Ferryman

You still have to take a ferry to cross the Taron River in Kachin State (see Crossing the Taron), but the ferry operator has changed and things seem to have improved a bit. The ferry, for example, will now hold two trucks, there is a permanent ramp to drive on to it, and the "protective" railings are painted bright yellow and red. Not to mention that the new ferryman is a total professional. [NOTE: The trip still costs 15,000 kyat for Forest Department vehicles]. 

Banded Krait

One of the things I came across during my trip to Myanmar last summer (see Shinlonga) was this banded krait slithering slowly across the road. I gladly gave it a lot of room. [NOTE: In September of 2001, an American herpetologist working in Kachin State died after being bitten by one of these snakes].