We have escaped Myanmar and are now once again in touch with the rest of the world. Escaped probably isn't the right word to use, rather let's just say that we left.

Poorer than Laos, more oppressed than China at its worst and more confusing than the rest of Asia put together. Myanmar stands out in so many ways. It now stands out in another way, our favorite destination so far in Asia.

Although we were only in Myanmar for a short 18 days, coming from the Westernized world of the rest of Asia, not to mention America, it feels as though you have fallen completely off the face of the earth. Nearly every method of hearing outside news, while sometimes possible, is technically illegal. In the most remote villages of Laos it isn't difficult to find a speedy Internet access. In Yangon, the capital of Myanmar, computers are few and far between and if they have Internet (a big if), it will be very expensive, extremely slow and totally unreliable...not to mention illegal.

Being away from contact for so long and having experienced so much it is difficult to know where to start. Let's just start by saying that Myanmar is a wonderful place and I will always hold it high as one of the highlights of this trip. Unlike Thailand where you comment on beaches or Laos where you can discuss the relaxed way of life, in Myanmar it is all about the people. If you came for great recreation and brilliant sites, you'll probably be a little disappointed (except for Bagan), but if you forget about sightseeing and just sit down at a local eating establishment you are sure to have a great time talking with the locals.

Unlike the rest of Asia that has been so Westernized that you're likely to see more 7 Elevens and KFC's than rice paddies, in Myanmar you'll have a chance to see a people little affected by the rest of the world. Everyone wears a sarong-like skirt called a longyi, including the men. Women walk the streets with streaks of a yellow muddy substance on their face that works as sunscreen, insect repellant and cosmetic. Everything is sold on the crumbling streets and vendors compete with each other by singing out their goods. Unfortunately, we couldn't understand the Burmese language, but it is easy to hear the words. "Buy some pineapple!" "I've got toothbrushes!" "Who needs some PVC pipe?" "Bamboo poles for sale!" -- All sung at the top of the lungs and all day long.

Everyone in Myanmar is friendly. That's a stereotype laid on many Asian countries and also probably sounds like a gross exageration. However, in Myanmar it is the simple truth. People you pass on the street, shopkeepers, taxi drivers, the persistant "Change money?" guys -- every one of them will greet you with a smile and ask the standard Burmese questions: Hello. How are you? Where are you from? How old are you? Americans are seldom seen in Myanmar, to the extent that some would try French on us first. Telling someone you're from American will generally elicit gasps of delight and statements like, "I love America!" No sarcasm, no simple attempt to flatter, just an honest statement of admiration for a country of opportunity. A land that shines as a golden example to an oppressed people. And oppressed they are.

It takes only a few minutes of walking the streets of Myanmar before you notice the heavy military and police presence. Every third person seems to be in uniform, often guarding things of total irrelevance, a sure sign of a pointless military government. Every bridge has its one pathetic soldier protecting it. All goverment buildings are surrounded by barbwire and men, barely out of their teens, armed with machine guns. (Even these excited to see an American.) If you have a chance to talk politics with a local -- something to be done carefully and only after they've initiated the subject -- you'll see them instinctively lower their voice and give a furtive glance about. Giant banners hang everywhere with slogans such as "The people will not tolerate hostile influences attacking the government" and "The government shall always strive for social harmony." It is no shock to learn that George Orwell lived in Burma for several years as a British soldier.

The American Embassy in Yangon is not immune to Big Brother atmosphere. Our guesthouse (a wonderful little place run by the funniest and most likable guy on the planet) was only a few blocks from the embassy. We decided to check it out as I'm interested in such things. The entire street in front of the building is barricaded by barbwire, concrete bunkers and men with machine guys. A Burmese woman told us that it has been that way for sometime in order to stop Burmese locals from gaining access and requesting visas to go to America. The government can't stop America from granting visas, but they can certainly stop the people from getting there. A sense of indignation filled us so we decided to visit the embassy just because the government didn't want us to. As we approached the barricade a soldier came out with his hands up as if to stop us. I waved at him and we continued on pretending to not understand him. A few more armed men came out to make the point clear. Holding up our American passports, another soldier in a different uniform approached us from the direction of the embassy. We were relieved to see an American flag on his chest and the words "Embassy Security." We told him we wanted inside and he took our passports to check us out. Waiting a few minutes he came back and after several searches of our person and the confiscastion of our camera we were allowed inside. We had nothing to really do their so it was a short trip. We filled out a form saying that we were in the country and then left. Still, it was a sense of accomplishment to spit in the government's eye.

As I said, Myanmar is a place where "tourist sites" seem secondary, but I should give our rough itinerary for those interested. We started in Yangon (Rangoon), the capital city and explored for a few days. It rained everyday we were in Yangon, at both the beginning and end of our trip. The massive flooding that is devastating Bangladesh and India is also affecting Myanmar, even if they aren't making the news (no surprise there.) Yangon is a crumbling capital city with old colonial architechture and very little to do. We went next to Mandalay on a hellish 15 hour bus ride. Mandalay is not nearly as pleasant as its exotic name would make you think. Most of the surrounding sites were flooded so we didn't stay long. We did enjoy a nice sunset walk around Fort Mandalay's two kilometer long walls and a wonderful Burmese marrionette show, a traditional artform of the country. Next we took a boat down the Irrawaddy River to Bagan, the undisputed highlight of Myanmar. Bagan was the capital of an ancient culture and sits on a bend in the river. In an area of about four square miles, the ruins (many restored) of nearly 5,000 temples sit. It is an incredible sight to behold. The temples range in height from about 20 feet to 200 feet and all were built between 700 and 900 years ago. Myanmar has few tourists, combined with the spread out area and massive amount of ruins, it is easy to spend all day exploring the insides of temples and have them all to yourself. Climbing one of the larger temples and watching the sunset over the river is an experience that everyone should have a chance to have. After a week in Bagan we returned to Yangon where we spent several lazy days in our guesthouse, reading, eating and talking to the employees.

Myanmar is a place that defies my limited writing skills to adequately describe. We had a wonderful time there. This is not to say it was without difficulty. In fact, I would say it was the most difficult place we traveled. Roads are bad, corruption prevailant, the food wasn't the best and the infrastructure is very limited. Still, in fact, in spite of these problems we came away with treasured memories and true friends.

-- Shawn

p.s. Oh...you might ask where we are right now. We're in the Bangkok International Airport. We have just returned from Yangon and now we're just killing time until our next flight. Where are we going, you ask? Well, let's just keep that a secret for now. Check back in a few days and be prepared for a surprise. I know we were surprised to find ourselves buying the tickets. We've got a long 12 hour flight ahead of us...