Or hello from Burma!
My last evening in Yangon, I was suppose to meet up with a couchsurfer who lived there, but I was too tired from the day and it was still raining really hard. Hung out and chatted with other travelers at the hotel. Lots of business people here checking out opportunities in Burma. This place is going to be really big in just a few years, I suspect. Met some Indian and Malaysians business men, a woman from the Netherlands, an Australian teacher, a Chinese engineer who invited me to Beijing, and a Canadian who now lives in Saudia Arabia. Interesting conversations about politics and religion (both of which I do not generally talk about... Especially here in Burma), but interesting with such a diverse group.
Spent the next day exploring the city again on foot, visiting the morning food markets and stumbling into the construction/hardware stores area of town (I am not sure how I always end up at the hardware stores, no matter where I go... It is like I am channeling my dad!) It wasn't raining, but super humid and pretty warm. Everyone is so friendly, and after two days, I am running into familiar faces and stopping to chat every few blocks or so. There are the occasional touts selling bus tickets or offering money exchange, but they aren't at all pushy. Lots of children monks who are more persistent about asking for money, but I am getting better at saying no.
Just for fun, I heard there was a cheaper way to get to the bus terminal out of town. So I jumped in a truck "ferry" that brings all the boxes and packages from the stadium in the city to the bus terminal out of town with a few locals and saved a few bucks. The bus to Inle Lake was very full and I realized they sold me a local bus ticket. Many locals have said I look like I am from Myanmar, so I may be getting away with a little more than I should. But apparently, I don't look enough like a local because I was surrounded by boat, taxi, and tuktuk drivers as soon as I got off the bus at 5am.
Inle Lake was kind of a bust. Super touristy and expensive with people trying to sell you stuff everywhere. Didn't like the town so negotiated a boat deal for the day to look for cheap accommodations on the lake and then show me around. Places were $60-$100 a night, but one of the nice women at the pricy hotels helped me out and called a friend. Ended up staying in a room in a house/restaurant named Ngwe Zin Yaw for $35 right across from Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda in Thale Village. Beautiful spot except there was a loudspeaker for non-stop chanting (well, occasionally they would have to stop and cough). At least it stopped at 6pm, but they wake up even before the chickens and start back up at 4am. So ended up seeing the morning market (which was great to see early, as most locals left when boatloads of tourist showed up several hours later and I just walked a few meters back to my room). Saw the jumping cat monastery but the cats were just sleeping so just wanted to float on the lake and watch the fishermen (who can row the boat using their leg while reeling in the net) but continually got steered towards super touristy stuff like "go see the ring neck tribal women", I had enough. Headed back to town to book a bus anywhere but there.I stumbled into a booking office with the nicest woman at a spot called Century Travel. She sold me a bus ticket to Bagan and let me hang out there until the bus came. Met her wonderful family when her husband came back after picking up the kids at school (men here seem to take a very active role around the house and with their children) and they treated me and a couple who also booked the bus to a homemade Shan noodle dinner which was the best food I have had so far.
Got to Bagan yesterday morning and got a guy with a horse cart to take me around and find a place. Expensive here as well, but finally found Eden Guesthouse that had a small room with fan, AC, and private bathroom for $15. There is a nice rooftop deck, sunsets are incredible, and I should do just fine for a few days until I can catch the local slow boat to Mandalay (heard it comes on Wednesday or Thursday). Later this morning, I am heading out with my horse cart guy to see the ruins and temples. Then maybe I will have to learn to ride a bike, since that is the good way to explore (all day I got stopped and asked why I am walking and not biking... One guy kept bugging me about renting a bike and I told him I really liked walking 'til a monk shooed him away for me and smiled).
Not a lot of Internet here (and what there is is spotty and slow) but will send another update when I can. Just know all is well, and Burma is a magical and beautiful place. Perhaps the safest place I have ever traveled.
Love,
Betsy
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