Tuffchucks-Я-Us: Myanmar Part 1

We have been home for a week now, and although I still don't know how we are going to describe our trip, we need to try. I guess we just start at the beginning. After one 1.5 hour flight, one 5 hour layover, a second 14.5 hour flight, a second 1.5 hour layover and third 4.5 hour flight we landed in Yangon. We think it is hot in St. George, but it was hot and humid in Yangon. Grandma and Grandpa Merkley were there to pick us up and we were off and running. Angela and I both have been to third world countries before, but it is still a little bit of a shock to see the rundown cars and buses the truck buses with people hanging on wherever they can to get from place to place, and oh yeah, there might as well not be lane lines on the roads, everyone ignores them anyways. It's kind of fun.

In our time there we got to see the tourist sights, but because Grandma and Grandpa are serving a mission there, they teach English and have many, many friends. Getting to meet these friends was probably the best part of the trip. I wish we could describe how happy and welcoming the people were to us. We were only there a week but we were treated like family. We were just so amazed at how little the people had, but yet how happy they were. It was a lesson to us that no matter what our circumstances, we can find the bright side and be happy. More on this later.

Monday we went to an English class and then just tried to stay awake as long as we could, 12.5 hours difference from home and all those flights and layovers will do a number on you.

In Myanmar there are many different ethnic groups and there were people from all of the ethnic groups in Yangon.

Tuesday we went to a Preschool for 3-4 year olds. The kids were so cute and happy as could be. The white stuff on their faces is called thanica, they rub the bark of the thanica tree on a wet stone and then rub the paste on their faces. It is a sunscreen and helps keep them cool. This is the hottest part of the year in Myanmar, the rainy season is just around the corner and right now the high temperatures are in the 100s.

After going to the preschool, we went shopping! The main market is called Boyjoke Market - B means General and the market is named after the national hero who helped the country gain independence from Britain. He was then assassinated. It would have been interesting to see how, had he lived, the country might be different now. A market in a third-world country is like a gigantic swap meet, outside, dirt or broken floors, and everything you ever wanted and some things you didn't know you wanted around every corner. Bargaining is expected, but it was hard to bargain when the beginning price was so dirt cheap. We didn't get a lot of pictures in the market - we were too busy trying to stay together and say "just looking", "no thank you" and "No!" to the beggars and persistent shop owners. We'll put together a google earth file so you can see the pictures others have taken at the places we visited.