Mingalabar from Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). For the last month, Nick and I lost ourselves in one of the most magnificent countries that I have ever been to. Until about two years ago, Myanmar was extremely difficult to travel to. Even now, I was a little intimidated by the hoops we had to jump through to get into the country. We had to have visas issued in advance. You must have a proven date of exit. We had to enter the the country with enough money to sustain our month there (ATMs were rumored to be few and far between). the only accepted money for exchange in Myanmar is U.S. dollar bills in IMMACULATE condition (no tears, folds, marks of any kind) issued in the year 2009 or later. I would imagine that these are the same challenges people face when traveling to the USA as well. But not something that I had ever experienced before.
That said, we found that the whole country has an air of the undiscovered, of the 'off the beaten track', of being forgotten in the past as the rest of the world moved into the future. The charm of Myanmar is undeniable. A land of epic sunsets, majestic temples, breathtaking views, and unbelievably friendly locals. We were smitten from day one.
The following post is massive, but the things we saw and experienced were too beautiful to cut any part out. I hope that you enjoy this glimpse into this country that stole our hearts.
I found that time and time again, Myanmar left me breathless, humbled, awestruck. This boat ride was one of those instances. We were speeding along the glassy water making our way to a village of crumbling Buddhist temples in western Myanmar. The only way to access it is by plane, then boat.
We had been in the boat for about 4 hours at that point, amazed by the drama of the fiery red setting sun and the dolphins dancing along side our boat. But there was this moment just after the sun sank below the horizon where it felt like our boat suddenly passed through the viel between worlds. The water turned to glass, mirroring the pastel colors of the sky above. The warm breeze smelled softly of flowers, spice, and smoke. I felt suspended between the earth and the sky, and for one moment, one infinite moment, I glimpsed heaven.
Myanmar has that small town feel where you set foot onto the street and people are smiling at you, saying hello, brimming with curiosity about who you are and where you are from. For the month that we were in country we felt like celebrities. We traveled a lot by boat and were constantly surprised by the enthusiasm in which other boats and people from the shore would wave and call out in greeting to us as we passed. During a visit to a temple, we had a tour bus pull up next to us and we were rushed with people who lined up to have their pictures taken with us. It took us over 10 minutes to get our photos taken with all of them. Nick and I couldn't stop laughing. We will never be so famous again in our lives.
Within the first two days Nick bought several Longees (the Myanmese version of a sarong or a wrap skirt) and wore them for the rest of the trip. The locals LOVED this. He got high fives, thumbs ups, and even had some police men stop him for a photo. I swear people instantly liked him because he dressed like a local. However, wearing a longee is harder than it looks. It is all about getting it tied just right, and it is a common joke amongst Nick and the men about how big...or small...your knot is tied.
Let's talk for a moment about what I like to refer to as the longee incident. We were out in the remote Chin villages and spotted a group girls fetching water from the river. Nick, like a perfect gentleman, offered to carry two of the silver pails back up to the village. He propped them on each hip, with a gaggle of giggling girls in tow, and proceeded to climb the hill up to the village. At the top of the hill he started to notice his longee knot was coming loose. With the heavy pails of water balanced precariously on his hips and gravity at work, there was nothing he could do to prevent the inevitable fall. So there he stood in bright blue boxers, with his longee around his ankles, a group of giggling girls, and me, like any good fiancee, catching it all on the GoPro as I burst into uncontrollable laughter. He became infamous and by the time we had walked to the next village, word had already spread far and wide of the foreigner whose longee fell off.
The food in Myanmar is amazing! The country is so diverse with many different ethnic groups, and the food reflects this diversity. You can have curries in western Myanmar, coal fire grill fish in the south, steamed pork buns in the north, and variations of Shan noodle soup throughout the country (my personal favorite!). The spice level is perfect for my western palate. Be forewarned, there are bones in everything. Our motto 'Masticate with caution while in Myanmar'. Nick was not afraid to eat as the locals do. We got our fill of street food and sweet Myanmese tea from the local tea houses. Nick even tried deep fried grasshoppers (The big and juicy kind).
The U Pain bridge in Mandalay is the worlds longest teak wood bridge. We traveled there with a Chinese friend, who told us the legend of the bridge. It is said that if two lovers walk hand in hand across the bridge and back, the fates will grant them eternal love. The sweetest treasure...I hope that you have/find yours too.
Happy Holidays!