Clearly Alive: Playing Tourist in Myanmar

Our trip to Myanmar was a much needed vacation. Although it started out incredibly scary at Yangon Airport, I was able to avoid a full adrenal crisis through additional HC, gatorade, and rest. I was still able to deliver my message to a small village and I still had a few spoons left to tour the capital city the following days.

Downtown Yangong. The Chinthe is guarding the public square.

The day after my speech, my friend dropped us off at a local park in the middle of downtown while she took care of some errands. It was a fascinating experience once we lost our local tour guide. Many locals began to approach us to try to speak to the three Americans that appeared to be so drastically out of place. But they were all so kind and welcoming. While waiting, her husband had the idea to hunt for tea or coffee, but he wanted to find a traditional place. This wasn't your typical Starbucks.

By the time our tea time was over, my friend had finished her errands. We headed off to Utopia Tower and the nearby park. This gave us a beautiful view of the city. It also allowed us to take some fun photos.

One of the best things about Myanmar was the food. I absolutely loved the availability of fresh fruit juice. We could go to a restaurant, point to a fruit, and they would make the juice. We didn't have to worry about high fructose corn syrup. There was no fear of Red Dye #40 or Blue Dye #1. The fruit juice was real, unaltered, and amazing.

My friend's grandmother also graciously welcomed us into her home with a traditional feast. The minute I walked in, I smiled. It reminded me of how my grandparent's house is constantly filled with good food and fun company.

We also visited the Shwedagon Pagoda. By going at night, we avoided all crowds. And we only slightly got scolded for some of the photos we took. Apparently, we are not supposed to imitate the statues. It is considered disrespectful. My bad, y'all.