18 June 2017 

 Helpful Hints for Travel to Myanmar (formerly Burma)

Hello,

Sandra and I received considerable assistance for our trip to Myanmar and would like to assist others. A complete detailed review - a diary with with lots of photos - is available at this link 14 Days in Myanmar (formerly Burma)

These are our recommendations if you wish to travel to this remarkable, interesting and very Buddhist country which has only recently become more popular as a tourist destination as a result of the election of Aung San Soo Kyi.

Visas: Arrange your e-Visa, 4 weeks ahead through www.oway.com.mm pay by c/c US$125 for both including c/c charges.

Flights:

Bangkok to Mandalay  and  Yangon to Bangkok %u2013 via AirAsia

Flights within Myanmar:  book and pay through www.oway.com.mm %u2013 We flew by Air KBZ

Hotel Bookings %u2013 we booked through Agoda:

Mandalay:  Hotel Yadanarbon

Bagan: Royal Bagan Hotel at Nyaung Oo (phoenetically sounds like %u201CYahoo%u201D)

Yangon: Hotel East

Inle Lake: %u2013 Shwe Inn Tha Floating Resort %u2013 3½ %u2013 4 Star, excellent staff %u2013 evening meals quite good. We did not visit due to time issues but look forward to going in the future. We were told of Inle Lake by our friends and have since seen a documentary.

For 13 Nights in Myanmar:

Inle Lake %u2013 3 nights %u2013 fly to Mandalay and then fly immediately (Return Flight) to Inle Lake

Mandalay %u2013 4 nights %u2013 make sure of doing a Road Trip to Pyin Oo Lwin (Maymeo) %u2013 need a whole day. Mandalay to Bagan %u2013 catch a bus opposite Hotel Yadanarbon (book it through the hotel)

Bagan (Nyaung Oo) %u2013 3 nights %u2013 make sure of a day trip to Mt Popa and then fly direct to Yangon. I believe Bagan is better (it is mostly older) than Angkor Wat in Cambodia 

Yangon (formerly Rangoon) %u2013 3 nights and make sure that you are there all day Sunday as this is the only day that traffic is %u201Chalf OK%u201D. Make sure you have an early morning departure time from Yangon (traffic).

For 7 Nights in Myanmar:

Inle Lake %u2013 2 nights %u2013 fly to Mandalay and then fly immediately (Return Flight) to Inle Lake

Mandalay %u2013 2 nights

Bagan %u2013 3 nights %u2013 Return flights %u2013 you may need to return to Mandalay or fly via Yangon to go to Bangkok

Currency:

We recommend taking US$100 notes  which are clean and unfolded. You don't need smaller denominations of US$s. We think it is best to change US$ for local money and/or use ATMs to draw out local currency. The only places we found that accepted credit cards was at hotels.

Drivers we used: 

Mandalay %u2013 Maung Aye: Ph: 09-797 186 885 or 08-452 549 448, email: maungaye012@gmail.com

Bagan %u2013 Tun-Tun Ph: 09-258 888 936  email: silvergirl.girl1@gmail.com.

Yangon %u2013 Dar-Boar: Ph: 09 503 8828, email: aungkyawoo207@gmail.com

Enjoy yourself.

All the Best

Sandy

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My Italian Trip to 173rd Airborne Brigade

Introduction

Colonel (retired) Sandy MacGregor was invited to attend as a DV (Distinguished Visitor) to address and take part in the US Army's 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) Training Program on the topic of Resilience. The Brigade is based mainly in Vicenza Italy and is the premier unit to react in Europe as and when called upon by the US Army. The timings were from 28 July to 3 August 2014 which was in the Brigade's Bayonet Week of celebrations. In Vietnam in 1965/66 this unit was known as 173rd Airborne Brigade and had, under command, 1 Royal Australian Regiment Group (1 RAR Gp). Sandy, as a Captain, commanded 3 Field Troop, Royal Australian Engineers and was in support of 1 RAR Gp. Thus at different times throughout the tour Sandy was under direct command of 173rd Airborne Brigade. (There are links to Sandy's Diary and his presentations below.)

