Friday, October 10, 2008

Burma... sort of

Our trip to Burma for a visa was uneventful. Honestly, it was just like being in Thailand... I don't think it was much of a Burmese cultural experience. But we got what we needed.

About to cross over to the Burma side...


So evidently Burma chooses to to be 30 minutes behind Thailand -
these clocks were in the really shady Burmese immigration office.

This guy and his rifle were just inside the border to welcome us.


A Burmese street... looks like Thailand!
Team Visa-Run

Great idea.
An article from exactly 1 year ago says Burma is the #2 opium producer in the world, behind Afghanistan. At least the production is down from their peak in 1996. Their decline in opium production has left thousands of families jobless.
Catch 22?
http://www.unis.unvienna.org/unis/pressrels/2007/unisnar1010.html

Some pictures on the drive home...
sometimes we think we live in A Land Before Time or Jurrasic Park