I had to
do my visa run last weekend so Tania and I popped over the border here in Mae
Sot to Myawaddy, which turned out to be actually an awesome day.
We
grabbed a kind of rickshaw, which was basically just a wooden cart with half a
bike strapped to the back of it, and were driven around by a really well
meaning, but totally incomprehensible Burmese guy.
We saw
this big Crocodile Temple, which is basically a pagoda on the back of a huge
concrete green crocodile, and lots of huge statues of Buddhas and golden
temples. They seem to go into that more in Burma than in Thailand, or at least
comparing Mae Sot to Myawaddy, there were a lot more pagodas and shrines.
We also
went to the market, which was predictably full of live food like the markets in
Mae Sot, and to the Buddhist School, which is a free school for young kids, and
just about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. The children were jumping all over
me and Tania, and shaking our hands and running away and grinning all the time.
It was adorable.
It was
interesting being in Burma though, I felt you could really tell the difference
between there and across the border. It seemed much more rundown to me,
although the people were super super friendly, we were given some food for free
once when we were riding past a stall, and everyone gave us big smiles. So it definitely
made me feel like I would want to do some travelling in Burma, as far as you
can.
Not much
else has gone on this week, apart from I’ve decided that I’m staying in Mae Sot
until the end of March/at some point in April, because Alice has some
fancypants work experience until then. It’s good though because part of me
wanted to stay longer and she’s helped me make up my mind! And I’m going to
move into the volunteer house here. There are no girls living at the office,
only guys, and lots more have moved in this week, and I find them sleeping in
the hallway and on the stairs and stuff, and none of them speak any English, so
I’m going to move this weekend. My friend Chris lives there, and another girl
is moving in soon, so it’ll be fun to house share for a month or so.
Hope you’re
all good,
Polly xx
