Publisher's Synopsis
In March 2012, Rory Allardice set off on a journey to Myanmar (Burma).
At the time of his visit, it was ruled by a military dictatorship. It was still considered to be a pariah state and international trade sanctions were still in place, but change was in the air.
Earlier advice by the leader of the opposition Aung San Suu Kyi not to visit the country had recently been rescinded and so, now it was possible to go there with a clear conscience.
Due to its recent isolation, the country was in a kind of a time warp and it had not yet been spoiled by mass tourism like its neighbour Thailand. There was a chance that this could be quite a special place and a precious find. George Orwell had spent some formative years in the British Colonial police Force there. Some of his books were banned while others were on sale according to their perceived political support for or opposition to the present regime. It was a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural country and one that was full of contradictions and this was a good time to visit before all the tourists arrived. This book is an illustrated account of the journey, the people, the places and the delights of a country that was slowly emerging from the depths of oppression.