January 15, 2002
MarkBernstein.org
 

Myamar

Singapore's Changi airport is clean, efficient, and fast. It has free wireless internet access; if you don't have a wireless card, they'll lend you one.

Just a few hours away, the Yangon (Rangoon) airport has sliding glass doors, each with a soldier who opens and closes the door since the motors don't work. Officials copy down all the information on your passport, in longhand, in big books. Men wear longhis instead of trousers.

An hour away, in Thandwe's airport, a signal flag on the control tower tells pilots when the controller has gone home for the night. Around Thandwe, quieter forms of transport are more popular.