Going to town town
We're back. There was a point when we thought we might be a little stranded (We missed our flight out) but a friendly smile got us out the next night. Myanmar (Burma) was something else, I'll try and give the best description I can and I'll post pictures soon.
From the second that Jenn and I landed, I knew we had made the right choice to go. We were greeted with warm smiles all around. People took no time to tell us how much tourism helps them and how desperate they are for more to come. What is a measly one dollar to us can go a long way for them. Had I not known about the violent totalitarian government holding the country, I never would have guessed; The people are absolutely stunning.
Like most countries, the first way you see them is from the air. Usually you fly over and see the common grid system where the farmers fields are square and city blocks and buildings are all square and organized. Not this place. It looked like the place was drawn by a kid with a thick crayon. Farmers fields were as crazy as European border lines, houses were sparse and the city we were flying into was no where to be seen. Due to advice given by others, we travelled for the week with a guide. I've never travelled with one before but I'm glad we did. It meant that we never had to look for a taxi or hotel and since it was just the 2 of us and a guide we had the same kind of freedom as being on our own. We became really close with our guide too so it was more like travelling with a great friend who knew the answers to everything. As for Burma being unsafe, it couldn't be more opposite. Comapred to the Thailand and definitely India, this place is a haven for females. The kids all waved at us, the women flashed us their warm smiles and offered food that they couldn't afford to offer and the men leant a helping hand with our packs whenever possible. Like I said earlier, the people are just stunning both inside and out.
Our first stop was Bagan. Bagan rivals Ankor Wat in Cambodia for it's multitude of Pagodas and temples. There are gold covered peaks as far as the eye can see. You couldn't help but feel a little spiritual in that kind of landscape. Sadly I was feeling a little less Zen and a little more of the bathroom floor still so you're going to have to switch to Jenn's blog for the details on this one.
However, I was up and kicking for Innle Lake. This is a whole city that is built on water. Like the gorgeous backwaters of the Everglades and Venice rolled into one, but 10 times more beautiful than either. It seemed pretty silly and almost dumb at first to build your house on the water but after being there for four days it made so much sense. They're right on their main resource, water. They use it to bathe, clean, cook and travel. They're so environmentally friendly though that the water is still beautiful. Jenn and I even took a fully clothed swim one day as our boat spead across to bring us back to the hotel. We spent the days travelling to different houses, meeting different people and watching them work at their different trades. It was like we were in some sort of upper canada village from 50 years ago. Factories of weaving looms where the silk is dyed next door, using the lotus flower growing in the lake to make rope, people beating pulp to make paper and then umbrellas, Ox driving around a wooden contraption to crush peanuts for peanut oil. I realized that we really had no idea where anything came from and how it was made. All I knew was that it somehow, conveniently, ended up on a shelf at Loblaws.
Like always, we spent a lot of time eating. Have you ever tried a real apple? I mean real, no chemicals, no gene modification, growing wildly out in the bush. What about a real egg or tomatoe? They taste INCREDIBLE! Like nothing I have ever eaten before. Jenn and I gobbled up fruit at every place possible including the floating morning market which as you can imagine was a sight. It's scary to realize what kind of food-non-food we eat back home.
We had many interesting conversations with the guide. We definitely dove into politics and religion often. There were times when she'd quiet down and we'd know that there was a government official around. In general they were very eager to share about their country and also hear about others. Turns out that while we thought that we flew into the capital city, it had actually been moved a year earlier. It is currently out in the bush somewhere but the people aren't too sure where. The new general has an obsession with the number 9 so he threw out the old currency and brought in a new one with his face on it and denominations of 45 and 90. He also closed all universities for the years of 1990-1999 so now they have a "lost age" group of students who couldn't be educated. The newspapers are run by the government and are full of random B.S. and the tax system is done by an official who turns up at your house, guesses how much you make in the year and taxes you accordingly. The power they have is ridiculous.
It was weird to try and explain to them what living in North America is like. Try to explain to someone who is grateful for each meal they get that there are people back home having their stomachs stapeled. Liposuction, not sitting down for coffee, bracing hours of traffic, chosing to live in an apartment on your own and eating milk that has been processed to death suddenly made no sense when I started to describe them. The Burmese people have it right on so many levels. Home has never seemed so strange and confusing.
The last days were spent eating more Burmese food and even trying their delicasy, fried bug. It was a fat and juicy cricket to be exact. Hit them on the head with a stick, a dash of salt and oil, put them in the pan and then enjoy. First you break off the legs, then the wings, bite off the head and save the thorax for last. You save it for last because if you pick a female they have eggs inside which makes for a sweet and tasty finale.
Myanmar has taught me and showed me a lot. We saw a lot during the 8 days there but the thing that I'll remember the most were the words of our guide and new friend on the last day of the trip. She looked at Jenn and I, gave us a hug and said "Please, never forget. Never forget."
Trust me, I won't.
We are now back in Bangkok for just one night. We spent last night enjoying a few drinks at a small Jazz pub and tonight jump on an overnighter to Laos. Nothing like curling up to Jenn for 16 hours on a long and bumpy bus ride. Should be good. :o)
From the second that Jenn and I landed, I knew we had made the right choice to go. We were greeted with warm smiles all around. People took no time to tell us how much tourism helps them and how desperate they are for more to come. What is a measly one dollar to us can go a long way for them. Had I not known about the violent totalitarian government holding the country, I never would have guessed; The people are absolutely stunning.
