Why I Fell in Love With Myanmar
There was something about Myanmar that didn’t excite me. I’d made plans to visit every year for the four I’d been travelling — often announcing it on the site — but never followed through. I think I expected it to be too challenging. I’d heard the Internet was unusable and for some reason my planned trips would always coincide with a heavy workload. I’d heard the buses and trains were uncomfortable and unsafe. I’d heard power cuts were frequent and long-lasting. I’d heard of friends who lived there and ended up with dysentery. I’d heard it was (aside from Singapore) the most expensive country in Southeast Asia, and offered poor value for money. I’d heard, I’d heard, I’d heard. And because I knew the majority of travellers head to the same four places — Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay, Inle Lake — it felt like my trip would be just like everyone else’s. I guess it just didn’t ...