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My First TR: Burma at a Glance via Myanmar Airways (8M) and Yangon Airways

My First TR: Burma at a Glance via Myanmar Airways (8M) and Yangon Airways

Old Jul 30, 2012, 2:29 am
  #1  
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My First TR: Burma at a Glance via Myanmar Airways (8M) and Yangon Airways

My First TR: Burma at a Glance via Myanmar Airways (8M) SIN-RGN and Yangon Airways RGN-Bagan-Mandalay-RGN

Living (or more accurately, surviving) in Vietnam through the 1980s, I feel compassionate to the blight of the Burmese people. Vietnam back then, just like Burma until recently, was as isolated as it could be, struggling under foreign sanctions and domestic economic mismanagement. I wanted to go to Burma and see for myself. Hence, this TR.

There are a few TRs about Burma but the flights are with either TG or MI. Im glad Im contributing something different. And I even flew in Y with 8M to boot. So Im sorry there wont be any obligatory pictures of me parading through dedicated check-in counters, the business lounge, the food spread, the bulky seats, and of course, the much anticipated feast/gluttony at 35,000 feet. To compensate, I selected a few pictures of Burma to include in this TR for your viewing pleasure. I hope you can see for yourself the country's beauty through its daily rhythm of life. Even in poverty and under oppression, theres charm, grace, and love everywhere you look. Those are just some snapshots.

I hope you wouldnt mind clicking HERE to see the TR on my FB. It's a slide show with commentaries that are informative, funny, and sometimes downright irreverent. Feel free to comment and/or make a friend request. Just tell me that youre from FT so Id know.

So, thanks for reading my first ever TR.

--tim

P.S. I took all the pictures with a teeny weeny Lumix LX5. Id like to be as discreet as possible when taking pictures of people in public. Im neither big nor strong nor a fast runner; I dont want people to get angry and chase after me. I guess the quality of the pictures would have to be sacrificed. And hopefully, just a little bit.

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Old Jul 30, 2012, 2:36 am
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My First TR: Burma at a Glance via Myanmar Airways (8M) and Yangon Airways

I look forward to reding your TR once I land back home. One thing, though, that has turned me off a bit is your apparent disdain for those that like to travel in comfort, which here on FT are most of us!!!

Feast/gluttony at 35,000 ft? Not sure which airlines you are referring to, but I have never been engaged in, nor seen, a gluttonous feast on board an aircraft.
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Old Jul 30, 2012, 12:11 pm
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Your TR offered insights to the local culture and life in Myanmar.

Thank you for it.
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Old Jul 31, 2012, 10:03 am
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Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed the TR.

Originally Posted by tycosiao
Your TR offered insights to the local culture and life in Myanmar.

Thank you for it.
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Old Jul 31, 2012, 10:07 am
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Disdain? Hardly. I'd love to feast in the style of some of the recent travelers here (eg. flying F on SQ or TG or LH) if I had a chance. Unfortunately I don't get to fly J very often (only had 5 in my entire travel career and they were all short/medium hauls).

Originally Posted by whimike
I look forward to reding your TR once I land back home. One thing, though, that has turned me off a bit is your apparent disdain for those that like to travel in comfort, which here on FT are most of us!!!

Feast/gluttony at 35,000 ft? Not sure which airlines you are referring to, but I have never been engaged in, nor seen, a gluttonous feast on board an aircraft.
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Old Jul 31, 2012, 11:04 am
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Great pics! I am headed to Myanmar in Nov and am also planning a trip up to Bagan/Mandalay at least.
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Old Jul 31, 2012, 2:26 pm
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Originally Posted by whimike
I look forward to reding your TR once I land back home. One thing, though, that has turned me off a bit is your apparent disdain for those that like to travel in comfort, which here on FT are most of us!!!

Feast/gluttony at 35,000 ft? Not sure which airlines you are referring to, but I have never been engaged in, nor seen, a gluttonous feast on board an aircraft.
FB page does not work for me... i do not partake on FB so if I have to sign up, i will have to pass on the TR...

...OP is entitled to their opinion. what is the problem if they have disdain although how you conclude that is totally beyond me...although there is a huge amount of narcissism rampant around this place. OP merely points it out ...and it is a fact......
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Old Jul 31, 2012, 9:56 pm
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Thank you.

I hope you'll be flying J. By November there will be a bunch of airlines returning to Burma after years of absence, like OZ, ANA, and JAL. This means if you start your trip in the US, you can fly to Yangon from NRT or ICN without an extra connection in either SIN or BKK as it's always been.

Originally Posted by hauteboy
Great pics! I am headed to Myanmar in Nov and am also planning a trip up to Bagan/Mandalay at least.
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Old Aug 5, 2012, 12:45 pm
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Originally Posted by mkjr
FB page does not work for me... i do not partake on FB so if I have to sign up, i will have to pass on the TR...

...OP is entitled to their opinion. what is the problem if they have disdain although how you conclude that is totally beyond me...although there is a huge amount of narcissism rampant around this place. OP merely points it out ...and it is a fact......
Who said OP isn't entitled to their opinion or there is a problem?

"So I’m sorry there won’t be any obligatory pictures of me parading through dedicated check-in counters, the business lounge, the food spread, the bulky seats, and of course, the much anticipated feast/gluttony at 35,000 feet."

I think those two key words sum it up, since you mentioned it.

Last edited by whimike; Aug 5, 2012 at 12:51 pm
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Old Aug 5, 2012, 2:49 pm
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Excellent report! I wonder who was using the Australia registered citation to jet around Burma.
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Old Aug 5, 2012, 6:34 pm
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Great report. I spent a couple of weeks there last November so your photos bring a lot of memories.

I tend to not shoot enough people pictures.
https://picasaweb.google.com/GlennAuve/Myanmar2011

My internal flights were all on Air Bagan. There are 4 or 5 airlines all flying the same routes around the country.
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Old Aug 6, 2012, 4:48 pm
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Thanks for witty, helpful TR

Appreciate the photos and commentary.

Reminds me to bring along the uV sterilizer for "bottled" water when I go on my adventure there early next year!
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Old Aug 7, 2012, 2:05 am
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Great TR - always very curious about countries less travelled. Great to be able to see and read commentary like this...!
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Old Aug 7, 2012, 1:16 pm
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Very nice TR, I always enjoy seeing cultures completely different from mine.
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Old Aug 8, 2012, 9:42 pm
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Thank you. I agree. But we've got to hurry up and see Burma before they swing their door open and become more integrated with the global community and therefore will be more bland, like many other developing countries. In a perverse sort of way, the military junta and their closed door policy have preserved much of the Burmese way of life for us to see today.

Originally Posted by WC_EEND
Very nice TR, I always enjoy seeing cultures completely different from mine.
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