Bagan, Myanmar
January 22,, 2005

Dear Family and Friends,

"Min gala ba" -- Hello.

Just over the wall is the main road. I can hear the occasional grind of a motor bike, a pleasant beep of a bus, the clippity-clop of a horse pulling a small, covered, upholstered cart -- my choice for getting around Bagan.

Just across the road is the long promenade to the Swezigon Paya (Pagoda or Temple).

January 28, 2005

The day-long boat ride down the Ayeyarwady River from Mandalay to Bagan...smooth, picturesque, uneventful.

Except for one stop along the way at Pakokku. Local women selling large, bright, hand woven cotton cloth. As the boat began to back away from the dock, the women became more agitated and started tossing their beautiful weavings to the passengers at the railing of the boat.

February 2, 2005

At breakfast at the Queens Park hotel, I chatted up a lovely woman (or was it the other way around?). Our instincts told us that we would be compatible traveling companions. We decided on a quiet day in Yangon before heading north to Bago.

Teresa and I spend the day at the zoo and at the Bogyoke Aung San Museum.

"Located in the Bahan Township, this quiet and secluded house-museum is the former home of General Aung San and his wife Daw Kin Kyi, and contains remnants of another era. The house itself dates from the 1920's and the rooms, stairways, railings and furniture are fairly intact. There are several old family photos, which of course include daughter Suu Kyi as a little girl."