January 2019: Temples, Noodles, and Overnight Busses

On a Beach in Hawaii

We eased in to 2019 with much appreciated family time on the Big Island. Before this year, we’d never have dreamed that we could afford the most expensive state. But, after visiting places like Scotland and Norway on less than a shoestring, the island doesn’t seem nearly so daunting anymore. Hitch hike, utilize local farms and gardens for produce, ignore the limited police force and stealth camp on remote beaches: we wish we would have stayed longer to try some of this out. Of course, if you want to go cushy, those $9 gallons of milk can be a real doozy…

Entering Controversy

Hawaii happened to be conveniently placed for an easy route back to Asia. Our main goal there (and why we decided to go back even after a nasty mosquito sidelined Stef for almost a month) was to visit Myanmar. This country, known under colonial rule as Burma, just recently opened to tourism. And even more recently was internationally condemned for the genocide occurring there, which targets the Rohingya Muslim minority.

There is no danger for tourists. The government makes sure of that, and much more, with bothersome regulations. No homestays. No couchsurfing. No unregistered busses. No camping. It’s a pain in the ass to deal with their bureacuracy.

After a lot of thought, we decided to visit the country, despite the crisis. This was based off of the opinion that sanctions don’t often work and a desire to see and meet and understand the people that make up the troubled country. That was our decision, but we’d certainly understand those that want to stay well clear.

Accepting the Whirlwind

All in all, our time in Myanmar did not go according to plan. Stuck on long busses to far off destinations, we rarely slept in a bed. When we did, they were overpriced or hard to come by. This country may be less explored than the rest of Southeast Asia, but there’s a definitive tourist trail and it’s harder to break free.

That being said, we met some lovely locals who were happy to interact with us and ate an absolute boatload of (very cheap) noodles. People give the country slag for its cuisine, but the Shan Noodles and other bowls of glutinous goodness were a highlight for us.

And of course the Temples of Bagan, the country’s signature attraction, really are spectacular.

Deserted Beaches

The end of January was spent in our favorite portion of Myanmar, the otherworldly Dawei peninsula. Beaches abound, with very few people and crystal clear water. Being Myanmar, it can be a logistical nightmare to actually get to said beaches. However, we think it was worth the nights spent hiding from cops in our bright red tent.

Here’s to more noodles next month.

♡ Stef and Tor