It's only been nine days since Category 4 Cyclone Nargis slammed into Burmese villages. It's not like the world has been dragging its heels in coming to the people's aid. Rather, the junta that rules Myanmar has been paranoid about keeping the philanthropists off their soil, wanting donations dropped off like the bin outside Goodwill so they can take it from there. Where the aid will really go, nobody knows.

Yet after "prolonged negotiations" with the junta -- as the death toll could top 100,000 and one to two million residents remain severely affected by the storm -- American aid was finally allowed to land, its carrier then promptly ushered back into the sky. This just moving from the Associated Press:

"The unarmed military C-130 cargo plane, packed with supplies, flew out of the Thai air force base of Utapao and landed in Yangon. Two more air shipments are scheduled to land Tuesday.

After the plane's arrival, the supplies were transferred to Myanmar army trucks.

...In the hardest hit Irrawaddy delta, people were surviving in miserable conditions — hundreds crowded into monasteries, where they slept on the floor. Others camped outside, drinking water contaminated by human feces, dead bodies and animal carcasses.

Heavy rains were forecast this week, which would further hinder aid delivery.

'So far we have enough water by collecting rain. But we do not have food anymore,' said U Patanyale, the abbot of a monastery in Pyapon town in the delta."

Outbreaks of diarrhea are being reported, and potential outbreaks of illnesses such as cholera, malaria, or dengue, according to aid experts, could be prevented if experts would just be allowed in the country to assess shelter and sanitation needs and coordinate relief efforts.

As it is, bloated bodies choke waterways and hang twisted in trees, with no one to pick them up as the survivors are shouldered with the herculean task of just finding the basics needed to survive. From AP:

"'The first few we saw, we were all very shocked,' said U Pinyatale, a monk from the area who has prayed for the dead. 'After a while, there were just too many.'

More than 50 bodies can be spotted in just three hours on the river. Many have turned white as they float entwined in mangrove trees, where they remain lodged. The smell of dead fish permeates the humid air as dozens of small boats ferrying roofing supplies and rice navigate around the corpses, but no one seems to notice.

...The monk, Pinyatale, said some people simply want the bodies to be sucked out to sea because they believe if someone touches them, that person will be cursed with bad luck and haunted by the unsettled spirit."

The story notes that in Indonesia after the 2005 Boxing Day tsunami, bodies were quickly buried in accordance with Islamic law, and bodies were collected in refrigerated storage in Thailand for later identification. But they also had resources and manpower beyond what the junta is allowing to cross Myanmar's borders.

And speaking of those allowed in by the regime, you'll notice that most wire stories and photos are coming across sans byline and without photo credits. No use risking being caught and tossed out by the junta simply for trying to spread the truth to the rest of the world.

STORM COVERAGE: Myanmar Ignores Storm Victims, Proceeds With Vote

Burma's Cyclone Death Toll Is Staggering

(Satellite image of Cyclone Nargis: NOAA)