Like most countries, the first way you see them is from the air. Usually you fly over and see the common grid system where the farmers fields are square and city blocks and buildings are all square and organized. Not this place. It looked like the place was drawn by a kid with a thick crayon. Farmers fields were as crazy as European border lines, houses were sparse and the city we were flying into was no where to be seen. Due to advice given by others, we travelled for the week with a guide. I've never travelled with one before but I'm glad we did. It meant that we never had to look for a taxi or hotel and since it was just the 2 of us and a guide we had the same kind of freedom as being on our own. We became really close with our guide too so it was more like travelling with a great friend who knew the answers to everything. As for Burma being unsafe, it couldn't be more opposite. Comapred to the Thailand and definitely India, this place is a haven for females. The kids all waved at us, the women flashed us their warm smiles and offered food that they couldn't afford to offer and the men leant a helping hand with our packs whenever possible. Like I said earlier, the people are just stunning both inside and out.
Our first stop was Bagan. Bagan rivals Ankor Wat in Cambodia for it's multitude of Pagodas and temples. There are gold covered peaks as far as the eye can see. You couldn't help but feel a little spiritual in that kind of landscape. Sadly I was feeling a little less Zen and a little more of the bathroom floor still so you're going to have to switch to Jenn's blog for the details on this one.
However, I was up and kicking for Innle Lake. This is a whole city that is built on water. Like the gorgeous backwaters of the Everglades and Venice rolled into one, but 10 times more beautiful than either. It seemed pretty silly and almost dumb at first to build your house on the water but after being there for four days it made so much sense. They're right on their main resource, water. They use it to bathe, clean, cook and travel. They're so environmentally friendly though that the water is still beautiful. Jenn and I even took a fully clothed swim one day as our boat spead across to bring us back to the hotel. We spent the days travelling to different houses, meeting different people and watching them work at their different trades. It was like we were in some sort of upper canada village from 50 years ago. Factories of weaving looms where the silk is dyed next door, using the lotus flower growing in the lake to make rope, people beating pulp to make paper and then umbrellas, Ox driving around a wooden contraption to crush peanuts for peanut oil. I realized that we really had no idea where anything came from and how it was made. All I knew was that it somehow, conveniently, ended up on a shelf at Loblaws.
Like always, we spent a lot of time eating. Have you ever tried a real apple? I mean real, no chemicals, no gene modification, growing wildly out in the bush. What about a real egg or tomatoe? They taste INCREDIBLE! Like nothing I have ever eaten before. Jenn and I gobbled up fruit at every place possible including the floating morning market which as you can imagine was a sight. It's scary to realize what kind of food-non-food we eat back home.
We had many interesting conversations with the guide. We definitely dove into politics and religion often. There were times when she'd quiet down and we'd know that there was a government official around. In general they were very eager to share about their country and also hear about others. Turns out that while we thought that we flew into the capital city, it had actually been moved a year earlier. It is currently out in the bush somewhere but the people aren't too sure where. The new general has an obsession with the number 9 so he threw out the old currency and brought in a new one with his face on it and denominations of 45 and 90. He also closed all universities for the years of 1990-1999 so now they have a "lost age" group of students who couldn't be educated. The newspapers are run by the government and are full of random B.S. and the tax system is done by an official who turns up at your house, guesses how much you make in the year and taxes you accordingly. The power they have is ridiculous.
It was weird to try and explain to them what living in North America is like. Try to explain to someone who is grateful for each meal they get that there are people back home having their stomachs stapeled. Liposuction, not sitting down for coffee, bracing hours of traffic, chosing to live in an apartment on your own and eating milk that has been processed to death suddenly made no sense when I started to describe them. The Burmese people have it right on so many levels. Home has never seemed so strange and confusing.
The last days were spent eating more Burmese food and even trying their delicasy, fried bug. It was a fat and juicy cricket to be exact. Hit them on the head with a stick, a dash of salt and oil, put them in the pan and then enjoy. First you break off the legs, then the wings, bite off the head and save the thorax for last. You save it for last because if you pick a female they have eggs inside which makes for a sweet and tasty finale.
Myanmar has taught me and showed me a lot. We saw a lot during the 8 days there but the thing that I'll remember the most were the words of our guide and new friend on the last day of the trip. She looked at Jenn and I, gave us a hug and said "Please, never forget. Never forget."
Trust me, I won't.
We are now back in Bangkok for just one night. We spent last night enjoying a few drinks at a small Jazz pub and tonight jump on an overnighter to Laos. Nothing like curling up to Jenn for 16 hours on a long and bumpy bus ride. Should be good. :o)
posted by Jenn | 11:05 PM
2 Comments:
Hey, sounds like Burma was pretty cool, guess I have to add that to the list of places I want to check out when I have $$$ and time. Right now, all this work at FutureShop's turned me into a materialistic salesman telling our customers only 41 days until Christmas, better consume as much as you can! Anyways, enjoy the simple life!
Tsang
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHAINA!!!!!!!
love,
ChemEngChem
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