This is the U Bein footbridge, one of my favorite sites on our recent trip to Myanmar, formerly Burma. The bridge, located in a township of Mandalay called Amarapura, was built in 1782 and stretches 1.2 kilometers over Lake Taungthaman. It is made of teak recycled from the palace of a former king, when the capital moved to Mandalay. The bridge is particularly lovely […]
Myanmar (Burma)
The ancient kingdom of Bagan (Myanmar/Burma)
Bagan, the ancient capital of Myanmar (Burma,) offers visitors a breathtaking view of over 3,000 pagodas situated in a 16-square-mile area. Built between the 11th and 13th centuries, the temples now stand in various states of disrepair. Unfortunately, much of the renovation since I last visited this lovely spot – 28-years ago – seems to […]
Myanmar’s Shwedagon Pagoda
Our guidebook, published in 2009, warns tourists to Myanmar, formerly Burma, not to initiate a discussion of politics with locals. This advice proved woefully out-of-date in a country where democracy is unfolding, and people are embracing the new openness that comes with it. One local proudly cast his arm toward photographs of Aung San Suu […]