Myanmar is a very large country, the picture of the map have not been able to keep us on the southernmost tip of the north and ends with the easternmost outcrop of the Himalayas and the strip of land between the south and the Andaman Sea and Thailand on the world map seems to resemble that borders Chile to Argentina. Former British colony, independent since 1948, despite several riots in the blood and always dramatically stifled attempts to democratic elections since 1962 the country is practically in the hands of various military juntas that have gradually succeeded, the "Burmese way to socialism ".
kept strictly under control by the central government for many years, Myanmar has been for long closed to the world isolation and difficult now that is starting to make inroads in a slow but progressive "openness" there are white patches , that is, those accessible to tourism, (even if accompanied by a local guide is always desirable) with good hotel infrastructure and which correspond roughly to the center-south of the country; brown areas (for example areas of Shan and Kayah states, two of the 14 administrative divisions of the country), or those who need permission to visit but and special permits (a typed letter with all the detailed itinerary, a lot of government stamps and photocopies of your passport number available) with several checkpoints and control the road and the black areas , absolutely off limits for tourists and local people, perhaps for the same, I do not know. To add however that in all the land the current legislation forbids tourists to visit orphanages, schools, hospitals, cemeteries and villages further inland.
These "sensitive" or not feasible where the Burmese are a minority compared to other tribes, mostly on the border with Thailand and China (obviously still the most backward and poorest, indicate the status roads, for the precise political will to isolate them) are in the hands the "rebels" or beyond, however, the complete control of the central government. The "rebels" are varied, there are the party of national liberation, those of the various ethnic groups who want greater regional autonomy, the remnants of the Kuomintang, the opium lords of the famous Golden Triangle where Myanmar has also greatly reduced production, now the record is held by Afghanistan with 95% of world production.
We have made the classic tourist route that the quadrilateral Yangon-Mandalay-Bagan-Inle Lake with neighboring cities (the section between those two cities with a river cruise on the Ayeyarwady , majestic river which crosses the entire country for 2000 kilometers) to the ocean as an extension Ngapali (think swimming in the Bay of Bengal has given me a certain effect) and the area "sensitive" about Loikaw , (despite numerous bureaucratic controls, and it was worth really worth it because our guide Alex was the place and obviously knew the area very well).
This time I decided not to tell our journey chronologically each stage in 4 weeks we have had very many, often a place for one night, out of 6 in the morning (mom how many sunrises!) Until evening (Mom those sunsets!) And then not a description of the many holy places visited. Proceed in a synchronic rather than by themes and points of interest. If I can just for an infinitesimal spark to convey the beauty of the place and its people, the atmosphere of quiet that you can breathe, I'll be really happy.
Kyaiktiyo-Yangon-Bago-Yangon-Heho-Loikaw-Kalaw-Inle Lake-Sagar-Pindaya-Mandalay-Amarapura-Sagaing-Monywa-Mandalay-Bagan-Yangon-Ngapali.
0 comments:
Post a Comment