We have arrived in Yangon, Myanmar, which is a huge, semi-crazy city. Our task for the last two days has been to take on the petty bureaucrats at the Indian Embassy in an attempt to get an Indian visa. Spoiler alert: the bureaucrats are winning. (Today we were turned away because our $1 bills were not crisp enough and because we had not downloaded a photo described on the website as "optional." As a native English speaker, I've always felt the definition of "optional" was unequivocal. We are going to try again on Monday at the Indian consulate in Mandalay.)
Meanwhile, I can lower my blood pressure by reflecting back on the relative tranquility of Laos, which is smaller, slower, and arguably more charming (if less interesting) than Vietnam or Myanmar. We did not have time to do much beyond the elephant visit and the hill trek, but the city of Luang Prabang had some lovely sites. It was a great place to explore at a leisurely pace.
Meanwhile, I can lower my blood pressure by reflecting back on the relative tranquility of Laos, which is smaller, slower, and arguably more charming (if less interesting) than Vietnam or Myanmar. We did not have time to do much beyond the elephant visit and the hill trek, but the city of Luang Prabang had some lovely sites. It was a great place to explore at a leisurely pace.
wait until you try to get into bhutan...
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