I had to confess that Myanmar was really tough and demanded a lot of patience and endurance. Undoubtedly it is a unique and beautiful country, but still it is like a raw unpolished gem. Once you can endure its hot and dusty streets with dilapidated public transport, as well as its unappealing choice of food, limited cheap reasonable accommodation options, and a constant fear of being stranded due to a series of unfortunate events, then I am sure there is nothing to stop you from loving this country.
The people are a friendly and honest lot, and it is amazing to see how they shape their faith around Theravada Buddhism, portraying their zeal through gazillions of stupas of all sizes and shapes. It's nice to mingle with the locals, experiencing their way of life through their eyes, and listen to them expressing their feelings and hopes for a new future.
Throughout my 13 days in this raw country, I witnessed both my feet turning to orange (due to the tan and the dusty road), sweated and panted like a cow, bruised and abraded myself from falling off a motorbike repeatedly, got into 3 series of bus accidents, stranded in a bus during a night curfew, got stupa-fied by all the temples and pagodas, and never in my life, enjoyed so many sunsets in a week! This was truly an experience!
Myanmar, no matter how much I despise you, you are still a gem in my memory!
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