A 23-minute Movie
of Mystery and Romance
by budding iMovie Mogul Michael Mus
Starring: Michael, Juanita, Pam and Ken.
Eddy, Click on the little arrow below the picture above to start the ‘Movie’.
Today, even after fifty years of neglect, with many decaying edifices, broken footpaths, and whirring generators to combat frequent power failures, there’s no mistaking the remaining strong British influences mixed with sidewalk vendors and food stalls at every turn in old Rangoon.
Myanmar is slowly opening from its recent sad past. The people are very welcoming, and so much of the country is still unspoiled by mass tourism.
In Yangon, we visit the Schwedagon Pagoda to watch the sun set and to see the sixty tons of glistening pure gold covering the ‘bell’ of the main stupa change colour. And then in Mandalay,
It’s not too much of a burden sitting on the top deck of the Orient Express ‘Road to Mandalay’ cruiser in the open-air, taking of the breakfast buffet, and looking out over the river to the pagodas atop 37 hilltops.
At 3,000 feet In Nyaungshwe, the jetty-town for Inle Lake, where it is so much cooler than sweltering Yangon, we experience the one-in-five day local markets, where the colourfully dressed local hill tribes come to buy and sell their vegetables, flowers, bamboo and tobacco. In other places, it’s the workshops that appeal and difficult to get Pam and Juanita away from the jewellery and lacquer ware.
INLE LAKE:
Inle Lake is famous for its unique leg rowers, conical fishing, and lotus fibre weaving. We observe all these and so much more as we come and go, travelling 85 kilometres sitting on cushions in wooden armchairs in our longboat over three days. The first day turns out to be long, but totally engrossing. We go up a river to a little-visited complex of old pagodas on top of the hill; it’s only when I can barely lift my nip of scotch before dinner that night that I realise how exhausting! But wonderful!
INDEIN:
Greenery grows out from ornate stucco carvings of spirits and legendary animals. Heads have been taken from most of the Buddhas inside. A little further on, our guide leads us away from the columns lining the covered stairway and along a dirt pathway up the hillside. He wants us to walk among and appreciate the hundreds of weatherworn stupas from the 17th and 18th centuries.
MANDALAY:
I’ve always carried an image of people walking over a long bridge seemingly on tall stilts above the water as stereotypical of Burma. I’m about to be surprised. The sun is fast falling towards the horizon as we approach Mandalay. Little do I expect to be walking out on that old bridge, made of teak from the Royal Palace in the 19th century, before rowing out into the lake to the watch the sunset beyond. Magical!
THE “ROAD TO MANDALAY”:
There’s a lot to be said for seeing the countryside from the comfort of a cruise vessel. The ‘Road to Mandalay’ of Orient Express is no exception of course. We use the vessel as our hotel and base at both ends. We are totally spoiled in upgraded ‘state rooms’ with large picture windows allowing us not to miss a moment of life along the banks or the many different craft passing us along the mighty Irrawaddy.
BAGAN:
Up before dawn, we drive over dusty roads in an rickety old wooden bus that’s been built on the chassis of an old World War II Chevrolet Jeep to watch the sun rise over the pagodas, aloft in a hot-air balloon. I can still hear the whoosh and lick of flame as the British pilot turns on the burners. We float for nearly an hour taking in the surreal landscape and at times coming low enough to look inside a ruin and see a statue of Buddha.
Dear Michael….thank you so much for your beautiful video of Burma…you captured the friendly faces of the oppressed Burmese people….most of whom live with not much…the decaying beauty of Rangoon is like stepping back in time…images that bring back memories of places and descriptions of stories told by my parents and grandparents..seeing the children with Thananka speared on their faces…I can still remember the fragrant smell…and to top it off you went to St Mary’s Cathedral…where I was baptised..Burma is a fascinating mysterious romantic destination…but also a sad place …I hope one day the world will help restore freedom to the country where I was born…James x
Dear Michael,
I had no idea how interesting Burma is. All I knew about Burma was the political issues which are so disturbing and have gone on for so long so this was part of the story I’ve missed – how the people live day to day, thank you. The only improvement I’d suggest is to put in some of your own commentary….Thanks again….Dennis
Thank you, Dennis.
I’m glad you liked. My commentary to date is in the ‘written’ form. I’m presuming that you are suggesting I include some ‘voice-over’ in the video. Whew!
I’d have to write a script! My back is too old!
But to be truthful, the thought has passed through my mind! Just have to find the time.
Good seeing you last Saturday.
M
hi, Mr. Michael, did you hear my singing with and for you ?
This web is an innovation by my alumni. You can get very influential by your articles, short movie and a open platform. I will be your student.
Your Fan
Dear Michael
The video was excellent and the 23 mins went quickly. Den made the comment that he thought it was great but maybe add some commentary. My thought is that commentary might take away from the serenity of the experience. There you are, two different points of view but we both agree it is a very good video.
