Dear Bobe’ -
I had to take an early morning bus out of Hsipaw in hopes to make it to Bagan in one day. When I got off the bus in Mandalay to changeover to another bus, I met Junko, a 38 year old Japanese backpacker who has been traveling solo for over 2 years and was also on her way to Bagan. Junko and I hit it off immediately quite likely because I talked a lot and she found me hysterically funny. Junko and I had only known each other for hours, but we laughed and laughed like we had the inside joke to everything around us. Junko has a fabulously contagious laugh which made me think that damn I am indeed funny so of course I would get on a roll. Almost exactly like how you and I have our fits of hysteric laughter to where our ribs and stomach ache. Back in her old life, Junko was an English teacher so her English is perfect and there are hardly any lost in translation moments. We arrived in Bagan at night and decided to share a room together. The next morning at breakfast, Junko ran into a girl who she had met in another town near Inle Lake. Florence is a 39 year old, French woman, who lives on Reunion island which I learned is off the East coast of Madagascar near Mauritius. Florence is also an English teacher by profession so her English is also perfect and she has a real love for African American literature. For the next four days, Junko, Florence, and I became The Thirty-Flirty Threesome because we were all solo woman travelers, in our 30’s, who loved international conquests although my run on this trip has been sparse to say the least. It was the first time since I’ve been traveling to have met woman who I can truly, truly relate to and we had a BLAST!!!! We spent three days touring Bagan via horse cart (got to support the local people) and bicycles. Bagan is more massive than the grounds of Angkor Wat, but UNESCO has not declared it a World Heritage Site because the committee decided some of the restoration improvements were not up to their standards. Regardless, Bagan is breathtaking and I do dare say that I liked it better than Angkor Wat. There are 4000 stupas so needless to say there was a lot to see and discover. Like Angkor, the temples/stupas were built during different time periods of dynastic rule. Some temples had frescoes over 1000 years old. My favorite temple was Ananda Temple which was from the 11th century and a really sweet lady practicing for her tourist guide license gave me a tour for free. She explained Buddha’s stance and explained the three fingers stood for don’t be greedy, don’t be angry, and don’t be jealous.
The land around Bagan is mostly arid with some gentle rolling hills and there are many temples you can climb up to catch wonderful 360 views of the area. At the Mingala Zedi monetary I recall being able to count over 160 stupas just from that one view and the monastery wasn’t even as high up as some of the other sites. Fortunately for us, monsoon weather had hit the southern coast of Burma so most of our days were spent under overcast clouds and the heat was bearable. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to witness any amazing sunsets or rises that Bagan is so famous for.
After almost two weeks in Burma and hardly having to endure tourist touts/souvenir vendors it was kind of a shock to the senses to return to the touristic destination that Bagan is with all the hassle although not nearly as horrible as Egypt or Angkor Wat. Florence is a real free spirit, dancer, hippie who loves soaking up the culture. She freely wore the Thanakha make-up and beautifully decorated longyi sarongs she had purchased since being in country. Florence is tall with a dancer’s body so she was a sight to see and the Burmese people loved her. Plus, she wasn’t shy to practice Burmese and many times Junko and I had to wait for Florence because she had been suckered into someone’s stall to buy a souvenir she did not need. After two days of watching Florence and after having to wait for her yet again, I exclaimed her to be a real “Champion of The People” which put Junko in a fit of laughter and has stuck as her nickname. One night at dinner Junko said we were like the backpacking version of the Sex in The City girls which is so spot on. I can envision a hit movie in the making with the three of us being really strong, positive representations of what it is like to be single, spontaneous to new experiences, solo traveling, in your 30’s when so many backpackers are too young to really appreciate what traveling is all about; especially traveling to a special destination like Burma.
One day we traveled outside of Bagan to Mt Popa which is a special spiritual place Burmese Buddhists go to for offerings to nats (spirits) which is home to Mai Daw, the mother goddess of Mt Popa. Mt Popa should be called Mount Monkey Poop because like everywhere else in Burma no shoes or socks are allowed on the grounds and inside religious temples. All along the 600 or so steps are piles of monkey piss and shit so you really had to watch where to step. Of course there are the opportunists trying to make a tourist buck who once upon seeing you pretend to wipe the step in order to ask for a donation towards cleaning. As expected, The Champion of the People donated while Junko and I called bullshit especially since I had already stepped in piss.
Junko was quite envious that Florence had a moniker and she didn’t so I was on a search for a good nickname worthy of what a fabulous person she is. Junko is also a free spirit hippie who has an envious jewelry collection from all over the world that she’s collected during her 2+ years traveling. She is the most well traveled female I’ve ever met having gone to 54 or so countries (although I had to break it down to her that Hawaii is the USA and not its own separate country despite her radical Hawaiian lovers rhetoric) ever since her first trip to India when she was 19. What’s cool is she travels with this ancient, patched – up blue backpack that at about 40 liters is short and fat that I affectionately call her chubby baby. That backpack has gone everywhere with Junko ever since her first trip. Junko loves black men and Jazz so I dubbed her Jazzy Junko and have since shortened it to Jazzy J which I think fits her perfectly.
Junko, Florence, and I had fabulous meal time conversations and more often than not we were giggling. There was no subject we did not openly discuss and I had the most wonderful four days and felt so blessed to have gotten to meet such phenomenal woman who I view as my new life-long friends and not just temporary travel buds.
I really, really loved my time in Burma and interacting with the most wonderful people. It is a real gem of my trip and a must place to experience. I am in love with Beautiful Burma.
I miss you soooo much!
Ness
