They say life is not about the number of breaths we take,
rather than the moments which take your breath away. And I’ve been more than
lucky in that aspect to have had the opportunity to visit Myanmar (erstwhile
Burma) for its magnificent landscapes, people beyond the definition of
hospitable, art and architecture to satisfy your senses to no end and smiles
and peace to greet you even in the most chaotic pick-up van!
While, soon there will be several posts detailing your
journey which started from Mandalay, then a 2-day trek from Kalaw to Inle Lake,
followed by 2 days at Inle Lake and the neighbouring regions, moving to Bagan
for 2 more days and finally back to Mandalay and the neighbouring ancient
cities!
It sounds too much for just 8 days, and it did stretch us to our
physically limits, but if we have to do it again, there’s nothing we would
change!
While now I sit in my apartment, on a humid Sunday Bombay
evening, I can’t stop thinking of snippets of the Myanmar trip and how much I
learnt about history, geography and people in general in just those 8 days!
Lessons from Myanmar:
Smiling is a national mandate!
It is crazy, how can an entire nation
always put up a smiling face?! Irrespective of the weather, the hardships in
life, the spice in your curry, there is nothing that a smile cannot overcome!
One night we reached our hostel post midnight and had to bang on the doors to
wake up the owners inside, and wake they did with a resplendent smile!
Everywhere we went the one thing common was the innocent smiles that greeted
us!
 |
| First family we met on our trek to Inle Lake. And it was the first time they were seeing foreigners! So happy to have a polaroid to keep those memories forever! |
 |
| Babies of Burma! On the trek to Inle Lake |
 |
| So excited to show off his catch! |
History does not define your future
Historically, the capital of Myanmar has
mostly circulated between Inwa, Amarapura and Mandalay, the three ancient
cities. We happened to visit Inwa on one of the days and unless we had
specifically read about it’s royal history, there is pretty much no semblance
to an erstwhile royal capital! Just goes on to show how if people don’t move
ahead with times and still hold on to their heritage, they will neither belong
to the past nor to the present.
 |
| Ruins at Inndain |
 |
| More than a thousand pagodas at the Shwe Inn Thein |
 |
| Bird's eye view of the Shwe Inn Thein |
Indulge in the arts!
Almost everywhere one can see people
setting up easels or mixing colours to paint the silhouette of a wooden
monastery or the flaming colours of the setting sun or the life story of
Buddha! Agreed, a lot of it is turning towards commercial consumption owing to
increased tourism, however, it is still heartening to see old men with flowing
white beards painting sunsets.
 |
| Just another morning at a monastery |
 |
| Too much beauty in the same frame! |
There is always time for football!
Footballs here are not what one is used to
seeing, the colourful patches on a bouncy big ball. Instead it is fashioned out
of bamboo (called a chemlo) and is
considerably tinier but still clearly affords the same amount of fun to kids
and adults alike. On most corners and alleys it’s not a rare sight to see young
monks, with their maroon drapes tied around their waists running after the chemlo.
 |
| Chemlo is always a good idea! |
 |
| At any time of the day! |
 |
| With anyone! |
Mass tourism is fast approaching!
Myanmar saw about 2 million tourists in
2013. Compare this to the 20 million that its neighbour Thailand saw in the
same time. While in major tourist spots like Bagan you can see taxi drivers
approaching the bus even before it has stopped at the station, at others like
Manadalay (surprisingly) most locals just leave you alone as you walk about its
crowded streets. While Myanmar is still one of the most pristine and untouched
countries in south East Asia, it doesn’t seem like it will remain so for a very
long time. It is up to people like us, who while should visit the country and
savour its beauty and hospitality in all its glory, but also do it in a manner
most responsible. Let’s not make it another Thailand.