Love
Julie
Julie, Perhaps you’ve got it right!
I have received another comment saying “Keep this up and consider the odd live cross with some comments from yourself or friends.”
Love Cuzz
Michael,
Terrific! So much better. The sense of immediacy, reality and general context all came together.
The time flashed by. I loved the elderly gentleman from the Burmese dental association(one tooth).
Keep this up and consider the odd live cross with some comments from yourself or friends.
A helloo from Pam would work well.
Cheers
R
wonderful pics mick (as usual) – especially liked the botanical studies
loved the jazz (who is that?) – it seemed to fit with the vibe of the place
more nudity would have been good
Yes. Even though Jazz is not my particular thing, I thought this track with its occasional, muted ‘bells and cymbals’ sounds was very typical of the area. It is from the album ‘Myanmar Suite’ by the Giorgio Gaslini Globo Quartet
Loved the video. I thought in the video that the speeding boats would collide. Where are all the poor people? All the people look well fed. ‘You’d think they live in heaven’.
My word Michael! What a wonderful webblog and delightful travelogue etc. Keep it up! xx
Thank you Choong. I’ll do my best to keep it up, as long as my old back holds out. Peering over the computer screen fiddling with sound fades and the like had me off to the osteopath after the weekend to be straightened out and erect again.
Mr M, I thought i would sit down and watch your ‘movie’ tonight, before i got stuck into study…
it was great! not what i expected, no acting or singing even…. but so many lovely images… especially of the sun setting over the lake….a still of a bridge being built etc..
you really have a great eye for beauty!
Thanks
m
Matthew, that bridge under construction over the mighty Irrawaddy that your eye picked up is to be five kilometres long, the longest in the world. It is part of a super highway from Thailand stretching across Myanmar to reach a deep-water port on the Andaman Sea in India – another Chinese expansionist enterprise! So much that we see leads back to Kunming in the land-locked, strategic Yunnan province of China.
Just back home and we really enjoyed the video – you are certainly looking the full Producer in that very smart shirt Mick. You have done a fabulous job with all the photos and must be feeling absolutely exhausted.
We felt it gave a good overview of the trip we enjoyed so very much, but I’m interested to know how those who haven’t been
to Burma viewed it. Have you had that feedback yet?
It was such a great trip that we felt we were away much longer than ten days and whilst we were always on the move, the people were such
a joy that it seemed peaceful and relaxing.
I’m also furious with myself for not buying that wonderful silver necklace with the black jade- it was quite special!
Thanks for taking all the trouble. L P & K
Michael,
Firstly it looks FANTASTIC on my big TV screen.
Secondly, you are becoming very skilled and I like the mixed stills and movie shots but what is really good is the movie with sound… It makes it all sooo real..The local commentary, the tinkling bells, the guides briefing the hot air balloons etc.. It really put me back right in the spot..
Re choice of background music. Not sure if I can recommend anything but it seemed too intense or somber when I think you meant it to be uplifting British Raj etc…
… AM VERY IMPRESSED..and as Ken said we are getting fantastic value out of the trip due your significant efforts..
Am sending it to Rosie… View..
Absolutely beautiful. Different than Egypt but both very exotic. Many thanks. Leila
Beautiful movie and the music is perfect. It really does seem like a “lost” world that is waiting to be discovered and you have captured what seems to be th essence of the people and places. Thanks for making and sharing this ! Greg
Hi Michael,
I so enjoyed the movie. The combination of stills and movie footage worked really well. The images almost speak for themselves, although, the sound track was so evocative.
I have heard such positive things now from so many people that I really can’t wait to experience it myself.
Kind regards
Ginny
“you knwo how to travel and absorb – great gift- loved the Burma- filmette”
Bhupen
Thank you so much Michael… I loved your choice of photograph for the title page – the extraordinary banana flower and vibrant colours is a not only a unique and exotic invitation but somehow intuitively key…
I shall think often of the group of young women walking with pots on their heads AND in their hands — clay, breakable pots egads !!! And the pony trap through a truly foreign landscape of packed dirt struck with trees and the occasional spray of bougeainvillea in amongst the array of intricate religious pagoda structures. Remarkable indeed.
t’was a real pleasure to share in your adventure so very far from our known world.
My thanks again,
Vivien.
Michael, A girl gets immersed for ages in your adventures -I clicked too much…busy holy Thursday morning?
Cath
Dear Michael,
Sorry for the very late reply – as mentioned when we last spoke I was about to welcome my first child in to the world…and this has now happened so I took some leave from work. We have been blessed with a beautiful, happy & healthy little man – Oscar!
I’ve now had a chance to watch the revised edition – and its simply fantastic, congratulations on a terrific job. Really wonderful! I am going to send this to a few people internally within Orient-Express as I am sure they will love to see it too.
Thank you again Michael, hopefully we will welcome you back aboard the Road to Mandalay in 2012 to celebrate your birthday? 🙂
Best
S