It’s an incredibly hot day. They all have been. I honestly think, this is the hottest country I have been to, so far. There are regular power outages, the locals here are prepared for it. Almost all shops have their generators for those cases. I remember vividly when we arrived and experienced the first power outage, it was right in the midday heat. We didn’t expect it and we didn’t know what to do. There is actually not much that you can do. You can’t escape the heat. It’s just as hot inside as it is outside. Fanning air with a sheet of paper seems to be a relief at first, but too exhausting after a few minutes. Don’t make any unnecessary moves. This is how you feel when you start to melt…

This country is so different from everything I have seen. As they have just opened for tourism, there is hardly a touristic infrastructure. People are not used to seeing foreigners and curiously approaching them, smiling, waving, trying to have a conversation despite the language barrier.

Remains of the British colonial time are decaying – in a way, it looks beautiful how these gorgeous colonial buildings are taken over by nature, and at the same time, it is a pity that they are being ruined to the point that they are not accessible any more. The train route that was built by the British is still in use – it’s a awfully slow, bumpy and yet beautiful ride. There is no fast way of getting around in this country and that is what it is about: travelling slowly, soaking in the impressions around. The route is the goal.

On our way to Bagan, we took the local ferry that carried passengers and goods to different villages. For hours, you can see the country life from the water, passing fisher boats here and there, spotting Pagodas from the distance. The boat stopped at seemingly random spots in the middle of nowhere. No physical sign that this was a stop and yet people knew that it was and for some reason, they also knew when to expect the ferry. People waiting with their bulls on the dry grass that carry goods on non-existing roads. Life here is simple and time seems to stand still. When the ferry made a stop, everything out of sudden becomes unusual hectic. It seems like people saved up all their energy just to charter, board and exit the ferry. The entire ride takes a whole day and yet, we never got bored.

Now, standing in the middle of Bagan, it feels like being in an Indiana Jones movie. Temples as far as you can see, and you can just go explore them, go in and go up, take a break and watch the sun go down. The area is so huge, that there are often no other people besides us visiting the smaller temples. It is quiet and peaceful. There are no backpacker party hotspots nearby. This country feels so unspoiled by touristic swarms. Yet.

Check out the video of our Myanmar travels.