This is Burma
and it is unlike any land
you may know about…
Rudyard Kipling
Catch a fiery sunset at the golden Shwedagon Pagoda
A place uniquely preserved in culture with people still true to their native traditions, Myanmar (aka Burma) stays mostly untouched by modernity–except for cellphones and the quickly thickening deluge of tourists. Go see this country sooner than later, while golden arches are still made of wood and gold leaf at sacred pagodas with no McDonald’s in sight! I loved traveling to this country where markets abound with fresh produce and natural herbal remedies, shoppers who carry their own reusable baskets, where people know only to cook and eat real food–a reminder of our almost forgotten connection to nature’s divine wisdom and benevolence.
Helpful and kind despite economic hardships, locals still proudly wear their traditional longhis (i.e., long skirt wraps for men and women) in cotton or silk, as well as their native thanaka skin cream which also doubles as makeup and sunscreen.
As smitten with technology as we are
Their legendary political heroine Aung San Suu Kyi
Primarily Buddhist, alms giving is a daily ritual in this country.
Monks at work
Monks at play
Someone’s not too thrilled by this makeup business… His mother’s market basket doubles as baby swing.
When traveling to exotic locales, I prefer to head out of the big cities to get the real pulse of the country. Bagan is an hour’s flight Northwest of Yangon. Morning flights make a clockwise circle of Yangon-Bagan-Mandalay-Inle Lake. It’s always best to take the first flights out in case of delays.
To imagine small town Bagan, picture the entire stretch of Manhattan with nothing but stupas of all sizes. Early bird or not, rise for a ride with Balloons Over Bagan. At the bottom of this photo is the outer edge of one of the prettiest hotels in Bagan, the Aureum Palace.
Grandma in tribal headdress, fierce as the dragon it is supposed to conjure
Horse and buggy ride
Sunset over Bagan
Welcome to Myanmar!
This series is inspired by the revival of “The King and I” on Broadway. While waiting for Part II of this travel guide, click on “Leave a Comment” (above left) to share what you’re curious to learn about other cultures.
xoxox
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