Aloof from the world, Myanmar remains a land of mysteries, some dark, others whimsical. A golden boulder perches inches from perdition; a train lumbers into view, hours late. Just a gentle paddle from where I sit, the ethereal waters of Inle Lake are home to the Intha, Burma's famed leg-rowers.

This is one of Asia's least-visited, but most rewarding and most hospitable countries (at the local, not the official level). Read more on my blog.