I visit Myanmar annually, more often since our Nargis Library Recovery started, usually accompanied with a few friends and interested newcomers. The tour remains very economical and the country has more regions open to learners than any time in the past half-century. A daughter of an adviser to this project arranges details and pricing for each trip through her travel agency, which is independent of the government, a start-up she created by franchising with Exotissimo, an Italian global agency.
I am thinking to visit again in December, 2010 and invite donors and my readers to join. Cost is about $2,000 including airfare from Seattle-Yangon round-trip, as well as travel and hotel costs inside Myanmar for a 12-13 day trip. This is very economical in comparison to visiting Burma’s neighbors. Our donated books now have been placed in 200 libraries; additionally we funded construction and/or new library space for a half-dozen libraries and filled them with our books and Burmese-language texts and reference books purchased with kyats earned at our Book Fairs, operated by our partner, Myanmar Book Aid and Preservation Foundation. Our focus has been on Bogalay Township this past year; now we are rebuilding a library in Laputta Township and distributing books in that District.
Libraries in Yangon, Insein, Mandalay, Meiktila, Taunggyi, Magwe, Mawlmayne, Pyapon, Baho, Toungoo and many villages have accepted our books. This trip will focus on visiting them, and nearby towns along the way. Our time is short, but you will see and learn much along the way. Of course if you can afford to donate additional funds for book shipping and/or rebuilding of villages libraries [$3,000 per unit], that would be most rewarding to all concerned.
Please contact me at 425-697-5414; my e-mail is badgleyj@verizon.net or john@nargislibrary.org John Badgley
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