More photos

Photos from Bob's visit to Burma can be seen on his website at www.bobwinsett.com. Click on the heading entitled "Buddha".

When I first considered traveling to Burma (known to its military leaders as Myanmar ), I read the guidebooks, as well as various blogs. To begin with, I was not sure if it was a good thing to visit a country with so many human rights violations to its credit or not. On one hand, you do not want to support a military dictatorship with your dollars. On the other, there is no better way to see first-hand the living conditions than to go there and see for yourself what life is like.

By searching websites and even posting my own questions in chat rooms, I was hoping to dispel the self-imposed fear I felt of traveling in Burma with a larger than average collection of camera gear. Some bloggers acknowledged that video cameras were the main concern of the Burmese government. Others attested to having had no problems at all as long as they did not point their cameras (video or still) at airports, soldiers or other facilities that could be construed as strategic in any way. In one instance, however, I read of a tourist who, upon taking a photo of the home where democracy advocate, Aung San Suu Kyi is being held under house arrest, was picked up by police and taken directly to the airport and instantly deported.

Upon arriving at the airport in Yangon (formerly Rangoon), I was surprised to see people passing through customs with laptop computers and cell phones; both items that my 4-year-old guidebook said would be confiscated at the airport only to be returned to you when you left the country. My backpack full of camera equipment drew little more than a cursory glance by customs officials. Within a surprisingly short time, I was standing in front of the airport ready for the short drive into Yangon.

My first morning in Yangon I awoke early for the 20-minute walk to Shwedagon Pagoda, the most significant Buddhist structure in Myanmar. Shwedagon Pagoda dates back to the 15th century and consists of an amazing collection of statues and pavilions that encircle the main golden domed stupa, or shrine. Even at 5 a.m., a surprising number of joggers of all ages including school age children filled the streets. There were people doing tai chi, stretching or just out for a brisk walk before the sunrise.

Shwedagon was all but deserted at that time of the morning. By noon, the temple would be swarming with tourists and Buddhist devotees of every description. By evening, lit candles and incense created a sensory experience that only enhanced the visual splendor. At one point I was approached by an elderly man who said he was a college professor before being forced to stop teaching by the government. He warned me that there were spies among the tourists keeping an eye on everyone. It was a reminder that life in Yangon included the subtle oppression of an intolerant military regime bent on its own self interests. Myanmar is one of the three most corrupt countries in the world.

In Bagan, a UNESCO World Heritage site, 2,400 excavated Buddhist temples dating back to the 11th century cover 42 square kilometers. Tourism drives the economy in and around Bagan where life seemed, at least to me, to be slow and, judging by the faces of the residents, stress-free. One afternoon I met a retired 80 year old photographer in his studio in the nearby town of Nyaung U. He said that he now prepares for his impending death and subsequent reincarnation by spending part of every day in Buddhist meditation, a common practice in Buddhist countries.

In the taxi on the way to the Bagan airport, we passed a billboard that outlined how the populace should "behave". When I asked the driver if we could stop for a photo of the sign, it was clear that this was not a reasonable request in a country where spies do, indeed, exist.

Within a relatively short time I was overwhelmed by the people and their gentle, sincere hospitality. In a country that is roughly 90 percent Buddhist it is hard now to picture the unrest in the streets and the response of the government of Burma. My visit to Burma was one of my all-time favorite travel experiences. I hope that the people soon realize their dream of freedom, so that it may someday become as wonderful to live there as it was to visit.