In Retrospect -- Myanmar and Travelling in General
IN RETROSPECT “I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” ― Mary Anne Radmacher (author)
There are many thoughts shared by writers and others about the benefits of travelling. This one sums it up well for me. Travel is about change within. You are somehow different when you come home, and even though all seems familiar, you look at your life and experience everyday things with a different perspective.
Myanmar has made a definite impact on me. It is a country that inspires you with its simplicity, repulses and saddens you with its obvious need, teases you with its potential, calms and reassures you with its people’s gentleness and smiles, and makes you hope for its success in the modern world. Each time you see something new, you suddenly realize that you are seeing something quite unique.
Key moments for me – the sun making hundreds of temples and pagodas glow as it sets on the plains of Bagan; sitting in a 2-room hut sharing tea and bananas and learning to count to ten in Burmese with a family of farmers; drifting on a boat in the middle of shallow Inle Lake as the motor quit, while watching fishers power themselves around using one leg on the oar; seeing the happy look on the orphan boys faces as they graciously accept a simple balloon from me; sitting on a hilltop eating a chapati filled with roasted pumpkin (and loving it!) after a challenging uphill walk; exploring the gauntlet of tourist stalls everywhere we went and never feeling pressured or harassed to buy; riding a horse and cart through villages and being welcomed and invited in by the locals; conversing with a struggling restaurant owner and his gratitude as I shared some internet sites that could help him in his business; and so many more moments that I can not list here…
We have never experienced travel like we did in Myanmar. Never did we have the feeling that we were just another few tourists (OK, maybe at the airport where all tourist passengers were labelled with stickers and lumped together in the waiting room) but were always welcomed with openness, a genuine smile and warmth. I did an experiment at one point to see what would happen. I deliberately smiled at locals, of all ages and walks of life, as they passed by. In every case, all smiled back sincerely, then continued on their way. This happens way too infrequently here in the western world as we rush about our lives. The power of a smile can never be over-rated!
While Thailand was amazing and we had some great experiences there (e.g, elephants, cooking ,the Emerald Cave), this trip will always be about Myanmar and its people. Now that the ruling military government has softened its stance and is welcoming the outside world, and Obama has visited the country, Myanmar will change…and quickly! Travel forums are currently inundated with questions about travelling there. Apparently tour operators are overwhelmed by the number of requests for services and are not coping well. Those in-the-know warn about not pre-booking hotels or one may end up sleeping on a monastery floor. We are so glad we saw the country as it is, now!
To refer back to my opening quote…I am not the same now that I’ve visited the country and met the people of Myanmar. My experience there has reinforced for me that it is not what you have that makes you happy, it is living honestly and appreciating what you do have, and making the most of it with humility and compassion for others.
Finally, I just reread this…please excuse the philosophical sentimentality of this blogpost —I’m still jetlagged and not quite back to my usual practical self…And when I am, I will be off planning our next trip! Thanks for reading!