Myanmar is a country that remains relatively unknown. Travellers who have been fortunate enough to set foot here will tell you they would like it to remain as it is. Authentic.

Upon my arrival in Myanmar, in the city of Mandalay, I immediately felt in love with the untouched feeling of the country. I was really surprised to see how children, parents and grandparents looked at me with so much curiosity. A candid curiosity accompanied by a smile to melt my heart every time.

This environment plunged me immediately into a state of well-being and deep serenity. Exactly what I came here for.

A bit of history
Since its independence from Britain in 1948, the country was plunged into a long civil war and then be controlled by an oppressive military junta from 1962 to 2011. In 1989, the country changed its name from Burma to Myanmar to break with its colonial past and to better represent the diversity of the nation. The country has more than 135 ethnic groups officially recognized by the government. They are grouped into eight major national ethnic groups according to a region.

It was only in March 2016 that Myanmar parliament elected the first non-military president, Htin Kyaw, since the army took power in 1962. A historic moment.

A colossal work is ahead. International human rights organisations rank Myanmar among the worst countries in the world in terms of civil liberties and corruption. Under the military regime, people had to respect a curfew and were forbidden to speak politics in public. People lived in a climate of fear. The country was completely closed to the world, including the borders. Myanmar is gradually opening to the world. Since 2013 major airlines offer direct flights to Yangon and Mandalay. Since barely a year people can now hold a passport.

Canada announced a new program to help build inclusive democratic governance in Myanmar totalling $44 million.

Aung San Suu Kyi

A heroine is behind this huge change: Aung San Suu Kyi the leader of the National League for Democracy. Her party won the elections in 1990 (with 81% of the votes), but the military government refused to hand over power. She was imprisoned and placed under house arrest for more than twenty years, until 2010. She became a notorious political prisoner supported by several countries, including Canada. In 1991 she received the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her nonviolent struggle for democracy and human rights in Myanmar.

Her party won the elections again in 2015 with a staggering majority. The constitution prevents anyone from becoming president if they have family members with a foreign nationality (her late husband and two children have British nationality). This clause was introduced by the military junta for the sole purpose to exclude Aung San Suu Kyi from the presidency. Since April 2016, she is the First State Counsellor of Myanmar, a function specially created for her despite the resistance of the military members still active in the parliament. “The Lady” as she is called here is an iconic figure that we see everywhere on calendars and posters. People seem to devote her a huge respect.

What a warm welcome!
The first image I have of Myanmar is two girls on a motorcycle, thanaka on their cheeks, looking at me with their best smile while waving their hands at me. People on the streets are welcoming me with such a joyful “mingalarbar” (hello/welcome!) asking me where I’m from. I can feel the honour in their eyes that a Canadian is interested in their country.

Yes, it’s refreshing to cycle around in a big, hot and dusty city like Mandalay where I am one of the few foreigners. I feel like a privileged guest invited to observe their daily scene from backstage. Even in the largest city and former capital of Yangon, where the international community is more present, I still feel that gentle curiosity and warm welcome. Precious and rare I am telling you.

Even if there is a world of difference between the major cities (Mandalay, Bagan, Inle Lake and Yangon), men, women and children will undoubtedly smile at you. Sidewalks are filled with vendors selling sliced watermelon, green mango or other local products in season. Small food stalls selling shan noodles, one of their specialties and tea shops are everywhere. Sidewalks and streets are full while remaining calm. I always felt that people were honest by giving me the fair price for whatever I bought.

Solicitation increases maybe a notch around the biggest temples of Bagan and in some corners of Inle Lake, but it is still very soft comparing to other countries in Southeast Asia. Even young children who have approached me with their postcards managed to seduce me! They may look like little brats, but once you have talked to them, you quickly change your mind. Children came to me many many times. They were attracted to me as much as I was to them.

Take these two boys. They wanted to sell me postcards and bracelets. I said no, thank you and then discussed with them. One of them was selling a pretty bracelet with a yellow jade. I have a bracelet for each of the countries I visited so far, including one offered by my former colleagues in Canada. Myanmar is known for gems especially jade. After leaving the site, the two boys took a bike and followed us to the next site. I couldn’t stop but smiling at them.

