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Tag - Myanmar

View half way up Fansipan, Vietnam

10 mountains to climb in Asia

June 10, 20222 min read

Asia is a very big place and has a huge mountain range called the Himalayas included along with many other individual famous mountains and other ranges.

Choosing 10 was going to be hard, but I used a simple approach to this:

A. The ones that are easily accessible and can be tackled without specialist mountain equipment.

B. Acceptable for a novice or reasonable fit individual who fancies a challenge.

C. something different that appeals to me personally. (After all, it is me that will be climbing them, so I want to climb for a purpose not just because they are there.)

So don’t expect Everest or K2 to be included.

  1. Mt.Fansipan, Sapa, Vietnam.The highest mountain in Indochina. ( Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia) (3147m, 10,325 ft.) My first to conquer and an awesome feeling when I reached the summit. Even though it was cloudy and the view wasn’t what I had hoped for it was still a memory I will cherish. Read more here
  2. Mt. Fuji. Highest in all of Japan. (3776m, 12,388ft.)
  3. Mt Apo, Mindanao. Highest Mountain in the Philippines. (2895m, 9498ft.) hopefully next on my list in 2022.
  4. Mt. Kinabalu. Borneo. Highest in Malaysia (4095m, 13,435 ft.)
  5. Mt. Jayawijaya. New Guinea. Highest in Indonesia. (4884m, 16,024 ft.)
  6. Mt. Hkakabo. Highest in Myanmar. (5881m,19,295 ft.) Whilst Myanmar is mostly unchartered this seems a place to visit.
  7. Everest Base Camp. Nepal. (5364m 17,598 ft.) Why wouldn’t you if you could?
  8. Khuitien Peak, China -Mongolia border (4356m, 14,291 ft.) Visiting Mongolia is a long-sought-after dream.
  9. Tuanjie Peak, Qilian Mountains, China (6644m, 21,797 ft.) is another colossal mountain range and double the height I have climbed so far.
  10. Meili Snow Mountain, China, (6740m, 22,113 ft.) This one will be a challenge as it is the highest of all of the ones I want to reach.

2020

December 29, 20193 min read

New Year New Me

I believed things would improve, but this year took a turn for the worse for everyone around the world.

I think we will remember 2020 for a long time; it will go down in history as one of those years when humanity had to endure a global catastrophe.

Beginning of the end?

It had all started well enough. I attended my fourth wedding in Cambodia, where Mr Sok, one of the cooks/ tour guides at the pepper farm, got married in March. It was a joyous occasion for everyone, and it concluded a beautiful chapter of my experiences in Cambodia—one that I will cherish forever.

Pre-Covid Plans

After travelling for over 15 months and entering my third actual year of travel, I felt it was a good time to leave and discover new things.

I originally left the UK in September 2018 and spent most of 2019 living in Cambodia. Initially, I had expected to be back home by now, but I suddenly felt the urge to visit friends and family.

This year, my plan was to explore Vietnam and Laos, possibly concluding my journey in Myanmar, where I hoped to experience more of its beauty.

However, before all that, I began with a trip back to the UK in mid-March to surprise my mum for her birthday. It turned out to be a memorable surprise for both of us.

23 March 2020 will be a day I remember for a long time. I surprised her after being away for 18 months, only to be unexpectedly faced with COVID-19 and lockdown restrictions that left me stuck in the UK indefinitely.

Long Stay

It would take almost two years for me to finally get back on a plane and return to Cambodia, where I had initially left for a two-week holiday.

The sad part is that I lost several good friends who, like so many others, succumbed to Covid-related deaths.

During this time, we experienced lockdowns, mandatory mask-wearing, and witnessed many caring and compassionate individuals stepping up to help others.

Suddenly, we found ourselves away from the pressure and stress of everyday life, which allowed us to support our fellow beings.

However, this came at a price, the effects of which we are only beginning to fully comprehend years later. Inflation, the rising cost of living, and food shortages are all consequences of the economic shutdown during the pandemic.

This means that people’s lives will be affected for decades as we face the aftermath of COVID. Additionally, speculation continues about the origins of the virus, with some suggesting that it may have escaped from a man-made laboratory.

LOVE IT 😀

Thanks @jodilmorris for this perfect quote

Yangon, Myanmar

November 20, 20192 min read

Yangon has got it all

The city seems to have something unique, I only spent a few days exploring but already hooked on the place.

It has one of the most impressive Pagodas in the world.

I was mesmerized by the Shwedagon Pagoda when you walk around.

The food in Yangon has to be some of the most flavorsome I have tried ever in the whole of southeast Asia.

Smells of local street food certainly rival Bangkok in terms of variety and colours look vibrant. Choice of meals to satisfy even the most worldly traveller.

 

A nightlife that may rival Singapore as like SG there are many western ex-pats camped in Yangon. It is fast becoming the new place to work in Asia.

Especially, as  Myanmar opens up to the west and tries to repair the damage done by the Rohinga crisis.

Local places of interest such as the @ygnwalls, local art museums and little boutique shops offering gifts to satisfy any hardened shopper.

Definitely a return visit and also to experience many more of the places in Myanmar.

Everyone says each state has unique places to visit and tastes of food will vary between places giving me such a wide range of choices it may be a country that keeps me here a while.