Two Backpackers in Burma

By Lucie Durcová, posted on: June 15, 2011

When we left for Burma, our friends were shaking their heads uncomprehendingly, our parents were angry, and we had been "officially" labeled "insane". I couldn’t imagine what it would be like in a country where a military junta (now a “government”) was in charge. We were afraid the locals would not be willing to talk to us out of fear that it would cause them problems. In the beginning, they seemed not only very reserved, but sometimes hostile. No warm smiles from ear to ear of the kind we had experienced the year before in Vietnam. » read more

Irrawaddy Dolphins

By Zarni Mann, posted on: March 7, 2012

When nature lovers talk about the Irrawaddy River, the lifeblood of Burma, descriptions focus on her majestic beauty, breathtaking scenery as well as the unique history and culture born over the centuries. However, these days it is the tale of the admirable Irrawaddy dolphins, named after the waterway, which captures the imagination most of all. These graceful swimmers are closely related to the orca (killer whale) with a large, rounded forehead and snub beak. Their gray bodies darken towards slate blue while their abdomens remain a slightly paler shade. They ... » read more