And on to Zimbabwe...

(Okay... we've had a few visitors and the internet situation hasn't been ideal for the past few weeks. Sorry for the wait, and here are some photos from Zim!)

So, we arrived at the airport and Ty, being South African, went right through customs (cause I'm cool in Africa), while I had to stand in line for about 100 years with all the bitchy European tourists.... Meanwhile, Ty and his folks watched some traditional dancers:

We went to our first lodge, overlooking the Binga Gorge. This is the Zambezi River, which flows between Zimbabwe and Zambia, and which is kind of like the Niagara Gorge, but skinnier, less developed and taller. This is the view from our room, by the way:

 We'd seen a lot on the news about Zimbabwe (before we moved to Burma, of course) and were curious to actually see what had become of the country after the coalition agreement was signed. From a distance, I suppose we all might still assume that Mugabe is still making a mess of things, with people living in total poverty, with crippling inflation (like 100 billion dollar bills and such) and no way out.

In fact, the country seemed to be in quite good shape. Is it still a rural economy? Yes. Is it still poverty stricken? Yes. But, having spoken to a few Zimbabweans, it was interesting to note that they felt that things had improved (and were quite happy to speak openly about it all). There is food on the shelves, the animals are healthy, the homes and villages are safe, and people have jobs.

Much of the infrastructure that is in place (roads, bridges, even the office of the game park we visited) was built in the time that Zim was Rhodesia, and you get the impression of having gone further back in time than even Burma seems to be...

Of course, we were there as tourists, in a touristy place, and quite enjoying such sights as the famous Victoria Falls (although I didn't really enjoy the $30 for an entry ticket to see it!). Once again, it was kinda like Niagara Falls but (you guessed it) skinnier, less developed (like, no casino, no tacky gift shops all over the place) and taller....

With Dr Livingstone, I presume...

The water level wasn't very high (because it's summer), so instead of being met with a complete solid curtain of water, there were separate streams coming over all along the cliff.

 This one is for my Mom:

 From Victoria Falls, we drove to Lake Kariba, which also borders Zambia.

On the way, we were able to enjoy the landscape, including a few baobabs.

 This is the view from our lodge...

After a day or so of relaxing, we went out to a local (and rather deserted and unkempt) game park. The trees were immense and overgrown, and the grass was amazing and lush. We drove around for quite a while, without seeing very much (except a chameleon, which was super cool!).

Ty tries to see if there are any lions about...

Finally, we saw a herd of waterbuck, with their distinctive circle-butts.

We were only in Lake Kariba for a few days, having met up with Ty's dad, step-mom, aunt and uncle who were on a huge drive around most of southern Africa. They offered us the trip of a lifetime, bringing us to Zimbabwe to meet them during a more 'civilized' leg of their trip.

It was quite an adventure, and gave us views of, well, you know, the kind of 'Africa' you expect to see, the sort of thing you've seen on TV for ages... like villages of small thatched huts.

We took a small boat trip on Lake Kariba and, although we don't have the photos (they were too far away), saw wild elephants and hippos. That was amazingly thrilling and one of the highlights of the trip.

Ty was able to grab a lot of really amazing photos (all the photos on this blog are his).

We had to return to South Africa, and started the drive back to the airport. Rolling along, I spotted some guys under a tree, selling wood carvings. For about $7, we bought a little carved hippo and a three-legged pot, and ended up giving one of the guys (the guy standing on the right in the photo) a lift.

 It turned out that he was a police officer, and was more than happy to answer our questions about life in Zimbabwe.... I don't know which of us felt luckier (although he got half a steak and a cigarette too...)

Finally, we got to the airport where we enjoyed the kind of odd small-country feeling that the airport is actually some kind of bus stop or taxi stand. The plane arrived, taxied to just in front of the door, let the people out, then sat with its doors open, waiting for us to board. We were certainly miles away from an international airport like, say, Dubai, with its hundreds of planes and hundreds of thousands of daily passengers.

Well... we've been back in Burma for over a month. The blogs on Africa have one more instalment, and then we'll tell you all about having Stu and Ha Young, and then Zach visit us here in Yangon. It was almost as exotic and exciting for us as it was for them.

Africa (Waka Waka)

I know... I know, it's about time I updated my blog. Of course, it's not like I've just been sitting around, you know. I've been doing, you know, stuff for the past few weeks. Stuff like visiting South Africa and Zimbabwe :)

I've chosen only a few photos from our trip, which included lots of sight seeing, but also a lot of family visits (it was the whole 'meet the in-laws' trip for me), shopping and plenty of eating. We also did a crazy amount of driving -- going through almost the entire country in just a few weeks.

The first few days were spent in Johannesburg, getting acquainted with Ty's friends and family, and shopping. And then.... came the road trip: From Joburg, through the Drakensberg to Belito, to stay with Ty's cousins. Then to Durban to see Michelle. Then a long stretch to Port Elizabeth to see Ty's mom's family. Then to George to stay with Ty's godmother. And on to Hermanus, then Cape Town before flying out to Zimbabwe.

First off, we drove through the Drakensberg, which is huge and gorgeous...

And full of big skies...

And little huts... and villages...

It was great to find our friend Michelle at the end of the road (in Durban). We'd been friends in Korea - both having taken Tae Kwon Do with Haydar in Suncheon. It was amazing to see her again, and somehow felt like time hadn't passed at all...

