Visa Run to Burma, Ug!

Visa runs to Burma. A necessary evil. I had to do two during my stay, thank GOD my 2nd one is over with.

Visa runs cost 1800 baht and are best done through Goong's service, which you can sign up for 50 meters from the gym. She is a friend of the gym and her service is reputable.

You generally leave at five a.m, and are LUCKY to be home by 5 p.m, like I did my first trip. This second trip, even though my driver drove like a banshee on crack. Quite literally, there were 14 of us in this van and finally, after white-knuckling it for a few hours, I literally just asked everyone - since I was in the back row with my friend Jaz - if it was "just me" or if our driver was speeding ridiculously and totally out of control. Everyone confirmed that they had been on many visa runs and this was by far THE WORST. I guess I was just spoiled the first time, or really unlucky this time.......

At ANY rate, the whole point is to drive 4 hours to the coast, "officially" leave Thailand, take a boat to Burma, be there for like five minutes (if you are lucky) and then get your passport stamped, then take a boat back to Thailand and then drive four hours home after stopping for a quick lunch. They collect your passports when you get on the bus and it's generally a very smooth operation, with the guide/driver telling you where to stand, what to sign, which line to get into and so on. Good thing you don't have to think because you are so freakin TIRED!

On the ride, you just listen to your ipod or read. Sometimes you can write and get things done *IF* your driver isn't insane.

Unfortunately, on this trip, for no rhyme or reason, we had to stay in Burma an hour or so, so we were shuttled to a plush hotel with a casino and some expensive stores and overly kind employees, where we just sat, bored, until we could get shuttled back to the boat to return home. So we didn't get home until 7:30pm. I have to say that it probably would have been much later if not for our driver's lead foot, so I guess MAYBE it was a blessing in disguise because 14+ hours is just TOO LONG. I fantasized about being in the gym, hitting the pads, the whole time I was cramped up on that awful ride.

Obviously, Burma is a country of serious unrest right now. Like, they threatened to kill Sylvester Stallone and his crew for filming Rambo 4 there and if you have a copy of the movie in that country, you can get like 7 years in prison. Apparently they've never watched the Rocky movies or they would know he's indesructible (LOL!). Burma is highly unstable and not a super safe place right now, but the bottom line is, they want tourism still and our visa runs bring in money. Therefore, we are met with the friendliest faces, treated excellently, and only see the most gorgeous hotel in the world during our brief stay, as if to present Burma as this warm and inviting place that you just want to 'be'. And I can't lie, they do have great popcorn (LOL!)

I tried my best to document the boredom of the trip. Unfortunately, I missed the photo opportunity of a lifetime of my buddy Jaz passed out on his bed pillow (which he brought), with his ear plugs in and eye mask on, leaning over and onto some poor old white man.

This is what the van looks like.......

Confusion at the station where we were leaving Thailand.

Walking to the boat, leaving Thailand

The boat you'll ride on

Jaz in the station at Burma

Me in Burma!

Entering Burma and dropping off our passports for stamping

Playing music for us as we enter the hotel in Burma.....nice touch!

The Burma that they want us to see, of course.

Nature in Burma, outside of the station

The bar inside the hotel . . . that served great popcorn

The view outside of the hotel. Not the Burma you hear about on the news......

So, last but not least, a note to my concerned mom:

I survived Burma! No need to worry!