By the end of my trip I felt, more acutely than I have in other places. Myanmar made me feel the most out of my element, and pushed me to grow, even in just a few days. Everyone says Myanmar will be different in a few years' time, and being on the ground there, I get the sense that this is true. The places I visited pulsates with energy, commerce and change.

I am thankful for the experience, but am also saddened to think of how life will change for the people when the number of tourists increases. While tourism provides economic growth and employment for many, it will likely also lead to the destruction of existing market and cultures. Although I strongly encourage anyone to visit Myanmar, I hope those visiting can respect the existing cultures and travel responsibly.

Many seemed to focus on the poverty of the locals but I beg to differ. They may have lesser in terms of material wealth but the Burmese are genuine and traditional people who are not (yet) tainted by the lure of western capitalism and want for material wealth, who possess inner wealth in spirit and open hearts, and the gift of living in the present moment. If you think we are in any way richer just because we have more papers in the bank, then you are wrong. Countless are blinded by greed, choosing to lose their inner compass and virtuous conduct in exchange for more said money. We live in poverty too - extremely poor in character.

The past 5 days left me feeling bittersweet. It was a privilege to meet numerous kind hearted people during our short stay. Like so many places in the world, there are many reasons for outrage and despair. If I return to Myanmar, and I know I will one day, I don't want to go simply for my own benefit. I want to do something, not just witness the struggles and poverty - but the hope, kindness and strength that will carry the people of Myanmar forward.

It was definitely love at first sight. I love Bagan so hard it's not even funny. It is hands down, the most spectacular place I've ever been to. I call this ancient city My Unicorn Land (yes, it's that magical to me). We only had 2 days in Bagan but I would quite happily spend 2 weeks here. 

Bagan is the site of a ruined city in central Myanmar that was a powerful capital nearly a thousand years ago. At its peak there were over 10,000 temples, pagodas and stupas in the city. Today, there are only just over 2,000 remaining. What makes Bagan so remarkable is that there is always a temple in viewing distance. With so many temples scattered everywhere, it was impossible to visit all of them. These are the key temples we visited during our short stay.

Built in 1105 AD, the Ananda Temple is Mon architecture at its finest. 

Built in late 12th century, the Dhammayangyi Pagoda is usually associated with King Narathu, who built the temple during his ruthless 3 years tenure. Legend has it that the the evil king (he killed his father, brother and wife with his own hands) demanded the temple brickwork to be fitted together tightly so that even a pin could not pass between 2 bricks. Failure to achieve this resulted in the slaves being killed as it was assumed that they lacked work efficiency. The Dhammayangyi Pagoda is the biggest temple on the plains of Bagan.

Bagan surprised me in every way, the pureness of the nature, the picturesque scenery, the simple lifestyle. It is hard to imagine a place so ancient and unchanged in the modern world of Southeast Asia. It was a privilege to be able to walk through this former empire. 

I have read on blogs that at some point, you get "templed-out" or simply tired of seeing the same Buddhas, temples and sunsets. After 2 days, I still wasn't "templed-out". I felt like I could have repeated the days I spent there over and over again and never get tire of it. 

Everything in Bagan felt romantic, and this oldness was something I dreamt about. There is nowhere in the world like wonderful, magical Bagan.

Mandalay is known as the economical hub connecting China and Myanmar, and is home to many ancient monuments. The former city of the kings is also the hub of transportation, as this is where numerous motorways, railways and waterways from various parts of the country are linked. 

We started our trip at Amarapura, a township of Mandalay which is mainly known for its silk and cotton weaving and the world's longest teak wood bridge - U Bein Bridge. Constructed in 1850 and standing at a length of 1.2 km, the bridge offers stunning views, with both locals and tourists crossing it the whole day - monks, kids going to school, couples in love, self taught artists.

We then drove to the Mahamuni Temple, the holiest pagoda of Mandalay and considered the second holiest place in Myanmar after the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. The pagoda is huge with several entrances and hallways leading to its center, where the gold-covered 4 meters tall Buddha statue sits. Only males are allowed to enter the center. Females can catch a glimpse of the statue from the outside or from the televisions mounted on the walls - a policy that has been subjected to heated discussions. The atmosphere is so devout I did not take any photographs of the temple. I simply be present.

Our next stop was the Kuthodaw Pagoda, otherwise known as the world's largest book. There are 729 alabaster marble slabs, each housed in its own small stupas and relaying the entire 15 books of the sacred Tripitaka scripture. Each of these white stupa contains one page.

From here, we visited the Shwenandaw Kyaung. This structure was initially built within the palace walls in Amarapura as a residence for King Mindon. After the king died in it, it was converted to a monastery and moved to its current site. This saved it from being destroyed by allied bombings during World War II, making the monastery the single remaining major original structure of the original Royal Palace. It is notable for its teak carvings of Buddhist myths, gilded pillars and ceilings, and the atmospheric interior.

We concluded our tour by catching the sunset atop Mandalay Hill, where the Sutaungpyi Paya (Wish Granting Temple) perched high up at the summit. 

Yangon was swelteringly hot, full of crumbling colourful Colonial facades. Certainly there were slums in Yangon, but the city has many faces, as most do. The roads were chaotic but unlike in most other Southeast Asian cities, there was not a scooter in sight - they are illegal in Yangon. 

Contrary to what I expected based on TripAdvisor and travel blogs, (I read the internet was unusable, buses and trains were uncomfortable and unsafe, power cuts were frequent and long lasting, food and water were unclean and caused dysentery, the absence of toilet paper in toilets) Yangon is really not that bad. It is actually a pleasant city. 

My favourite part aside from pagoda-hopping across town, is eating. I developed great joy and an obsession with eating traditional Burmese food. Did I mention Yangon was hot? And that I was dressed conservatively throughout this entire trip out of respect when visiting the pagodas? It was worth the sweat though. I was quietly awed by the 2,500-year-old Shwedagon Pagoda. Its compound has hundreds of shimmering gold temples, stupas, statues, Buddha images and pieces of art. 

It was a good 3 days taking a complete hiatus from all things online and having a mind detox which I so desperately need since my mind is usually scattered with irrelevant junk.





A glimpse into our brief getaway 1,000 meters above sea level.

 

 

The Lakehouse

A quaint tudor-style boutique hotel sitting on a hill slope,

overlooking the Abu Bakar Lake.

 

 

 

 

   

 

Many times, it's just being in the moment with people you care about.

Off to Hong Kong with my sunshines for a much needed getaway.

And we ran,

wild and free.