Once at the other temple, I could feel they were happy to just be with me and my driver. They asked me about my country because they didn’t even know where it was . Before leaving, I bought the bracelet to the boy, telling him that it to remind me of him and Myanmar. The other boy was very disappointed (you can see by his face on the photo!). So I made a deal with them. To let his friend sell a postcard to the next tourist so it will be fair. And to remain nice to tourists. Yes, ok they said. I left completely moved by my time spent with them.

Another time an old man wanted to spare me from the strong mid-afternoon sun by taking me on his motorbike to the temple. A taxi driver invited me for a tea where we discussed about the country. Thanks to him I saw the most beautiful places in the outskirts of Mandalay. No doubt I felt a warm welcome during all my stay in Myanmar.

Monks
Some of you may know that I am fascinated by monks. Myanmar has one of the highest proportion of monks and nuns in the world. Near 90% of the population practice Buddhism.

Every young boys are expected to enter a monastery as a novice monk for a few weeks or months. They then have the choice to continue or leave the monastery whenever they want. It is at the age of 20 that a young man can become a monk. For the poorest families it is the best way to provide free education to at least one of their son.

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Every early morning monks dressed in their maroon robes walk barefooted in the streets in a single file carrying their alms bowls in front of them. The monks stop in front of houses and shops where people offer them rice and other food. It is not considered as an act of charity. I was reading that the giving and receiving of alms creates a spiritual connection between the monks and the community. People have the responsibility to support the monks physically and the monks to support them spiritually.

The monks will only eat the food they had received and will be consumed by noon. After noon they are only allowed to drink water or fruit juice.

Buddhist nuns are nicely dressed in pink. While monks are venerated members of the society, nuns have a different status. They must obey to the monks. They are allowed to do the traditional alms round twice a week. As they must cook their meals, they receive money or ingredients to prepare their food such as dry rice, oil and salt.

Some special traits

Thanaka
Thank is a distinctive feature of Myanmar. It is a natural cosmetic paste obtained by grinding the bark of the thanaka tree with water on a stone. A tradition that dates back over 2,000 years. The paste is used to help women and children (boys and girls) to protect their skin from the sun during the hot season. It is also used for its cool and clean feeling. Thanaka is also used as a beauty product to improve the complexion of the skin or to treat acne.

Paan
Men have a less pretty habit from which they seem completely addicted:  chewing on paan. It is an areca nut wrapped in a betel leaf with tobacco. The paan gives an horrible red color to the teeth in addition to destroy them. It would have a stimulating effect and an appetite suppressant. Some chew it with some water then spit it while others swallow it. In both cases you will see men spitting. And it is quite disgusting to hear and see those red spots everywhere at all time.

Tea at any time of the day
Throughout the day men are hanging out in a tea shop sipping on a tea seated on a small plastic chair. The tea in Myanmar is usually made with carnation milk and sugar. It is drank along with Chinese tea. A proper tea shop always has a carafe on the table. Because it is so hot, it is said to be better for the body to drink warm liquids instead of cold drinks.

Water stations
Absolutely everywhere either on roadsides or in temples they are water stations. People can have access for free to drinking water donated by companies or people. What a brilliant idea.

Hairstyles
I noticed quickly the huge amounts of hair salons in Mandalay and I soon understood why. Young men proudly wear stylish and coloured hair cuts. From blond to red they look like rock stars from the 90’s! However, it is not appreciated by everyone.

Modernity and blackouts
The country begins to open to the world. WiFi is still either very slow or nonexistent. Prices are becoming more reasonable for a cell phone or a sim card. Cell phones are increasingly present, even monks have one! As if modernity already surpasses the reality of the country, power outages are very common. Last time it happened I was in a café.  People remained calm and offered me an iced tea to apologize.

It only took me three short weeks to be completely seduced by the delicate, respectful and smiling people of Myanmar. I am fascinated to see how a population that has been repressed and completely cut off from the world for over fifty years can behave with such warm manners with foreigners.

Three short weeks to convince me to come back!

I understood that like love, it can either take time to love, Sri Lanka for me, or it can be instant as Bali and Myanmar. Each country delivers its own beauty at its own pace and unique way.

Happiness and serenity

Nathalie