Myanmar

Yesterday I got back from six days in Myanmar. It was an incredible trip and beautiful country. I originally didn't plan on going to Myanmar, mostly because I did no research on the country so I didn't know what to do or see or what to expect from it. When a few friends invited me to go with them and their dates fit perfectly into my travel schedule, I decided to book tickets and join them. I am so glad I made that decisions. Myanmar might even be my favourite country that I have visited here so far also.

We flew into Yangon last Wednesday night after class. My very first impression of the city was that it was a bit dirty. There were also bugs everywhere, and I mean everywhere. In our dorm rooms, in the showers, on the food, etc. We wandered the streets that night looking for food and met these three older Burmese men who invited us to sit and have a beer with them. They then proceeded to order dishes upon dishes of food just for us! And they refused to let us pay for any of it. They were so kind, and it was really great to talk with them about their country and especially their upcoming election for over an hour. This was the first time we would notice just how kind Burmese people are, especially towards farangs.

Thursday was spent exploring the streets of Yangon, which was very cool. There are shops everywhere, and you can purchase almost anything imaginable on the streets. That night we took an overnight bus to Inle Lake, where we spent the following two days. Our first day there, Friday, we took a boat tour around the lake and through many villages on the lake. We got to see jewellery being made from silver; cotton, silk, and lotus tree weaving; traditional umbrellas being made; how longboats are made; homemade cigars being made; and many others. It was a very cool experience to see how these people live. The scenery on the water was also unbelievable. There are mountains all around and the waters are so calm. Watching the sun go down over the mountains was beautiful.

Our second day in Inle Lake we went to a local market called Heyo about an hour drive away in another small town. This is a traditional local market where people buy vegetables, meat, clothing, toiletries, etc. They don't sell the stuff we are used to seeing at markets because they rarely see farangs in these types of markets. We very easily stuck out like sore thumbs, but again, people welcomed us so kindly and offered us to try lots of foods for free even. It was a real look into their lives, and I'm so happy we had the opportunity to see that. That night, we went to a vineyard in the mountains for a wine tasting and to again watch the sunset. It was beautiful too. It was so calm and relaxing. We then took another night bus to Bagan on Friday night.

Sunday we did a tour of Bagan and visited several of the 2200+ Pagodas that the city has to offer. We visited mostly just the big touristy ones, and they were all very different and all very cool. Most of them were built in the 11th century, and a lot have done well to remain standing today. Although we did learn that quite a few of the smaller ones have been mostly rebuilt after they were damaged in storms in 1975. But the original architecture is still there, and they are so magnificent. They are so detailed, I can't imagine how long it took to build them all. We also watched our third sunset sitting atop one of the pagodas with the mountains and the sunset on one side of us, and hundreds more pagodas in our view on all other sides. It was perhaps one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen myself.

While the sunset was amazing in Bagan, we couldn't skip the sunrise, as it was even better. So we got up at 5am on Monday morning to drive to a different pagoda and again climbed atop it to watch the sun come up from behind the mountains. It was breathtaking, and 150% worth it to get up at that ungodly hour. Even more stunning than the sunrise itself, were when the hot air balloons went up over the pagodas. I wish that I could have been in one of those balloons, it would have been the most amazing experience with the best views of Bagan. Maybe on my next trip to Myanmar...

Monday was our last official day so after the sunrise (and after a late morning nap), we rented bicycles and drove around to visit the smaller, less-known pagodas of Old Bagan. This was my favourite part of the entire trip, because everywhere we went we were the only tourists, so we got to really explore whatever we wanted. We also got to see lots of areas that most people don't take the time to visit. I also just love riding bikes, mostly because it reminds me of my childhood.

Overall, this was an incredible trip and an even more incredible country. I highly recommend it to anyone. I'm almost ashamed that I had no interest in visiting it beforehand, but so grateful that my friends changed my mind.

P.S. If you are in Inle Lake, you have to eat at the Sun Flower. It had the best food, and the best service ever. You also should get the fried chicken and fried mashed potatoes. Seriously, that was easily one of the best meals I've eaten in SE Asia.

~Ally