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7 downloadsFor the last two weeks I have felt like I have been in the middle of a 'Perfect Storm.' I am leaving early Saturday morning for three weeks in Thailand and Myanmar, leading three other photographers. At the same time I am refinancing my house to take advantage of very low interest rates that will save me several hundreds a month. (the timing is not my choice; married men will understand that.)
My wife, either from an excess of zeal or a punishment because I was going, gave me a list of things that just had to be done before I left. It did strike me that certain things were excessive and unneeded - like cleaning out the garage, neating up the basement and rewiring a light that looked unsafe. I drew the line at moving a 200 pound treadmill to another spot in the basement in case she'd like to use it.
Well, if I die over in Asia, the house will be in great shape for her new husband.
The single brightest note is that Old Guy (Eric) very generously loaned me a D7000 body to use as a backup (lighter and much better than my D200 option)
Organizing the trip has been 40 or 50 times more complicated than the other times I've gone. Typically I make a hotel arrangements for only my first night in country then just wing it, finding hotels as I go. This time I have my hotels for each night in the three weeks settled (and most transportation).
Two factors have contributed to the need for preparation. Myanmar has become the tourist destination du jour for adventure travelers thus the tourist infrastructure is packed full. And, I am taking three other photographers, friends, who have either never traveled outside of the West or have never traveled unless in an arranged tour. (I guess I am the 'arranged tour' this time.) So they require a good deal of hand-holding.
I couldn't take the chance of arriving in some town and finding no hotel rooms or having to split up. That would add unnecessary angst and problems. (Try figuring out who gets the fleabag and who gets the upgrade.)
So I found a tour agency in Yangon with a good reputation amongst my acquaintances on Lonely Planet and worked with them. Fifty or more emails and five phone calls later, it is done.
On Saturday we fly to Thailand; what with the very long flight and the time/date change, we get there Sunday night. After a day to recuperate, buy what we forgot and for me to get examined for glasses, we fly to Mandalay Tuesday morning then go on to Bagan, Kalaw, Pindaya, Inle Lake, Yangon. Then while two people fly out to Bangkok and on to Vietnam, one friend and I go to Mawlamyine (to visit Nyi Zaw and his family) then to Hpa An, back to Yangon.
Last we fly out to Bangkok where we do a bit of touristy stuff, I pick up my new glasses and we fly home – exhausted and, hopefully, with lots of great pictures.
The details have been exhausting. There are 3 documents open on my desktop all the time: a to-do list for me by the day, a status document for all the refinance stuff for my wife and a list of all pertinent hotel, airline, travel data that gets uploaded to my travel email account on the last evening.
I feel like I am juggling more detail than the moon landings.
In any case, you'll hear almost nothing from me until after the 25th of February.
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