#16 BURMA (MYANMAR)

My first trip to Myanmar, also known as Burma, was in 2003, when I traveled through Southeast Asia after graduating from college and before continuing my studies in China.

Back then, Myanmar was a hermit state totally cut off from the rest of the world and controlled by a brutal military regime under western sanctions. There was no internet, ATMs, or international banking, media and communications were government monitored, travel around the country was strictly controlled, and foreigners had to use Foreign Exchange Certificates (FECs) instead of local currency.

On this first trip, I arrived in Yangon (Rangoon) and then traveled north to Mandalay, Bagan, and Inle Lake, which was probably some of the roughest and toughest travel I've ever done in my life -- only here could a drive of a few kilometers take more than half a day! Of course, constant bus breakdowns, hitchhiking, and being very patient while waiting on the side of the road for help were all par for the course, but it made me a better and more mature traveler for having endured it!

My second visit to Myanmar was in 2005 when I took a break from my studies in China to enjoy a few weeks of tropical bliss. I spent a few days in Bangkok first to arrange my visa and flights but then was off to Myanmar to partially retrace my steps in Bagan and Mandalay and explore further afield in Rakhine (Arakan) State on the Bay of Bengal. I opted against taking the national airline for fear of shoddy planes, considering the years of sanctions the country had endured, and instead made the arduous trip overland. It was hot and dusty, and after some 20+ hours of travel on a series of buses, I finally made it to the tropical paradise of Ngapali. Nowadays, some 15 years later, the sleepy beach town I knew has been extensively developed, but I'll still keep my memories of the unspoiled coastline forever!

Then, in 2007, I moved to Thailand to work with the Burmese democracy movement as a Chinese language translator and researcher. During my stint there, I visited Myanmar countless times more, including several forays into Karen and Shan states on frequent visa runs. Somewhere along the way, Myanmar opened up a bit, and further overland travel was permitted for foreigners, which is when I finally visited Taunggyi in Shan State. And before leaving Thailand in January 2012, I had a chance to see a Wa region controlled by the Kru Naing Pa Raok Vax (Wa National Organization Camp), where I spoke with local military leaders in Chinese on their ongoing plans to maintain autonomy against the Burmese military (Tatmadaw).

Since then, I haven't been back to Myanmar, but the situation continues to evolve and be as complex as ever. Along the way, the pro-democracy leader Daw Aung San Su Kyi was released from house arrests, came to power, floundered as a leader amidst incredible human rights violations (especially against the Rohingya ethnic minority), and was re-imprisoned again. It's uncertain what the future holds for this beautiful country, but in the meantime, here's a collection of my travel photos from over the past 20 years so you can share my experiences of loving this country :)