“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry
Miller
Stepping
out of our taxi cab in downtown Yangon, felt like a trip back in time. Trucks
from WWII war movies roared past, while people scurried along the dirt roads. I
watched women haul their market items over their shoulder on a stick with two
pails, one at each end, and I jumped back as I nearly got splattered with
beetle-nut spit as one man projected into the street.
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| One of the many Myanmar children that I made CRY! |
As we were introduced to Ei Ei’s village, family,
neighbors, and friends, I couldn’t help but notice people laughing. I was
concerned that I had done something inappropriate or was rude without knowing.
Ei Ei could tell by my face I was concerned and said, “Oh don’t take it
personally, the babies in my village have just never seen someone that looks
like you.” I made babies cry. Not
just one baby, as Suba reminded me – at least twelve, in the first day. Parents were laughing because they
thought their kids reaction was hilarious! I realized that for some of the
children in Insein, I was the first blonde hair, blue-eyed person to step foot
in their village. As the day went on and there were more wails as I walked
past, I became more and more upset. I tried to put myself in their tiny booties
and think back to when I first saw a person that looked “different” but I
couldn’t remember. I tried to smile, which seemed to only make things worse. It
became a game for all of us throughout the entire trip. Suba would nicely
approach a baby, get its attention, and then point at me. Every time one would
wail, everyone would start laughing…except me. My face makes babies in Myanmar
CRY!
As we
walked around downtown Yangon that evening (scaring a few more children with my
looks), Phoo’s boyfriend pointed out a car. I asked him why he was so
excited about this particular car – and he said it was the new 2002 model,
which wasn’t supposed to come out for another week or so with the new year. I
arrogantly and naively corrected him saying “You mean 2012.” He laughed and
said, no, we are just getting the two-thousand TWO models in just in time for the new year…in 2012!
The
most anticipated, and highly disappointing part of our trip (which in turn, is
perhaps a good thing!), was the military junta. Suba and I were anxiously
awaiting our confrontation with the extremists and Myanmar came and went,
without a single incident. We barely SAW the military! Of course, given the
areas we traveled, it is understandable to assume that the military would
tactfully not position themselves in areas of “high tourism,” nevertheless,
when military government officials boarded our bus and began rifling through
people’s belongings and demanding passports, Suba and I were excited. We
fumbled through our backpacks to find our passports and I placed my finger on
the page with my Myanmar visa, ready. As they inched closer, we both looked at
each other and almost smiled in excitement – FINALLY! We get a chance to see
these ruthless dictators. In hindsight,
and after further educating myself on the government regime in Myanmar, I do
not know why I was so anxious to have a run-in, and must say I am incredibly
thankful we didn’t have any incident with the government. As they got to
our seats, they took one look at us, smiled and said, “Welcome.” As the officer
walked past our row, without even a glance at our documents, I reached over
Suba from my window seat on the bus and attempted to throw my passport at him!
I was so desperate to have some kind of interaction with the government,
although I really do not know why!
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| At The White House Hotel in Yangon with the Manager's son One of the nicest families we encountered on our trip! |
While
Myanmar remains one of the poorest countries in Asia, you might be puzzled as
to WHY. Plentiful in minerals (gems, gold, and natural gas), it would appear
that the country would have significant wealth –but the government controls all
aspects of the wealthy natural resources, and most people in Myanmar do not
even see a penny (a kyat!) from this. What Myanmar lacks in economic wealth,
they make up for in the abundance of heart-warming people. The country has a
rich culture that is unlike any other I have ever encountered. I met so many
people on our journey who were so nice–
it took me several days to let down my guard because I assumed they had
ulterior motives. Their genuine and honest happiness can be inhaled at the
sight of one smile from a local or one wave from a stranger as a boat speeds by
at Inle.
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| House on canal near the mouth of Inle Lake |
I
worry for Myanmar at this incredibly delicate time. With the recent presence of
Hillary Clinton, Prime Ministers Yingluck, Cameron and more– I am seriously
concerned that tourism will soon invade. Although it is not my country, and I
can hardly say I have spent enough time there, I feel protective of its
innocence and unique culture. In our program, we have had several developers
excitedly reference Myanmar as a “clean slate,” – a‘project’ that is predicted
to be the biggest boom in development that will take place this decade.
Development professionals are anxious to dig their nails into the country and
have already drafted, drawn and proposed projects that would greatly impact the
culture, climate and well-being of Myanmar. I hope that in the upcoming years,
Myanmar will continue to preserve its unique landscape, and provide insight and
education for those that chose to visit.
While
I can’t provide an all-encompassing summary of the country, I can say my
overall impressions were extremely positive and I managed to fall in love with
the people and the landscape. The future is a very bright and exciting one for
the people of Myanmar, and I only hope that they will fight to keep their
unique culture, archeological sites and temples, beauty and untouched Inle
Lake, and their smiles – which far surpass the smiles I have seen in Thailand.
I would encourage you to Explore. Dream. Discover. Myanmar yourself – before it
is threatened with change and mass tourism!
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| Irrawaddy River, Bagan |
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