Well! I left at the end of January for Bangkok for a couple of weeks of Thai massages and 90 degree days before joining most of the group I went to Egypt with for a Road Scholar tour of Myanmar, Thailand (Chang Rai), Laos, and Cambodia. The tour ended in Seam Reap, but two of us went back to Bangkok intending to stop in Tokyo for a short week. With Tokyo at a level 2 CDC warning, we changed plans and spent the time in Bangkok.

Thailand

The food in Thailand exceeds anyone’s expectations, although you do have to look out for chilis and the little baby Thai eggplant that looks like a pea and tastes too bitter to me.

Myanmar

In Myanmar, we stayed in Yangon, Bagan, and Mandalay. In Yangon, we visited the temples. They’re covered in gold and sparkle. In Bagan, we visited the stupas. They’re mostly old and much of the glitter is gone. I blew a bunch of money on a hot air balloon ride and let’s just say I was pining for the toilet and leave it at that. A few Cipro later, I was back on the bus, albeit a bit green.

In Mandalay, we visited temples and a nunnery. Some of us went to a mulberry paper factory/store and crossed the street to a silk store.

From Mandalay, we flew to the Thai border and walked across to Thailand.

Thailand

In Chang Rai, we visited an Opium Museum, cruised the river and walked across the border into Laos.

Laos

Once in Laos, we borded a river boat and spent two days cruising down the Mekong to Luang Prabang after spending one night across from an elephant sanctuary. We also visited two villages along the river. The first, a Hmong village had the worst climb and the most children trying to sell trinkets. The second village was more indifferent to strangers, and we ran into a teacher who showed us part of the school. The children were playing with tops and failed to try and sell any of them to us. We also stopped at a Buddha cave along the Mekong where the Asian ability to make uneven and really, really tall stairs left most of us puffing — well, OK, some of us. Most of us went back to the boat rather than ascend to the second, higher level of the cave.

I dropped my memory card wallet in a bar in Luang Prabang, but contacted them via Facebook and picked it up there the next day.

Cambodia

We flew from Luang Prabang to Seam Reap in Cambodia and started temple hopping, ending up at Angkor Wat before sunrise. We also went on a cruise to the floating village where they farmed crocodiles and turned them into leather goods. It’s the closest I’ve been to that standard fantasy setting of a floating village, but I did not imagine beggars in boats with half nekkid boys holding snakes.

I took a zillion photos. They’re here.

Video is in my SE Asia playlist on YouTube