Burma Reviews
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Antique Chinese 18-19 th C Rare BURMA Jadeite Jade Bangle Bracelet Rare $3,000.00 |
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Burma Jade Bracelet. $180.00 |
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China Burma jade jade pendant The butterfly $4.99 |
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China Burma jade jade pendant Pig $4.99 |
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Beautiful BURMA Pendant White Jade Guarantee LOVELY NR $22.00 |
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BEAUTIFUL BURMA CARVED BAMBOO JADE JADEITE PENDANT $325.00 |
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Amazed Burma Emerald God Carving Stamp $49.00 |
Thailand Travel – Tachileik / Mai Sai Markets Burma
Within the infamous Golden Triangle that boarders Thailand, Laos and Burma is Mai Sai, the north most district of Chiang Rai. Here travellers will find a bridge that divides two worlds, one is the rising Thailand and the other is the country hidden under an opium laced shadow, Burma. Burma, who’s government renamed to Myanmar, is one of the world’s most secluded countries, a mysterious and unexplored destination for western travellers, a country untouched by the momentum of development.
We stumble across a makeshift car park and give the attendant 10 Baht for care of our hire car, from here it’s only a short walk to the Mai Sai border crossing. Being from Australia we’ve never walked into another country and the idea of walking into Burma made the 4 hour drive from Chiang Mai all the more worthwhile. At the boarder we are ushered into a small and unusually hot room where a man dressed in a military uniform sits behind his desk and asks of our intentions for visiting his country. His English is difficult to understand and before we can answer he tells us we are only visiting for the day to shop at the boarder markets. 500Baht is handed over and to our surprise passports are retained and will supposedly be returned when we attempt to return back into the Kingdom of Thailand. The heat already souring its all the more sweaty knowing we are walking into Burma without passports.
The markets are bursting with stalls and goods overflowing onto narrow paths made narrower by the men and boys shoving into us with baskets of pills for enhancement and DVD’s of questionable content available at ‘cheap cheap prices’. Remembering advice I received from a drunken expat the night before in a bar, I move my wallet into the front pocket of my jeans, this is not just a precaution, it is necessary. When the senses start to settle back down there are many bargains to be found if you have a good eye and time to sift through the junk. Everything is cheap here, cheaper than the popular night markets of Chiang Mai that now offer market goods at tourist prices. There is a copy, a fake, a ‘real copy’ or a look alike for almost any product you can think of. The watches look good until you realise they are twice as thick as the real deal however this is forgiven when you realise the designer watch offered at Tachileik will only set you back a couple of cappuccino’s in your home town. I show interest in a table of designer pens and suddenly a young girl is handing me one and asking me to test the quality, surprisingly it writes very well and equally surprising is the girls English compared to her Thai sisters. Then another girl hands me another pen which also looks the part and is surprisingly usable. This continued until there were six girls at the table and I had tried 6 pens, after some intense negotiation we agreed upon 2 pens at 300Baht, approximately 8 US dollars.
Two hours of walking, negotiating and dodging the occasional motor-bikes speeding through the narrow market lanes, a couple of sneaky market photos and we decide we’ve had enough adventure for the day and will return to Thailand. Returning to Thailand is relieving as passports are returned and stamped with a minimum of fuss and the harassment from young boys desperate for loose change is left behind us.
Although not the real Burma it was an interesting and unique experience that resulted in some fascinating memories, a couple of covert pictures and a Myanmar Walk stamp in the passport. Visiting Burma was a choice we made lightly and upon learning more about the military controlled country it has become apparent the choice should be given more thought and consideration. More locally to Mai Sai is the depressing environment of illegal border crossings, drugs and human trafficking, all world issues that are too easily forgotten when on holiday.
The drive back to Chiang Mai down the mountain takes us into Chiang Rai and a stop at the famous White Temple (Wat Rong Khun). White Temple is a modern temple designed and built by artist Chalomchai Khositphiphat around 10 years ago. The intricate details covering the large temple are an incredible vision and the entirely white design with silver edges glistening on dragons and other mythical creatures creates a surreal environment. The site also has a hall that exhibits paintings of Chalomchai Khositphiphat.
A few dodged cows and a little nervousness waiting for the first petrol station in Chiang Mai and we arrive safely after dark, ready to tell the story of our trip to Tachileik over a few Chaing’s.
