Myanmar, welcome to a different world

We have finally arrived in Myanmar. Until we flew to Asia back then, I didn't even know that this country exists, let alone where it is located. Last November, Jonas raved to me about how much he would love to travel to Myanmar. Since the country has not been open to tourists for long, is highly religious, and (in my opinion) has an Indian touch, I resisted adamantly. Well, that was already half a year ago now and we have seen so much of the world and I have become braver. After having such bad luck in Australia and nothing going as Jonas had imagined, I wanted to fulfill this wish for him. When Pam and Brian, our two hosts, raved about this country after their recent visit, the decision was made. However, my condition was: only good accommodations, good tour providers, and definitely not flying with a local airline (their safety standards are not the best).

So we flew from Singapore to Yangon. During our first stroll through the city, I realized that Myanmar was ultimately like any other Asian country: dirty, noisy, chaotic, but above all wet!! And yet, there was something different. The people on the streets looked at us as if we came from a different planet (understandably, there were simply no tourists here). Everyone was incredibly friendly and helpful, whether in the hotel, restaurant, or shop. I could hardly believe my eyes. The only downside was the rain, which persisted all day long. So our first acquisition was two umbrellas=)

We didn't do much in Yangon. Just walking through the streets and markets is enough to have plenty of new impressions for the day. We found a great little café with the best chocolate cake in the world and a bright pink flamingo café in the dull, gray streets. Of course, we had to make a little stop there as well.

The nice thing here is that prices are finally so cheap again that when ordering, you no longer have to think about what is the cheapest, but what you really want=)

On the next day, we visited the famous Shwedagon Pagoda. At least here, I expected a few tourists, but that was also not the case. On the grounds of the pagoda, there was an incredible tranquility and pleasant atmosphere, I can't even describe it. We have seen many temples and pagodas, but this one was somehow even more impressive.

When we were considering how to get to the next place, I was somewhat horrified. I had the choice between a 30-hour train ride in a filthy, dirty train (yes, you read that right, the trains here only travel at 20 km/h) or a one-hour flight with a local airline. In the end, I decided against my principles again and booked the flight. I believe that this was definitely the lesser evil...

Myanmar is a very impressive country and has already captivated us. The next few days we will spend 'in the countryside' at Inle Lake, more on that soon!!