Yangon to Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia Airlines MH741 | RGN/KUL
Economy Class
Boeing 737-800 | 9M-MLK
ATD/1145 | ATA/1603
Lounge: Mingalar Sky Lounge

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Some Parting Thoughts on Myanmar

Enigmatic Myanmar. Where do I even begin? This amazing country exceeded all my expectations. I am so glad I ventured away from the "big four" tourist sights (Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan, and Inle Lake). Staying within these four sites, one primarily sees opportunity and optimism. The big cities, especially, are a bubble; you see burgeoning prosperity and various ethnicities and religions seemingly getting along. Going to Hsipaw and seeing firsthand, albeit superficially, the ethnic tensions simmering beneath the surface, reminded me of how fragile peace can be in any context. My heart aches thinking about what is happening a couple of hundred miles west In Rakhine state.

The people here are ever so sweet and hospitable. Similar to what I experienced in Colombia, the people here have been isolated for so long that they genuinely like seeing visitors. I am kicking myself for not coming here sooner.

Finally, I am so glad I stayed at hostels. I had been resisting it because I wasn't sure I would fit in with a crowd mostly 20+ years my junior (some of them were even younger than my foster son!) and I was concerned about getting enough sleep. I am grateful to Ahmar for putting the idea in my head. The hostel backpacker/flashpacker crowd is a special one. They're genuinely curious about the world. Curiosity about people and places is one of the things that drive me, and I loved spending time with this crowd, swapping stories, learning about places, and drinking way too much. I loved that this crowd was willing to hang out with and listen to stories from a middle aged man. Yes, they occupy a weird bubble, and I got sucked into that bubble. Somehow, everything I was anxious about - my future job prospects, paying my mortgage, saving for retirement, how I should modify my house to accommodate two additional cats, Trump and his idiotic antics, the Singapore Presidential (S)Election, etc. - seemed insignificant for a few wonderful weeks. I've made some lifelong friends and I hope our paths cross again.

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