The impecable Myanmar
Myanmar is the largest country of Southeast Asia, although it is not the one people would probably first think of when wondering about this part of the world.
As soon as you land in this beautiful country, you will be fascinated by Thanaka, a white/yellow face paint which almost everyone wears in form of drawings or simple circles and which is used as a way of making the skin lighter and as a form of protection from the sun.
Also the Longyi will soon capture your attention: a typical long skirt which is worn by both men and women, considered to be fresh and comfortable and which should be worn when visiting temples in order to respect their culture and cult. These two features of the Burmese culture will be noticeable from the very first moment you enter in touch with the locals and will give you a sense of how Burmese are preserving their culture and customs through these little details.
Overall, tourism in Myanmar is somehow different from the one which can be found in Thailand and Cambodia, where the cities and the monuments are somehow adapting more and faster to the needs of the numerous tourists.
While Yangon and Bagan -the two cities with the greatest amount of attractions (which consist in an infinite number of Pagodas)- are becoming more touristic, there is much more simplicity with regards to the infrastructure and the way of living.
Particularly Bagan, famous for being a site full of Pagodas, can be explored on a motorbike and without meeting tourists continuously, allowing one to really enter into contact with nature and the people and have a different experience. Yet, it is also true that there will be locals trying to sell you the typical souvenirs when approaching the most famous pagodas, but it will never be as much as it is in Thailand or Cambodia. Furthermore, Tuk Tuks will not be as common, given that they have only be allowed to circulate in the last few years.
On the other hand, in Yangon, the former capital of the state, Grab (Uber equivalent) can be easily relied on, which shows the first signs of Myanmar opening to the rest of the world after almost 50 years of isolation.
This country is the perfect mixture of tradition and modernization: sometimes it will seem like going back in time and some others not as much. Sometimes communications will the locals will be harder, some others you will be surprised by their English skills. Sometimes finding some medication or western food will get harder and some others it will be easier to find pizza and pasta than something typical.
Myanmar and its contrasts are showing its slow yet also fast openness to the rest of the world. Hopefully the need and willingness to embrace the rest of the world will not cancel the identity of the country and the ability they have had so far to preserve its culture, which is able to steal everyone’s heart.
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