Memorable Myanmar

May 17, 2014

Every trip has it's memorable places, events, people and things whether it's a new place or a place that we frequently visit. This time I want to talk about things that made an impression to me when I went to Myanmar. And here they are from touchdown to departure.

1. The tourists who put their money on a tea box. We save and keep our money in a variety of ways specially when we travel. I guess everyone has there own way but this by far was the most interesting way I've encountered.

2. The ride up and down Kyaiktiyo Pagoda. It was for real a joy ride. I'm not a stranger to unpaved roads but the speed and the way the drivers navigate the road scared me a bit or probably I've gone soft living in the city in recent years.

3. The food. I love Vietnamese food now however, I still miss the oily and spicy Indonesian food and it was a relief to find that Myanmar food is similar to it but  less spicy and oily. It was a treat for a few days to eat what I've been missing.

4. The Thanaka and Longyi. As I've mentioned on my previous post, everyone or most people in Myanmar have white powder put on their cheeks, arms and legs. Wearing their national costume, the longyi is still done and I think it is very charming. I've realized that we can change but we don't need to change everything to be modernized. There is a charm to the old ways and retaining some of our identity will keep our culture rich and not forgotten. Now that I've lived far from home for many years, I realized that there are a lot of things that are disappearing because we are all just looking for what is new but we don't try to learn the old ways. I hope the people of Myanmar embrace change but not forget their culture.

5. Bagan. The name itself is very grand. I've seen Angkor Wat and Borobudur but I love love Bagan. It's just so grand and beautiful. I guess the fact that we rode a horse cart going around the temples was also a factor that made the journey and the view very special. There are no words aside from majestic and amazing to describe the place. I cannot even imagine how it would look like from a helicopter ride.

6. The aerial view of the mountains and the plateau going to Inle. I don't know if the fields have any plants or if they are being prepared for planting but the view from the window of the plane is very pretty. It looked like a quilt with different colors. It was amazing.

7. The railroad track that we passed by from the airport on the way to Nyaung Shwe near Inle. It reminded me so much of the old days. It has this view that evokes lonely feelings of a long gone era when people ride train. I guess it feels like that since I've never experienced riding old trains but probably  for people of Myanmar it's a normal thing.

8. Inle Lake. It was amazing...amazing....So wide, clean. I want to visit again someday and I hope it will never change. The ride around was such an incredible experience.

9. The boy monk who asked for money from a couple that he toured around a temple ruin. I hope, people will not give these children money or else they will get use to it.

10. The painting. I was captivated with how the artist have painted the scene so alive. I've never seen such a painting that was so alive for me.It's a pity I  couldn't afford a 700 USD painting.

11. My lost camera. I feel bad but after sleeping on the plane. I just left my camera. It was the first electronic device I've bought from my first salary in Hanoi and it has helped me for both work and pleasure capture memories. I guess after almost 5 years, it's time to let it go. I hope the next owner will take care and use i well.

12. Taxi drivers. It was a relief that they can communicate in English and it was easy for us to go around with less worry about communication.

13. Getting left by our flight. Lesson learned, as advised get to the airport as early as possible.

14. Sleeping at the airport for the first time. It was uncomfortable, warm and very tiring. Once the flight started the next day, I slept until we arrived in Hanoi.

There you go. The good and the bad.