From Burma to Myanmar

On the road to Mandalay

"What a ride! In a death-defying taxi with no windows, I was flown along the roads in a howling gale. Horrible. I sat directly behind the driver hoping he would act as an air bag when the inevitable collision came. In that position I couldn't see the worst that was happening around us, like pedestrians peeling off our fenders." Lydia Laube is no stranger to near-death experiences, including several while travelling to, from and through Myanmar, or Burma as it was known on her first trip there. As ever, Lydia takes the route less travelled as she discovers this wondrous land, with its pagodas, markets and attractions - including the world's biggest python and book. Midst Myanmar's magic, she falls in love with a horse named Madonna, and manages to work through language barriers and poor directions.