If the Buddha was driving in heavy urban traffic, would he honk? Much as that sounds like some wisecracking riddle, it’s a thought that occurred to me while my taxi’s driver was navigating the maelstrom of traffic in Yangon, Myanmar. Yangon has over five million people, and at times during my days in the city, it seemed that most of them were behind the wheel. Yet, though traffic surged, darted and inched, drivers seemed patient, and honks—if you … [Read more...]
Myanmar, Lost in Translation
I’m in Myanmar, dining at the home of a local family, being serenaded with a nostalgic playlist of American pop tunes reminiscent of my favorite childhood radio station. It’s a surreal scene that looks like an outtake from a David Lynch movie. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. With one foot inching towards the 21st century, ancient and modern mingle with ease here. After consuming a lovingly prepared feast, my homespun hosts, joined by … [Read more...]
Why I’m going to Burma (Myanmar)
When word got out I was thinking of taking a group to Burma this November, I received this email: Dear Mr. Bangs: I strongly advise you to drop travel to Burma. The treatment of the Rohingy minority is so appalling that I feel that no one should be visiting that country... This is not the first cease and desist-style communication I’ve received about travel to a destination whose politics are at odds with our own. When I received a permit … [Read more...]
Gelato World Tour 2.0
New Gelato Partner for the Second Edition, that will start in Singapore Record requests for participation from Australia for the first stage: 16 gelato artisans in Asia / Pacific in the race for the title of World's Best Gelato Rimini Fiera – The second edition of Gelato World Tour will start in less than days in Singapore making the city state the Gelato Capital of the World for 3 days in March 2015. The event will also be an occasion to … [Read more...]
Most Amazing People We’ve Met On Our Travels
While traveling we meet a lot of people with different destinies, dreams, and lifestyles. We forget immediately about the majority of them, but some live in our memories as if we’ve just talked to them. Today we’d like to share the most touching stories of people from different cultures, social classes and continents we collected during our travels. KAREN GIRL This girl belongs to Karen tribe, also known as long-necks. When she was born, … [Read more...]
Café Hopping in the Hot Spots of Indonesia
I went out to get a cup of java in Java and ended up on an infernal coffee odyssey through the Indonesian archipelago. Stretching out like a Komodo Dragon some 6,400 kilometers across the Ring of Fire, from the coffee plantations and wild orangutans of Sumatra to the primary rainforests and decorative penis gourds of Irian Jaya, Indonesia is the ideal launching pad to crash land into some of the most dramatic sights in Southeast Asia. … [Read more...]
Passage to Burma, by Scott Stulberg
Acclaimed Photographer Scott Stulberg has recently released a photography table top book - "Passage to Burma". This is a collection of vivid and often intimate looks into the second largest country in Southeast Asia - a country that the western world often knows little about - especially after it has been "closed" for half a century. This collection is based upon many trips he made to Burma over more than 10 years. It is a tribute and his love … [Read more...]
An Interview with Bruce Northam
John M. Edwards Liquors Up and Loosens the Tongue of Adventure Journalist Bruce Northam, the Guru of Globetrotter Dogma Award-winning travel journalist Bruce Northam has wandered freestyle in over 100 countries on seven continents, with experiences ranging from drifting with Burma’s sea gypsies, playing naked Frisbee with New Guinea natives, and beholding the beguiling shores of Antarctica. With three books under his equatorial belt and a … [Read more...]
Lisa Niver: RTW Traveler
I first met Lisa a number of years ago at an event in Los Angeles. Her unbridled enthusiasm for International travel is truly contagious. Few people are lucky to go on one Round the World Trip (RTW) in a lifetime; Lisa has been privileged to experience two RTW trips and in fact at the time of this original interview, was currently in the midst of her 2nd RTW trip. The circumstances around receiving this interview were somewhat convoluted (as … [Read more...]
Myanmar or Burma – What’s in a Name?
The excitement and optimism in the Yangon air these days is palpable. In 2011 the impossible happened. The half century of rule by an oppressive military junta was over and longtime political prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi had been released and duly elected to parliament. It was shortly after her election that I met with Burmese friends in a crowded coffee shop on Bogyoke Aung San Road, not far from Scott Market. We were there to talk … [Read more...]