… that’s what the ad in Bangkok’s skytrain promises. Study at the Wall Street Institute and you’ll have a 97% success rate in learning English. And while you’re at it, get an MBA degree by correspondence with a (never-heard-of-it) U.S. university. Business talks in Bangkok – as does the gleaming skytrain (elevated subway) that snakes over downtown Bangkok, bypassing the ever present traffic choking the streets below.

The modernness and sophistication of Bangkok is striking after spending a week in Myanmar (Burma). These side-by-side Asian neighbors couldn’t be more different. It’s hard to describe how cut off Burma is unless you visit. Yes, you sense the evil hand of the military dictatorship. But there’s also the lovely quiet of no Internet and no commercialism. Surely this is why tourism continues to grow.

Here are some photos of the Inle Lake region we visited in Myanmar.