call it, I noticed a huge recycle bin full of empty liquor bottles.. They must drink a lot here!! from Myanmar whiskey, to beers. I also notice a man squatting on the floor butchering fish to cook, with flies all around it. Gross, that’s what im eating!! Turn the head around and act like you dont see it…

Is it normal IM constantly wanting an ice cold beer in this hot country? it’s about 85 degrees and humid/sticky. its bareable. Sprinkling here and there.

I got back and took a 2 hour nap. at noon, chad & I went Trekking through the villages/mountain with a local guide our hotel arranged. It was altogether a 4 hour trek. Easy enough to go in our leather flip flops. At first it was just a glide through the green neighborhood huts/restaurants we had been use to. The guide took us to a restaurant hut for fried tofu, “On me” he insists. It was Yummmmy. We felt so bad to let him pay, even if it was 50 cents, because the whole Trek was 4$ each, for half a day, so i cant imagine how much he’d be making. And he kept saying how it was ‘low season’. So generous!! “You are in my country, I treat”. So warm!

Then we were hiking up the mountain, and went through a cave. The guide pointed at an underground cave where monks go for 2 hours a day to meditate. WOW!

Outside of the cave was an old monk who lived by himself in a hut. There were no huts within 1/2 mile from there. He invited us in for green tea, we stayed about 25 minutes. He ended up busily offering us all these different snacks. He was 72 years old, had 5 sons who has kids of their own, and have been in the monastery for 9 years. He seemed so peaceful. I quote him “Everyday, I eat, sleep, relax.. Time goes by.. and then I’ll die.” He said it in the Burmese language, but you can tell by his face that he was  at peace with it. That it was OK. He must have reached Englightenment.

The monk gave us his blessing, we put our palms together, bowed and thanked him goodbye.

Finally got back around 5 to our guesthouse, with the hotel owners offering us tea and mango’s upon arrival. And finally, here I am at the internet cafe, catching up on all my Travel journals.

Hope all is well in the states! do send me e-mails and fill me in on EVERYTHING!!

Arrived at bus stop at 4 am in Inle Lake. The bus eventually filled up with locals so it became tedious but thankfully I got some rest. The bus driver got a taxi for us, a pickup truck with a tarp over it.. it’s a common form of transportation here, as you’ll usually see a dozen people packed in the back. There was room for 1 in the front, but i decided to take on the adventure and ride in the back like a true peasant into town. It was about a 40 minute ride through the rocky road into town, in the dark. I’ll admit it was kind of spooky but fun.

We tried checking in at Aquarius Inn where LP book recommended but we couldn’t wake anyone up so went to Gypsy Inn, another recommendation and checked in for 5$ a night, in comfy rooms, guesthouse style. I decided not to sleep, so I wandered our new area alone again at sunrise. It is very very village like, with a huge lake that surrounds the area. I watched Monk children walk in a line to the monastery, carrying their black vase, and men setting up shop for their boat business. I strolled through a local market and watched women set up their market.

I got back by 7:30 am where breakfast was served at the hotel, once again, all inclusive: eggs, sweet flour tortilla, plate of mango’s and tea. After breakfast, we hired a guy to take us on his motor boat (wooden canoe style) for 15$ a day split, to visit villages near by. Villages: local market village & souvenir stalls, silk making shop, silver making village, temples, monastery, jumping cat monastery, stopped by for lunch at a burmese restaurant and fell in love with another village child (4 years old) making funny faces at me while playing with rice, my FAVORITE stop: Cigar making village. I bought a box, hopefully it will make it all the way back to the States for you all to try!, and lastly a beautiful 150 year old temple which took 30 minutes to walk up… (im definitely getting a workout here!). At a temple, a guy lured me into buying a wooden sling shot with a pointy beaked wooden bird on top for 2$. He used the line “I know you dont need it, but please buy it to help feed my son.” I hadn’t spent much money on any souvenirs, and was restless so I said ok. I’m auctioning that off when I’m back!! Any bids?!

Most villages took about 20-30 minutes to arrive, so in the mean time on the boat, we passed by floating markets (women in canoes selling things to us.. many babies on there too helping sell), farmers standing on one leg on their canoe, fishing or digging up plants from the water. School children were also being transported to school from the canoe’s. I started to fall asleep on the boat, partially cuz i had barely any rest, partially cuz it was so peaceful!

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Got back around 4:30 pm, I knocked out and took a 30 min nap, then ventured off to find a Burmese Shan restaurant (Shan State is where we are). “When In Rome..” Well, when in Burma, do as Burmese do.. and eat as they do!! I stopped by a very modern nice hotel to check beer prices since it was buy 1 get 1 free for later.. The waitor, very sales-ish/business-ish, talked us into eating there. We knew it’d be more expensive than our budget of 2-3$ a meal, but it was AMAZING!! Ended up being about 6$ for each of us, but it was well worth it. I got the braised beef which was soaked in Rice Wine he said for some time, and then slowly cooked in Tomatos, mint leaves and gravy curry.

