Burma Knows Temples

We have been in Southeast Asia for almost 13 weeks now. We have seen temples. We have seen Buddhas. In fact, we have seen so many temples that they are almost becoming commonplace, and now we don'talways stop and stare, but rather admire from afar, and continue on our way.

BUT. We had not yet been to Burma. BURMA knows temples.

Bagan - a flat deserty land with hundreds upon hundreds of brick red temples littering the landscape. If you are lucky (and we were lucky)the keymaster (random man living next to the temple) will show you how to climb up tiny bat filled tunnels to the top. The best part - it's completely DIY - it's as though Matt and I on our 80 year old beachcruiser bikes, fighting the sandy goat trails from temple to temple, were the first people to discover Bagan.

Sagaing - a short (and rather hectic) motorbike ride out of Mandalay, we were in another world - one where red and pink robes (pink is for the nuns) are the outfit of choice, and you can walk barefoot on shady, leafy paths to temples high above the smoggy city air. If I knew how to meditate, I would have. A lot.

A few other interesting factoids about our Burma experience thus far:
1. It is awesome.
2. Instead of giving change, which no one EVER has, you might get, oh I don' t know, a packet of instant coffee mix. Or mints.
3. People here call Matt "beautiful" a lot. It's rather disconcerting...
4. We are apparently minor celebrities here? SO far just today, we took pictures with maybe 20 different Burmese people, including 5 monks, at their request.
5. We ate the best chapatis I have ever had just now, including mutton curry and dahl, for $1.60.

While there is sadness here, there is also joy and light, and the people are amazing - we have met tons of locals and NO travelers...strange, and refreshing, and only in Burma.