Our flexibility was rewarded. Stories of a land reminiscent of Thailand 30 years ago, with beauty and friendliness that even the most jaded of travelers couldn't help but be taken with, were finding us at every turn as we stood perched in Bangkok, the entryway to our open 3 month S.E. Asia leg of our journey. The common refrain was an unequivocal, "Go to Myanmar now, before it changes." It took a little research to rid myself of outdated ideas of Burma, officially changed to Myanmar in 1989, as a dangerous and inaccessible land of never-ending opium fields, with its refugees flooding into Thailand, which I still held from my previous SE Asia travel, 20 years ago. With small yet consistent positive changes in the government, and improvements with human rights, Myanmar slowly began opening to tourism in the late 1990. After much research on the internet, available at a speed in Bangkok which we hadn't experienced since Europe, and planning visa/flight logistics, Myanmar found its way onto our itinerary.
Our entry point was the city of Yangon and our first outing, a morning visit to the most important Pagoda in Myanmar, 2500 year old Shwedagon, with its tall gilded stupa. With this visit I immediately realized we had been well guided in our decision. Myanmar's maintains a strong belief in Theravada Buddhism, which is evident with the countless temples and scores of monks and nuns seen throughout the country.
Our entry point was the city of Yangon and our first outing, a morning visit to the most important Pagoda in Myanmar, 2500 year old Shwedagon, with its tall gilded stupa. With this visit I immediately realized we had been well guided in our decision. Myanmar's maintains a strong belief in Theravada Buddhism, which is evident with the countless temples and scores of monks and nuns seen throughout the country.
As we wondered through Yangon I found an undefinable beauty in the dilapidated and chaotic streets
As always we were quite happy to stumble on some street markets, which make for a quick way to familiarize oneself with a place through its food, dress, and social interactions. Constantly on the look out for new gluten free snacks, the kids were pleased with the wide choice of rice and coconut goodies, along with the wonderful selection of fresh fruits and veggies.
With our allotted 3 weeks in Myanmar, we were eager to explore more rural areas. Bagan, the land of mist covered pagodas, was "just" a 10 hr bus trip away.