Durban is also where Ty went swimming before we hit the road again...

... driving through other small towns with the eternal B&B and the tombstone shop at the entrance to town...

We got to Port Elizabeth, and had an awesome day at Addo Elephant Park, where we saw lots and lots of effalumps up close, and quite a few things that weren't elephants at all...

Tortoise

Ostrich

A lady elephant

A very big boy elephant, who walked right up to the car and pooped next to it.

Effalumps!

Ty and a zebra

African reindeer, a.k.a. Blesbok

Another effalump (there were so many!!!! And they were all amazingly gorgeous!)

Warthogs are prettier in person than they are on camera...

MEEEEEEEEERKATSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

African moose, a.k.a. Kudu

A few days later, we found ourselves in Hermanus. An old whaling port (now a small picturesque village that reminded me of Niagara-on-the-Lake) with beautiful sunsets and rather cool winds!

From Hemanus, we headed towards Cape Town, stopping by to say hello to the penguins on the way past.

These are dussies - the closest living relative to elephants - they are about the same size as a beaver (but with little stumpy tails -- kind of like Sonagi).

Towards Cape Town we drove... trying to outwit the clouds and winds that were chasing us. Alas, upon our arrival it seemed that the wind had blown so hard that the famous Table Mountain had blown away, with only a cloud (aka The 'Table Cloth') to be found in its place.



Merry Christmas and Happy 2011!

As we'll be off to South Africa in a few days, I'm going to take a few minutes to wish you all Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Things to look forward to in 2011 (amongst others): VISITORS!!!!

So... yeah.... come on over and see what all the fuss about Burma is about!

Telephone Technology

Our house phone amazes me. It is a technological wonder that has been a constant source of bewilderment since our arrival in Yangon.

When you pick it up, you don't hear a dial-tone. Instead, you hear a local radio station (this week, it's been a capella choral Christmas carols), or sometimes even two. Behind all the extra noise and static, a faint dial-tone, as if from the bottom of a well, can be heard.

Anyone who calls us also sounds like they are down at the bottom of a well. A deep well. A deep deep well that absorbs all sound. Telephone conversations are short, with us yelling into the receiver that we can't hear them and would they mind speaking up, while the person on the other end of the line wonders why we are yelling at them....

The only time the phone rings, it seems, it isn't for us anyway. It's almost always for the neighbours, and/or some Burmese person asking us who we are. On the rare occasion that it is for us, we are, of course, unable to understand what the person at the bottom of the well is saying anyway, as the music is sometimes loud enough (or distracting enough -- Ty caught me humming Christmas carols the last time he called me from work, since that's all I could hear) to drown them out completely.

Oh, and the phone doesn't work at all when it's raining.... Needless to say, one of the first times we ever even heard the phone ring was once the rainy season had passed.

"Why not Skype?" I can hear you (Meron) saying... Well, first off, we don't have internet at home...Add in the time difference between Myanmar and Canada (either 11 or 12 hours), and it makes it almost impossible to coordinate.

For out-going phone calls, we can use the satellite phone at the Council, which thinks it's in the UK. Of course, the only time I can actually use it is after my classes at 7:30pm my time. Soooo... I guess if your phone rings at stupid o'clock in the morning, and it's a UK number, you can be sure it's me.

November Full Moon

In Burma, every month's full moon is a reason to celebrate. The full moon of November is extra special, because the period of time from the full moon of October to the one in November is reserved for special donations from the people to the monasteries. It all culminates in a weekend of candle-lit temples and pagodas, dancing in the streets and, with Mr Win Tin, special donations to the monastery, followed by a delicious lunch.

These photos are Ty's, taken almost a month ago... unfortunately, work, my MA assignments and both of us being sick have kept me from updating. Also, only half the photos are here... I'll try to edit the post and upload the rest tomorrow (including a video of the procession up our street to the monastery near our place).

A rather non-descript little pagoda near our house, across from a grocery store...

suddenly becomes arty and beautiful

 Pinwheels of money, donated to the monastery, along with all sorts of daily items, from clocks to waste paper baskets, to soap, to notebooks... Some of these are raffled off, but some seem to be given to the monks.

 Coconut oil lamps around the pagoda

Balloons for sale outside the pagoda... why not?

In a pagoda in a nicer part of town (and frequented by the rich), the offerings are works of art in themselves. There were tables and tables of artfully carved watermelon, carrots... everything. More opulent than the mosques of Abu Dhabi.

Bringing donations to the monasteries: In the 2 weeks before the full moon, convoys of trucks like these were all over the city, blaring music and cheering each other on as they donated to monasteries throughout Yangon.

The next day, at Mr Win Tin's monastery, hundreds of people came out to donate to the monks. Actually, what happened was you stood in line, and you were handed a box containing a robe. You 'gave' your 'donation' to the head monk - first men, then women.

Waiting my turn with Mr Win Tin's daughter (in yellow).

 Mr Win Tin and Ty show off their longyis. Ty is also wearing the traditional Burmese collar-less shirt.

The procession that led up our street to the monastery...

Oh... and here is the 'dancing in the streets' part: The procession leading to the monastery up the street gave us a special performance. We're looking over our gate, and the blurry bit in front is the barbed wire on top...