Spirulina

 During my visit to Myanmar over the holidays. I visited the Twin Taung crater near my home-town of Monywa. This is one of only three places in the world where a type of cyanobacterium (Google that yourself) called spirulina (to be more specific it is Arthrospira plattensis) is harvested and then exported to countries all around the world.

Notice on the map that there are four craters and they are in a straight line. I think that a meteorite came and hit the crater I have been to and then formed the others. The craters then formed lakes due to perhaps rainfall.

Twin Taung

Spirulina is used in health and beauty products. It was first eaten by Aztecs who harvested it from Lake Texcoco then made it into cakes and sold them as described by Cortés's soldiers. It is also found in Lake Chad in Chad.

There are a lot of cattails around the lake and pagodas. It is 200m above ground level. The road leading to it is very bumpy and bullock carts are a common sight. There is a spirulina production factory there.

Conclusion: The view was phenomenal and although it smelled very fishy it was very cool as supposed to the freezing temperatures outside this crater.

Update: The amount of spirulina is decreasing and probably going to run out soon. 15/10/2014