Glamour and Grit: Cruising Myanmar's Irrawaddy River

MANDALAY, Myanmar - The driver swerved around pedestrians, motorbikes, and mules as our hired SUV sped through Mandalay on a hot July day. Riding in the backseat, I gripped the headrest in front of me and hung on for dear life. Dust swirled as we pulled off the pavement and came to a stop on a dirt path. Nearby, families sat on the ground weaving large sheets of bamboo, and cows foraged in the piles of garbage strewn about the banks of the Irrawaddy River.