I had read and heard about the new Myanmar capital of Nay Pyi Taw where construction started in 2002 but had been told that it was in a restricted zone so tourists were not permitted to visit. That has changed. The city of Nay Pyi Taw is ablaze with lights in the evening with beautiful roundabouts centered with huge flower sculptures and colorful twinkle lights.
The band will make its second local appearance tonight (March 29) at Thunder Road (234 E. Albany St.) Street Level is David Burritt (drums, vocals), Tom McCaffrey (guitar, vocals), Kat Rushmore (vocals, flute) and Kent Warner (bass, vocals).
We have been to Myanmar six times. We have visited the top tourist destinations including Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay, Kalaw, Lake Inle, and Mrauk U. In Yangon we marveled at the 325-foot high, 2,600-year-old golden Shwedagon Pagoda. We often stay at Traders Hotel in a room that has a view of the pagoda that is magically highlighted at night.
Four musicians, all originally from Oswego, have each followed many roads that led them to come full circle and band together to form the area’s newest rock group, Street Level. The band will make its second local appearance on March 29 at Thunder Road (234 E. Albany St.)
Along the coast between Galle and Colombo there are many interesting places to visit. In and around Meetiyagoda there are several moonstone mines. John and I visited the one belonging to Baruwallage Gems. Most of the mining is done by hand. Workers dig in deep pits using candles for light.
In the area around Nuwara Eliya (Little England) the rolling hills are blanketed with tea trees. The humidity, cool temperatures, and rainfall in the country’s central highlands provide a climate that favors the production of high quality tea plus flowers and vegetables.
Sri Lanka had been on my “Wish List” for several years and this year I finally got to experience the many facets of Sri Lanka. Using frequent flyer miles John and I flew from Hong Kong to the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo. We spent three nights at the Hilton where they have an amazing array of restaurants that meets the needs of their international clientele.
When people ask me how many countries I have visited I can not give a definitive answer. When we were in Germany, it was two countries. We visited Yugoslavia in the 1980s; it was ?behind the Iron Curtain’ and one country. Today Dubrovnik is part of Croatia and Belgrade is now the capital of Serbia. Montenegro was once part of Yugoslavia and then Serbia but in 2006 it declared its independence from Serbia.
The Hong Kong Tourist Board lists a slew of free activities under the name Kaleidoscope. We have taken advantage of the following great things to do: Cantonese Opera Appreciation, Tea Appreciation, and Wife Cake making. Plus, the museums are usually free on Wednesdays.
It is usually hard to find out where a specific food item was invented because the general concept was adapted in many places. I think the Asian cha siu bao, the Italian ravoli and the Russian piroshki have a lot in common. They are all stuffed pastry. When John and I were in Split, Croatia, we were told that pizza was invented in Split.
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