Myanmar - Impressions

Myanmar - to 'prepare' for my trip, I watched all sorts of documentaries, including the power of the monks. Here, the culture and life as well as the influence of the monks are described. As you travel through the country, you can see that Buddhism plays an incredible role here. It starts with the naming. My tour guide's name is Zaw Lin, so he was born on a Tuesday. The people are very friendly and helpful. There is a lot of smiling here. No one speaks loudly or argues. The people live very simply and seem to be very happy with it. Currently, it is the rainy season here, and in the first few days in the south of Myanmar, it was very clear and in the middle part, the rivers have long overflowed their banks. The people whose villages have been flooded move with their livestock to the road or build bamboo houses. There are a lot of stray dogs and cats here. A lot of money is spent on offerings. Gold leaves made of 24-carat gold are bought here and glued to Buddha statues. In addition, fruit and water are donated. I am very glad to have booked a guided tour and to have someone with me who really knows their way around. With the sheer number of street kitchens and restaurants, you just don't know which ones are the best. It was also a bit strange that a lot of people wanted to take pictures of me. And it's not just one. There are individual and group photos. The first week is over and I am very excited to see what happens next.