Unmettled Roads Film Festival Part 1- Myanmar

Dear little friends,

It's taken me a long time to finish this video of our five weeks in Myanmar in late 2019. Not only have we been outrunning the pandemic, we have two new grandchildren that take up much of my time. But on February 1 of this year the Myanmar junta overturned the election that was won by the opposition party, which had been a humiliation they weren't prepared to countenance. As of today Aung San Suu Kyi and other NLD leaders are still in detention, they are being charged with treason and have upcoming kangaroo court trials. Hundreds of protesters have been killed, thousands detained. Remote towns and villages are being bombed, poisoned with chemical weapons, burned.

How do you even make a fun travel video in this context? I felt completely stymied, until I remembered this... the world doesn't know anything about Myanmar, and it won't care until it does. I have a purpose now, I can show how it was for us, and what has been lost. You can see for yourself what is of value here.

It's been completely surreal to see footage and photos from the massive protests that filled the streets of Mandalay and Yangon and every single town you will see in this video, no matter how obscure. We rode our bikes on these very streets a lifetime ago.

Please advocate for Myanmar. They haven't given up.

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Keith ClassenThanks Andrea for posting the video of your Myanmar adventure. I thought it was excellent. I will be going back to read the blog of your trip. I don’t know how I missed it. I did read “This Time Tomorrow “ and thoroughly enjoyed it. I will also be doing some research on what is currently happening in this part of the world. Thanks for bringing it to our attention. Have fun with those grandchildren!
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1 year ago

Andrea BrownTo Keith ClassenThank you, Keith. Your words mean a lot to us.

In the firehose of news, Myanmar’s misery fades from the international stage but the brutality continues unabated.

The Irrawaddy, Myanmar Now, and Frontier Myanmar are all excellent news outlets reporting on current conditions in country. It certainly is not a place where tourists should be right now.

We do hope you enjoy the journal. Maybe we’ll see you in a Mandalay tea house someday, in a peaceful and prosperous future.
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1 year ago

Bruce LellmanTo Keith ClassenThank you, Keith.

Myanmar is my favorite country to visit mostly because the people are so wonderful. I'm distraught about what is going on there now. I hope in the end something good emerges. The Myanmar people deserve to live in peace and to pursue their dreams.
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1 year ago

Keith ClassenBruce/Andrea
We have been to that part of the world just once (Thailand/Cambodia) and had a great time but not on our bikes. Maybe one day! We are off to Portugal/Spain in early September and will be reading your blog in our down time over there. Really enjoy your writing! I too hope some good emerges in Myanmar and other areas of conflict in the world.
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1 year ago

Andrea BrownPortugal and Spain are wonderful places to cycle (I hear, no direct experience). Have a great time.
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1 year ago