Welcome aboard the flight to Yangon, Myanmar. Please be patient as we locate the bags for the 15 missing passengers. We should be departing in 20-30 minutes." Strange, but okay.
30 minutes later, the passengers listen intently to the emergency procedures as we slowly move away from our gate toward the runway. Myanmar here we come! I proceed to fall asleep, having not slept the night before as several of us ETAs had camped out in the bright and noisy airport. I'll wake up in 2.5 hours we land in Yangon. Or so I thought.
When I wake up, I am in a daze of confusion. We're at a gate but I know we're not in Myanmar. But we already left... As it turns out, we are back at our original gate. The pilot comes over the intercom, "Due to extreme fog in Yangon, we can not leave. Hopefully, the fog will clear in the next hour so we can depart." Nevermind that the flight is supposed to take 2.5 hours and any fog is bound to have dissipated in that amount of time. But anyhow, we wait. Two hours after we should have left, we finally do. I just hope this isn't indicative of how travel will be inside the country! (With three 10 hour bus rides to look forward to, it could be a real nightmare!)
In actuality, that was the only transportation glitch in our week-long trip. Thank goodness! A delightful trip it turned out to be.
Yangon
A stroll through the palace grounds led my friend Wes and me to a small park where a group of young adults were enjoying the beautiful day by having a picnic on the side of the lake. Naturally, we went over to the group and engaged the youth in conversation. They were all in secondary school in Yangon and were indeed just enjoying the nice day together. We exchanged cultural information, sang "You Are My Sunshine," and took photos together. Interacting with locals is often the favorite part of my days and it is usually greatly appreciated.
Our new Burmese friends
I sat at a tea shop in a kid sized plastic chair at a kid sized table next to another kid sized table where a grown man sat. I ordered Burmese tea, a must-have when in Myanmar, and relaxed as I watched the people leave the local market with their daily purchases. The gentleman next to me kindly interrupts my people watching to ask where I am from. Then he asks, " Are you a teacher? You look like you might be one." I'm not quite sure why he thought that as I was wearing a t-shirt and ultimate shorts, but I just so happen to be one in Malaysia. Conversation about the importance of teaching grammar versus speaking confidence ensues. This man is a secondary school teacher in Yangon. Mainly a science teacher, he has taught two years of English as well.
A decision to stay at a pleasant restaurant to listen to the live local band play a mix of popular English and Burmese songs led to meeting a remarkable man who is training the Burmese police force after having spent many years of his life in the US Marine Corps. Apparently, according to this man, the Fulbright program is expanding into Myanmar in 2014.
Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon - Covered in real gold leaf!
Bagan
At 5am, we take a horse and buggy in the pitch black into the land of 4000 temples. After removing our shoes, we climb the steep stairs up the temple in the waning darkness. And then we wait. A few temples are lit up, standing bright and radiant as nothing else can really be seen. As the dawn breaks, more and more temples appear on the plain. It is an incredible sight.
The sun rose long before it could actually be seen. There was a layer of haze hovering on the horizon. Several hot air balloons lifted off to fly over the plains as the fireball sun finally broke through the haze. And a fireball it was! Perfectly round and fiercely red, a distinct shape in the far distance.
Sunrise in Bagan
A temple in Bagan
Every temple is different, yet each honors Buddha. With colorful and fading murals on the walls, statues of Buddha inside each, and hidden staircases leading to exterior platforms with breathtaking views of the temples on the plain, Bagan is truly a remarkable place, unlike any I've ever visited.
From the top of Shwesantaw Pagoda
The temple-speckled plain
Inle Lake
Another must see. Small boats carved out of wood speckle this vast expanse of water. Fisherman standing on the back of their boats throw fishing nets into the water while holding the oar with their leg. Yes, they control the movement of the boat with the power of their legs. Unimaginable strength and balance.
Fisherman on Inle Lake
Stilt houses
On my 25km bike tour around part of the lake, I pass a sign for a traditional Shan vegetarian restaurant. Note to self: return for late lunch. And so Wes and I did. A 15 minute bike ride into a small village leads us to a woman's house with two tables outside and a sign that says "Country Traditional Shan Vegetarian Food." We made it. While our food was being prepared, we played with the two adorable children who quickly warmed up to us despite not a word being spoken between us. Peek-a-boo, hand slaps, making animal shapes with our hands, and teaching/learning high fives put smiles on all of our faces.
The precious children
Ox cart in the village
And the food was delicious! Soup, potato and tofu curry, steamed rice with peanut crumbles, steamed vegetables and fresh calamansi juice. Mmm.
Back on the main road, we went another kilometer to the Red Mountain Estate Vineyard and Winery. We sat on the edge of a hill overlooking the plains and Inle Lake and watched the sun set behind the mountains in the distance.
Sunset
This trip marks the first of three school term breaks. As I post this, I have been in Malaysia for three months. Only seven months of my contract remain. Time is going by so quickly. And I'm loving every minute of my time here!
Marching band rehearsal at one of the schools in a village on the shores of Inle Lake
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