Background

In March 2009 Lt Col (now Colonel) Rupert Hoskin, Commander of 3 Combat Engineer Regiment (3 CER), was conducting a mental toughness and leadership exercise called %u201CPlan Shackleton%u201D in the Tully Training Area North of Townsville for his soldiers about to embark for Afghanistan. Lt Col Hoskin invited Colonel (retired) Sandy MacGregor to address his soldiers on Mental Toughness at the immediate conclusion of the exercise.

The soldiers had endured hardships of lack of food, little sleep, strenuous exercise and were wet and uncomfortable over the 5 day exercise. Lt Col Hoskin was aware of Sandy MacGregor%u2019s personal experiences of using his mental powers to assist him in overcoming tragedy, and his current public work with the subconscious mind. The immediate challenge for Sandy was to keep the soldiers awake for 2 hours.

Maj Aaron Cox was a US Exchange Officer attached to 3 CER and was the Executive Officer (XO) of 3 CER. He attended the presentation titled %u201CMental Toughness%u201D delivered by Sandy. Subsequently Maj Cox was posted as XO of the Special Troops Battalion of 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) based in Italy.

US Army Training Directive

As part of its current directive to US Army units, emphasis is to be placed on the %u201CReady and Resilient Campaign%u201D. The www.army.mil website states %u201CIndividual resilience can be built, maintained, and strengthened when viewed as an enduring concept and acquired through regular training%u201D and it says that resilience is %u201CThe mental, physical, emotional, and behavioural ability to face and cope with adversity, adapt to change, recover, learn and grow from setbacks.%u201D

Part of the Commander of 173rd Brigade Training Policy includes %u2013

Total Soldier Fitness:

   %u2013 Physical

   %u2013 Mental

   %u2013 Emotional

   %u2013 Spiritual

And this contributes to the Army %u201CReady and Resilient Campaign%u201D.

Action

Major Cox took the action of raising the topic of Sandy MacGregor giving several 2 hour presentations to the 173rd Brigade, similar to the one he heard delivered to 3 CER at Tully in 2009, as part of the Ready and Resilient Campaign and in particular the Mental aspect of Total Soldier Fitness. The Commander, Colonel Foster gave his permission and requested that Sandy also give the Brigade Ball Address for 30 minutes, focussing on:

1. Sandy%u2019s link to 173rd Brigade

2. Some of his experiences in Vietnam.

3. What it means to be resilient, and thoughts on moving forward to cope with tough times.

Timings and Program of Training Presentations

The timing was set down as the 173rd Brigade's Bayonet week being a week of celebration and competition, culminating in the Brigade Ball on Friday 1 August 2014. (About 350 participants).

The program of Presentation:

Monday 28 July:            11am %u2013 12.30 pm

Tuesday 29 July:           10am %u2013 12 midday

Wednesday 30 July:      10am %u2013 12 midday

Friday 1 August:           5pm to Midnight. Brigade Ball %u2013 Address for 30 min

Saturday 2 August:       Drive to Poland %u2013 Drawsko Military Base%u2013 through Austria and Germany

Sunday 3 August:         9.30 %u2013 11.30 am %u2013 Presentation to Sappers and Infantry Company.                  

Result

All presentations went according to plan, gifts were exchanged and Sandy MacGregor states that the whole experience is one to be remembered as an honoured highlight of his life.

Links to Detail

1.      Diary of Sandy%u2019s trip which includes photos Read it Here %u2013 includes a link to many more photos at the end of the diary.

2.      Presentation See it Here %u2013 this includes further links to Pictures from Vietnam and the Tunnel Rats Documentary.

3.      Ball Speech Read it Here.

All the best 

Sandy MacGregor

"Your gift from God is your potential %u2013 Your gift to God is to use it."

I have 2 blogs and would love you to leave comments at them! One is a blog about your fantastic mind and the other is more about the Science of the Mind.