Inside Burma - Parts 1 - 4

Trishaw drivers line a street near Yangon Pier

After spending nearly two weeks in Myanmar, I am back. Although my time in the country was fruitful, by the end of the trip I was happy to come home. It had been approximately three years since my last trip to Myanmar and I was anxious to see how it had changes. There are ATM's available now, tuk-tuks are growing in popularity, and hotel prices have sky-rocketed. But for the most part, the country was as I remembered. Friendly locals, hard working tri-shaw drivers, and plenty of fresh markets.  

After spending a couple of days in Yangon, I took Air Mandalay and flew to Sittwe in Northwest Myanmar. While Air Mandalay can hardly be considered an elite airline offering the best service and food available to humans around the world, they got me to my destination. In this case, and since the flight was just over an hour, it was perfectly acceptable. I arrived alive and ready to go. After a dozen trips to Myanmar though, I was surprised how little I really knew about the place.

In the end, this journey taught me more about myself than many other trips I took in the past. Keep watching...please...my trip is all fun and games up to this point. I am just another tourist. Once I get to Mrauk-U though, things start happening and it is only when I am back in Bangkok do I realize what it is I am after as a photographer. 

Some people say a good photographer is never happy with his work. I disagree with this statement but I do understand it. I have been happy with many of my photos however they have never quite captured what I am after. In this sense, my work has failed repeatedly. Am I disappointed? Sometimes. But I view photography as I view Zen: one must strive for perfection but do so fully aware that rarely, if ever, can one reach this state.

Part 1

Leica 18191 V-LUX 4 12.7MP Compact System Camera with 3.0-Inch TFT LCD - Black

Part 2

Lonely Planet Myanmar (Burma) (Country Travel Guide)

Part 3

Burma/Myanmar: What Everyone Needs to Know®

Part 4

Leica X Vario (Type 107)