Take-Aways

Things you learn to do without in Burma 1. Electricity. Whether it is a 5 star hotel, a dingy little café or a store, electricity comes and goes at will. For indefinite amounts of time and business continues as usual with private generators or without. 2. Internet. Hotmail, Gmail, Facebook some places you get it some places you do not. No reason, no rime. Only authorised outlets can dispense it. At any rate, even if you do get access be prepared to grow old waiting for that page to load 3. Street lights. None at night. The heart of Mandalay could be the middle of the wilderness for all you can see at 9pm 4. Trousers, no one wears them, not even the men. Instead, watch out for the longyi a long piece of cloth tied up around the waste. Basically an ankle length skirt. It looks manlier than you would think. Also very partical, the knot in the front is also a little pouch for storing mainly the betel leaves and nuts. 5. Shoes. You have to take them off everywhere you go even if the floor is covered in all sorts you could do with not knowing. Things you get in abundance 1. Hospitality. Unreal! 2. An abundance of transportation. Rickshaws, trishaws, tuk-tuks, pick up trucks for 7 that actually contain 27 people, ancient buses with no leg room, bicycles but not in Yangon cause they are not allowed, bicycle pulleys, horse carts, mule carts, buffalo carts, taxis, Jeeps and in U Pi In a regular Cinderalla carriage . 3. Bags of money. The equivalent of a 100 Euro cannot fit in a wallet. You carry it around in a full plastic bag. Big money here. You walk around feeling like a big Mafioso with your illegal stash. The biggest denomination is 1000 Kyats (pronounced Jats) – basically 70 cents 4. People wanting to work for you. Sad but true. They want to work but there is nothing to do. Particularly in the big cities and in low season. Go to Myanmar but go independently and spread the money. Package tours only make the rich and the dictatorship richer. It is so easy to go around on your own and people are truly so hospitable that not only is it wrong not to go independently, it is a damn pity. 5. Contraband. Mainly from China. In fact large parts of the country are blocked off for foreigners. You cannot go for your own safety, allegedly. In reality, we would be likely to witness a thriving illegal trade, including one of opium 6. Coffee Mix – cloyingly sweet and quite addictive, it comes in a little sachet that requires surgery to open 7. Gold temples glimmering in the sun on every corner of the land 8. Superb ice cream – watch out for the Nylon ice cream bars in Yangon and Mandalay Bordering on Kafka 1. To note! Not all money is equal. Unless your dollars are unfolded, brand new, quite recent denominations, with not a stain or little imperfection they are not worth the paper they are written on. Considering there is not a single ATM in the country, you may have to leave well ahead of what you planned. 2. Everyone chews betel leaves and nuts. The whole nation is on a permanent high because of it – maybe that would explain the hospitality. Red smiles with teeth covered in what is best described as red veering to black molasses. Pepsodent heaven! 3. Gasoline. Everyone talks about the price of going up but no one seems to sell it. So far, we have had gasoline stops at a grocery store, a fruit stand, a guy’s motorcycle and a pot of paint. You get out of your vehicle (which is almost never a car) with your canister and basically fill it up where and when you can. Good thing there are no car rentals Still, with all the absurdity, the country is mesmerising and the people enchanting. Come to Burma. They want you here and they will make you feel welcome. But come on your own with an open mind and an open heart. Talk to the people and meet with them and do not be afraid to be touched by them and if and when you can give them a helping hand. They will return it several times over.