I woke up as the sun streamed into my dual aspect room, and listened to the sounds of the hotel waking up. I managed to stomach my first breakfast in three days, then met Annelie, Katharina, Simone and Shoshana to participate in a cooking class. Leslie sauntered up to us, beaming as we waited outside the bank, introduced himself, and guided us through the market, which was one of the least chaotic that I’ve seen. There wasn’t too much jostling, and the smells were fresh rather than offensive. We then caught a tuk-tuk to the cooking school. The Germans had bikes, so pedalled furiously behind us, whilst maintaining their characteristic grins. Leslie set us to work, preparing a banquet of Burmese curries, salads and accompaniments. A couple of hours later we shared our creations, and were extremely impressed with the results.
To reward ourselves for our hard work, the Germans and I decided to go for a traditional Burmese massage. This was an experience I would not care to repeat, but it was a hilarious way to spend an hour. Once we’d been liberated, we cycled to the Red Mountain Vineyard, ordered the taster wines (because we’re sophisticated like that) and watched the sunset.
We spent the evening in a French cafe watching a film about a monk. The director of the film also (egotistically) owns the cafe where he screens his masterpiece every night to his unsuspecting clientele, but this didn’t become apparent until after we’d laughed at the contrived acting and holey plot. Nevertheless, we had fun, and I went to bed pleasantly exhausted.
My last day at Inle was a lazy haze of wandering around, eating Nepali food, and hanging out with Shoshana and Simone. My bus left at 18:30. I’d been a bit of a princess and booked the VIP, as I sleep very foetally, and wanted as much room as I could get. My upgrade didn’t have the desired effect. I contorted myself into as many positions as I could think of to get comfortable, but all to no avail. The sudden bends and the grating of the underbelly of the bus as we soared over speed bumps was enough to keep me awake, as was my drained mp3, which couldn’t mask the sound of a fellow passenger’s retches, or the compulsory Burmese karaoke DVD.
We arrived in Yangon at 06:00, just as grainy dawn began to spread. I shared a taxi with a Croatian couple and checked into my hotel. I then guided myself on a little walking tour around the colonial architecture of the city. The Lokanat Gallery was a crumbly mess of dusty electrics and chipped floor tiles from Manchester, but the Post Office and the Strand Hotel bore evidence of love and restoration. I bumbled around in the heat, grabbed a lassi, and went to check out the market. I’m a notoriously bad shopper, but there I bumped into Lori and Ryan, an American brother and sister who had been on my bus. We went for coffee, met a Dutch guy, then grabbed lunch at a Japanese place. We split up, and Niko and I caught the creaking train that circles Yangon over three hours. We passed dusty villages, verdant fields, and empty stations, melting in the sun. The fans that whirled overhead made absolutely no difference to our comfort, but a steady breeze streamed through the open windows and doors. We returned to our starting point, and I walked to my hotel, pleased that I’d managed to battle my fatigue.
The next day was as scorching as the one before. I hired a bike and cycled to the National Museum. I was fortunately given a very wide berth by the other drivers, who could see that I was struggling with the one-way system. The museum was a great way to spend a couple of hours. I marvelled at the ornate Throne Room, and perused the extensive art collection and samples of ethnic dress. I then visited Kandawgyi Lake.
I clattered along the seesaw wooden boards, and soon worked out that the white crosses marked planks that were best avoided. After, I went to see General Aung San’s house, and saw a number of photos of his fascinating daughter as a baby. I then cycled back to the hotel and met Vivian, and after a quick change, headed for The Strand Hotel. Friday night is happy hour (from 17:00-23:00 – really it’s a happy evening), so we treated ourselves to a cocktail or three. By chance, the Americans popped up and joined us. The evening extended far beyond our original plan – we went for hotpot, and eventually managed to direct our taxi-driver back to the hotel.
I did a lot of walking on my last day in Myanmar. I visited the Chaukhtatgyi and Ngahtatgyi payas, and spent some time people watching. It was humorous to see tiny birds fly up the giant Buddha’s left nostril, presumably to make a nest. At this point I was interrupted by a man called Muye, who insisted on dragging me around some empty monasteries and strongly advised me to take photos every two minutes. I was a bit suspicious, and my premonition was confirmed when after about an hour he asked for $20. I kindly informed him that I hadn’t asked for his guidance, and walked away without giving him anything. I spent a couple of hours in a cafe to escape the heat, then went up to the Shwedagon Paya, the iconic heart of Yangon. I watched the glistening gold fade to burnished amber as the sun set, and felt a sense of tranquillity despite the ubiquitous tour groups and walls of worshippers. I returned to the hotel, packed my bag, and prepared to say goodbye.
I feel very privileged to have seen Myanmar, just as it is emerging into modernity. Just about everyone has a smartphone tucked into his longyi, and in the countryside it’s common to see a motorbike zooming past a waterbuffalo, dutifully pulling his wooden plough. The people here have, for the most part, been smiley, inquisitive, and well-intentioned, but the country itself has a little way to go if it wants to benefit (at least financially) from tourism. It’s difficult to get around, and a lot of the historic buildings are crumbling, but to be honest, that’s part of its charm. I hope it doesn’t get subsumed into the rest of Southeast Asia. For the time being, at least, it has its own identity, and that is more valuable than anything.