After flying for over two days – from Miami to New York to Frankfurt to Singapore to Yangon – ArcticTropic then boarded an Air KBZ ATR 72 prop plane to Bagan. I arrived Friday late afternoon on March 14,2014. The temperature was a dusty 104 ( 40 C) when I got off the plane. In the next few days it would get up to 107 in the day, then down to about 78 at night.

A combination of a silent electric scooter and a GoPro strapped to my forehead made for great stealth shooting (video) opportunities. Village inhabitants did not realize my presence till I was already gone.

Baby Burmese.

Crab Curry.

Houseboat.

Next Stop – 1948 !

Offerings To Lord Buddha.

Burmese is written in one of the 19 Sanskrit alphabets.

Next Stop – 1648 !

Searing heat bakes the riverbed,now 20 feet above the current waterline. By August this spot will be under 20 feet of water.

Lunch Break.

For adventures in Burma, CLICK HERE

The Myanmar Government may have moved the Capital hundreds of miles North to Naypyidaw, but most business still takes place in once sleepy Yangon – now awakening to be the next Asian Tiger. However it is still Old Asia – gracious and spiritual.

Lord Buddha Meets Ganesh at the Military Pagoda.

The Time is 1920 – British Empire Architecture.

Yangon, and the whole of Myanmar, has a large Islamic population.

A delicious dinner of river prawns.

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Sule Wharf in the late afternoon , when riverboats load up with cargo and people, probably many times over their limit,for upriver journeys to Mandalay and Bagan.

Many rivermen live on their boats.

At Sundown the temperature was still 102 degrees ( 39 C ) so it was off to the Strand Hotel for an ice cold Myanmar Beer.

For adventures in Burma, CLICK HERE

The Mergui Archipelago is one of the last untouched tropical paradises on Earth. Only a few hundred miles from the packed tourist hotspots of Phuket and Ko Samui, Thailand – there has been almost no development here. The Archipelago was paced off limits to outsiders – even citizens of Burma – by the government for over 50 years. The 800 islands receive only 2000 visitors a year – mostly divers . One must obtain a permit ( in addition to the visa ) from the Ministry of Tourism .

ArcticTropic stayed at the Myanmar Andaman Resort ( Some Good Pictures ). Comfortable bungalows with air conditioning. I was one of 3 guests there.

Macleod Island ( many of the islands still retain their old British names ) is not easy to get to . One must fly from Yangon via Air KBZ. The fight stops in Yawe and Miyek along the way to Kawthaung. Foreigners are not allowed to drive north of Kawthaung, the southernmost point in Myanmar. After numerous formalities the resort will transport you by speedboat – a 2 to 3 hour journey ,depending on waves. It is also possible to take a ferry from Ranong,Thailand to Kawthaung.

For adventures in Burma, CLICK HERE

Shortly after sunrise I rented an electric motorscooter and set off to explore the searing hot plains of Bagan, and visit some of the thousands of temples built over hundreds of years – each a tribute to Lord Buddha.

Temples large and small stretch as far as the eye can see.

Along the way I came upon a ” Community Service Project . ” Local villagers dig a giant hole by hand, which will fill with water in the coming rainy season – attracting animals to drink there. Each person is expected to carry a number of loads equal to their age.

Lord Buddha is the Center of Life.

Styles changed throughout the centuries.

A $100 bill will get you 97 of these. 1000 kyat notes are used for everything and this stack will last a few days. Breakfast was 700 kyats – 70 cents. MOtorbike rental was 8000 kyats, a little over $8.

ArcticTropic has many more shots and incredible video. The hotel has wifi but upload speeds are like dialup , so video may not be uploaded until we return Stateside.

For adventures in Burma, CLICK HERE

A quick representation of destinations since the GoPro was acquired less than a year ago. Featured : USA,Mongolia,South Africa,Namibia,China. Music will now accompany most videos.

One week in Namibia barely scratches the surface. ArcticTropic was there in October, 2013 for the Adventure Travel Trade Association annual conferences in the capital city of Windhoek and the small seaside city of Swakopmund. At least weeks is needed to see the country properly.

For adventures in Namibia, CLICK HERE

After Namibia , ArcticTropic had less than a week to explore the vast territory of South Africa. 3 days in Cape Town was plenty, but the 1000 mile,1600 km journey back to Johannesburg via the Wynlands,the Great Karoo and the South Coast was quite a feat, meaning many hours in the car.

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A Saturday afternoon journey from Muizenberg to Fish Hoek near where the Atlantic meets the Indian Ocean. A preacher man works the aisle. The train is much like the NYC subway, but with better scenery. Cost is 6 Rand or 60 cents US.

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In 2013 ArcticTropic swam in three of the five oceans – Atlantic,Pacific and Indian. They will all be immersed in again before mid ’14. The Arctic and Southern Oceans are more of a challenge to get to and to swim in , but we will get to both soon.