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Burma-Shave, Mug, Brush & Soap Set, (3 piece set in a beautiful gift box) The Burma shave mug, brush and soap shaving set features 100 percent natural bristles and a sturdy, water resistant handle. After use, thoroughly rinse all soap from the brush, shake dry and leave in the open air…. |
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Lapidary Equipment: New 1200 x 0.1 Gram DIGITAL LAB SCALE! Weigh Rough Gems, Lapidary Slabs, Stones for Cabbing, Faceting & More! Weighs over 1000 Grams, over 6,000 CARATS! $32.98 This DigiWeigh DWP1001 model digital tabletop scale is the perfect tool for anyone handling objects such as rough gems, lapidary slabs, gold/silver bars & ingots, scrap jewelry, crystals, fossils & other specimen. The CARAT, GRAM, and OUNCE modes are perfect for measuring rough, uncut treasures, jewelry, coins & bullion. The GRAIN mode is commonly used to weigh archery arrows & gunpowder for reloa… |
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Myanmar (Burma) Flag Shot Glass $5.95 Here’s a very rare and hard to find souvenir collectible shot glass from Myanmar. It’s a 5x6cm style shot glass measuring 2.25″ tall and 1.8″ in diameter. There are some minor and barely visible imperfections on paint or glass itself occurring randomly on some shot glasses, which results, as we were assured, from manufacturing process. So, please buy only if you are comfortable with this…. |
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Foreign Affairs $4.47 WAITS TOM FOREIGN AFFAIRS… |
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Hidden Agenda $8.87 Hidden Agenda by Greg AdamsThis product is manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. Amazon.com’s standard return policy will apply…. |
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Vs. $7.52 All products are BRAND NEW and factory sealed. Fast shipping and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed…. |
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The Signs & Rhymes of Burma Shave [VHS] $29.00 … |
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Objective Burma $4.90 A paratroop captain (Errol Flynn) sets out with a platoon to attack a Japanese outpost in the jungle. The Americans reach their target, take out the enemy with almost balletic precision, then gear up to return home. This feels like the point when a conventional war movie would have reached its action-filled climax, but the journey has only begun. Ahead lies one of the most arduous and agonizing a… |
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World’s Greatest Train Ride Videos: Burma $11.99 “The World’s Greatest Train Ride” video series takes you on the train adventure of a lifetime! Filled with all the breathtaking excitement of authentic train travel, this exhilarating journey through Burma takes you on a complete rail tour. Your trains adventure begins in the capital city of Rangoon, as you set out on a fantastic journey across Burma. You’ll explore the famous capital and see the … |
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Portrait of a Waving Red Panda Sitting High in the Trees – 12W x 8H – Peel and Stick Wall Decal by Wallmonkeys $9.99 WallMonkeys wall graphics are printed on the highest quality re-positionable, self-adhesive fabric paper. Each order is printed in-house and on-demand. WallMonkeys uses premium materials & state-of-the-art production technologies. Our white fabric material is superior to vinyl decals. You can literally see and feel the difference. Our wall graphics apply in minutes and won’t damage your paint or l… |
What can I do about the crisis in Burma?
The recent events in the country off Burma have left me at a bit of a loss for words.
It seems, though, that silence is the enemy in this case.
What can I do to show my support? What can I do to spread the word? What can I do to help?
Well you are already doing it by asking the right question. You are also helping by calling Burma Burma and not Myanmar which was renamed by the dictatorial power.
Also encourage others including governments of the free world to not recognize the legitimacy of those who claim to represent the country of Burma. They are nothing more than thugs who have hijacked the country using up all the resources for their own personal pleasure while most of the country is on the brink of starvation.
Encourage others to see its people as hostages and its rulers as mafia like extortionists (i.e. increasing the gas prices as much as 5 times the normal amount).
Also don’t trust what China has to say about wanting to resolve this matter peacefully. They don’t want a democracy in there back yard. Hell they have 30,000 people whose sole job is to censor their version of the internet. This is the same Party who is paranoid of even chess clubs and building associations and who has tortured and killed countless Tibetans and peaceful Falun Gong (very much like those who practice of Ti Chi).
In any case start with a shift in perspective. If we cease to validate them via our words it is bound to have a profound effect in time.
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March 3rd, 2009
Angie 
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