The waitor was interesting at first, telling us all about his life and learning about ours, but eventually became too much when he asked to take us to the internet cafe after, and then eventually selling his friend to take us on our trek the next day. Without time to think about it, he said that they’d be waiting at 8 am the next morning for us, across the hotel since the hotel doesn’t like outsiders to lead tours. (hmmm we wonder why). We knew for sure to get out of that hotel by 8 am to avoid them!

We got the Mandalay beer (Burmese beer) .. SOOOOOOOOO good!! It’s a light lager. I like.

Got back at 9, showered and passed out with the towel still in my head. When I woke up half hour later, with the light on, turned it off, took off the towel, and finally had my first night’s rest, til 6 am. A solid 9 hours!

1000 kyat (burmese money), pronounced Chat = 1$

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2nd morning in Yangon, woke up around 5 am. It’s the jetlag, but I love it, because I’m up at the crack of dawn and am ready for bed by 9 pm (never would happen back at home.. its more vice versa).

I took a walk around the city by myself in search of a rain jacket, as well as to explore. Same scene as the day before, locals up at 6 am setting up shop, setting up tents selling souvenir.. women setting up food carts. Passed by an elder gentlemen messing with his radio antenna to hear the morning news. Kids in the Unified Burma school uniform walking to school. White polo tops, and green trousers — all throughout the country. Didn’t find my rain jacket, but definitely loved the walk along the river. I noticed on a street corner – an elderly Indian Hindu woman squatted on the floor next to a 15 year old Burmese girl, feeding pigeons and selling bird food. They fought with each other to sell me a basket for 200 Kyat – 20 cents. I gave them both each 200 kyat, and fed the birdies with them.

All the children here have been taught to wave at us and say HI!! BYE!!! One little cross-eyed girl who was feeding birdies when I first saw her, chased me down minutes later, just to wave n say hello. As soon as I responded, she ran back 2 blocks to feeding birds. I Love the children here.

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The hotel women were up at 6 am making our breakfast..

Breakfast was included in our hotel fee here at White House Hotel in the Capital of Yangon. Served at 8, The women had cooked for 2 hours for us. I awaited on the 7th floor patio restaurant with the owner, Chad and 2 french boys we met. Such sweet boys!! They are both getting into the Wine making/distributing industry in France, they’re traveling 28 days in Burma. There was also another shy French guy who we learned had stayed at a monastery in Burma for 15 days to meditate. He had 1 on 1 with the monk on Buddhism and how to meditate.

the Hotel Owner’s Stories:

As we waited, the owner of the hotel started telling us stories of the hotel and of his past. We ended up talking til 11 am (3 hours) when we had to go. He had been running hotels for 28 years. He traveled for the first time at age 8 when his father put him on a train by himself away. This guesthouse that he runs he hosts only for travelers, he says its not good to mix locals and foreigners. About 2 years ago, some hotel guest foreigners brought back locals and a prostitute from a bar after a night out. They caused a riot, and after regulating the noise,  the travelers wrote poor things about their guesthouse, so unfortunately, it will not be featured in Lonely Planet this next edition. He is worried that his business will go down.

He has 200 acres of crops by the Thai border where he gets his food for the hotel. He says blissfully that he is at the 3rd and final part of his life (he’s about 55), and that he wants to leave a legacy for generations to come and to his family, his hotel business.

The food finally came and it was DELICIOUS!! Similar to taiwanese noodles, many different sweet jams they hand made, a lot of fruits (in every meal they’re are mango’s, little bananas, watermelon..), and the TEA definitely keeps coming!!

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At 11 am, we had to say goodbye to the hotel owner who we’ve become very acquainted with. Took a taxi to the bus stop, and boarded the 12:30 bus to Inle Lake in SHAN STATE – central western state in Burma, largest. Yangon is situated in the southern tip. It was a 16 hour bus ride North, with 2 main 30-minute stops for food & pee. and many many short stops to pick up people along the road. We were the only tourists on the bus, but a rather nice charter bus.

I tell ya, riding the bus or train is the BEST way to see the whole country. There are many areas the Burmese government do not want you to see. As you view your tour options, there are only 4 parts of Burma they offer: Yangon (the city), Bagan (all temples), Mandalay (beautiful city & lake area), and Inle Lake (Smaller lake village).

With my IPOD playing, we drove past the whole GREEN country, filled with farmers, rice patty fields, kids playing soccer, little boys in hammocks, happy children playing with rocks.. villagers on bikes with their babies holding on tight in the back.. school children all in the same uniform walking to and from school.. Huts that everyone lives in, women washing their clothes by local water, everyone staring at me confused at who i am, where i’m from, what i’m doing here.. Carts selling things.. A lot of individual stories I piece together. Drove by a mother braiding daughters hair while little boy plays with the mothers hair. I saw 3 little kids playing a game of touching the floor and jumping in the air. I wanna play..

Setting: Pouring rain outside, windows cracked a bit open. Listening to Oasis on my Ipod. Laying on my beaten bed in a family owned Guesthouse in Burma.

What is it about this moment in time in a foreign country rarely anyone knows much about, that makes me feel so at Ease with my Mind & Soul?

I can lay here all night just listening to the rain… completely Content.