They don't make it easy

So it seems that a trip to Burma is a bit harder to plan than we thought, unless of course I have the ability to rip the fabric of the time-space continuum. Thankfully, I do. It's something we learned in Foreign Service training.

Anyway, it turns out that to purchase airline tickets on domestic Burmese carriers, you must pay cash. Domestic Burmese carriers have no offices in Vientiane (or anywhere other than Burma and Bangkok).

You also need to purchase and pick up tickets (in our case) 12 days BEFORE you are scheduled to arrive in Rangoon.

As such, we will be using plan 2...time travel. Or not. I've seen what time travel can do to the universe on an important and terrifying episode of The Simpsons.

Homer: D'oh! I mean...hey.

Bart: Good morning, Father dear. Hope you're well.

Lisa: Are we taking the new Lexus to Aunt Patty and Selma's funeral today?

Homer: Hmm, fabulous house, well-behaved kids, sisters-in-law dead, luxury sedan...woo hoo! I hit the jackpot. Marge, dear, would you kindly pass me a donut?

Marge: Donut? What's a donut?

Homer: Aah! Aah! [pushes toaster handle, disappears] [donuts start to fall from the sky]

Marge: Hmm. It's raining again.

Anyway, our friend Walter in Rangoon has offered to front the cash (sucker) and pick up our tickets for us. A less messy way may be to deal with a travel agency (big sucking sound from my wallet). I guess that's what we'll do.

Now, if we can just get visas to Burma we'll be all set.