Goodbye Myanmar. It’s Been Swell.

All in all I really liked Myanmar but it got to be a bit…quiet…after awhile and I was, without a doubt, ready to leave.

I spent a total of 10 days visiting Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay and Nuang Shwe/Inle Lake. The days were filled with sight seeing and the nights were mostly filled with…well…nothing (Myanmar is lacking a night life).

Here are some of the more memorable moments/memories/general things I noticed during my visit:

That time I covered my face in clay to match the gay Burmese man trying to sell me bracelets
Drinking coconuts with Stranger Friends when a massive branch fell from the sky, taking out a sad little family (seriously, wtf?)
Having to pull over my bicycle to let a herd of cattle and goats pass on the way to (another) temple sunset
The amazing hospitality at the Yoe Yoe Lay Guesthouse in Mandalay. They were always bringing out food, replying with “my pleasure” in their adorable little accents… One day when I was feeling homesick, the owner took me to the movie theatre and had snacks and singing waiting for me when I returned. So. Kind.
Going for an stroll on the boardwalk in Yangon only to find out there was no exit and I would have to walk the entire massive lake without sunscreen or water
Burmese kids pulling over their bicycles to help me when my scooter was stuck in the sand in Bagan
Weird Burmese movies they play on buses that are impossible to follow (one commonality: the “cool” Burmese guy always has anime hair, wears Ray Bans, and listens to Beats by Dre)
Seeing how the locals live on a boat trip to Inle Lake. Watching them fish and herd cattle through the water, kids playing and everyone being so friendly, waving as we drove past
That time my boredom convinced me to see a puppet show
Being the only foreigner on various modes of transportation. Not understanding anything, not knowing when to get off, everyone always staring
Seeing hundreds of monks line up for lunch in Mandalay
Stumbling across a parade to welcome rain following the hot season complete with adorable prancing babies, women carrying fruit on their heads and men dancing like Snoop Dogg (literally. That’s the best thing I can compare it to).