We didn't get to sleep much as our pick up by Mr. Aung to bring us to the airport was at 4:15am. The flight was at 5:30am so we were a little nervous that we wouldn't have enough time to check in, etc -- but everyone told us we'd have plenty of time. Oh well, we're on vacation, so we didn't want to sweat the small details! Mr. Aung was there early, as usual. The staff at the Central Hotel provided little "to go" breakfasts for us. Nothing fancy, but it was defin...

Early rise and we headed back to Golden Rock for sunrise.  Hard to believe, but the walk to the Rock was even busier this morning than it was yesterday, with pilgrims coming and going.  Clearly there was a party up on the Rock that lasted all night long. Seeing the Golden Rock at sunrise was an equally mesmerizing experience.  The lighting and reflection off the Rock changed as the sun slowly rose over the horizon.  An added bonus was the monk...

An early start today.  We had breakfast at the Central Hotel and found ourselves drawn to this utterly delicious soup they had (in addition to the normal fried vermicelli, omelette station, fruits, etc).  We soon learned this soup is the hallmark of Myanmar food -- mohinga.  A hearty fish broth with lemongrass, lime, chili and coriander.  Just delicious.  We soon recognized that many of the stalls selling food on the side of the road were...

Departed SFO on Wednesday Nov 18.  Snagged business class seats to Osaka on United Airlines.  Nice uneventful flight, but did have a 10 hour layover in Osaka.  Efren slept and we chilled at the lounge and the time passed quickly.  Our flight from Osaka to Bangkok was on Thai Airways, and we scored First Class seats on that leg.  What a difference!  The seats were incredibly comfy and the flight staff attentive beyond belief.  Wi...