A reluctant farewell

Myanmar was enchanting. I had an incredible guide, Cho, a smart 32 year old that mixed lessons in Buddhism with local legends and witty jokes. We ate tea leaf salad, bargained in the markets and got pedicures together. I give her a lot of credit for making my trip so memorable. 

The people here were a big part of making this a wonderful experience. I don't think I've ever experienced such genuine friendliness. I would catch someone staring at me, and wave, and their face would break into a huge smile and they would wave back enthusiastically. People are still curious about visitors and don't yet see them as walking wallets. Some of the most fascinating moments were when Cho and I would wander through a village, dropping in on whoever happened to be home. We stopped and talked with an old woman hand rolling cigarettes and asked her about business (she lamented that people aren't smoking enough these days). We visited a man whose family had been making pottery for generations, who showed us how the pots were made and then showed us around his small home. (He had daughters my age and thought I was very brave to travel alone). An elderly woman beckoned us into her bedroom to show us her prized piece of lacquer furniture. None of these people wanted anything from us - they were as curious about me as I was about them. How many years before that changes? 

The tourists are arriving, mostly older Europeans. I saw plenty of people engaging in the kind of obnoxious behavior that ruins it for the rest of us. (I want to learn how to say 'you are a disgrace to your country!' and 'cover your flabby body' in every Western language....). At a monastery, a monk confessed to us that he wanted to welcome visitors, but felt very uncomfortable with the hordes of paparazzi. Cho joked, "we went to see 1000 monks, but we found 2000 tourists!". 

Elections are in Nov 2015, and we will see how that affects the country...

The under 25 set is heavily influenced by Korean culture, and is giving up their traditional clothing for the ubiquitous western style club look. In 10 years, a lot less people will be wearing the longyi or painting their faces with thanaka.

So if you're thinking of going, go now! The sites are stunning, the infrastructure is modern and the people are lovely. As I was departing, the customs officer have me a huge smile and said "So nice to meet you!" For the first time ever, I smiled at a customs officer. "Thank you for sharing your beautiful country."