Honestly, not much was “known” about Myanmar before our ship arrived.  It was a place that held some secrets, therefore becoming magical.   Even our shipboard community was somewhat in the dark about the magic that we would discover there.   It was suggested that this country has been “closed to the world” for a good amount of time.  It was suggested that we should consider our visit as a look into a place that little has been known about for a good long time.  The government was suggested to have had the country under a strict regime and we should act as observers, not as participants, for our safety.  We were advised to move away from action of any sort.

Gulp.  The questions of whether we should be going there kept being a topic of dinner discussion. It was not clear what we were to do.  We were told that homosexuality was forbidden, casual contact between partners was not advised, tattoos should be covered, knees should be covered…..but basically, no one really knew what state we would find this country in.  Students mentioned that their parents feared them traveling independently, especially anywhere north in the country where some extreme unrest was recently exposed.  There was fear of the unknown.

I did not poke my nose where it was not invited during our time on land.  I did as I was told and entered the country as an observer.   As luck might have it, we were welcomed.  We did not need to have spent any time on worry and anxiety.  This place may have been unknown, but it was not to be feared.  The warmth of the people quickly removed any hesitation that we may have had.  It had magic.

This country has so much astonishing beauty.  The people are open and willing to talk.  They are helpful and quick to laugh.  Most of them speak amazing English we have encountered on our trip.  They are taught this in school, not for our benefit, so that they may communicate with the native groups around them.  Of course, we asked why everyone seemed to have so many English words, why they were so excited to use the English for our benefit.  Our guide suggested that Burmese is not a language they are proud of.  There are multiple indigenous groups in this country that do not even speak Burmese.  English is the common language that unites these many groups of people.

The sun!  It is amazingly huge, and burns the deepest red color.  It is a tropical, humid place near the coast.  Gorgeous.  The sun will scorch anything in its path.  It is a massive force.

Many of our fellow seasoned travelers suggested that Myanmar is what Vietnam was 20 years ago.  There seems to be very little outside influences.  It does not yet have “western flare”.  We did see Coke and Nescafe in some of the grocery stores alongside of their own Myanmar brands.  That is the end of the influence. It has been left untouched by our world, which may be why it is so extremely popular amongst adventurous backpackers.

The pagodas are made of gold.  They are magical, foreign and astonishing.  They are around every corner.  If you are able to find a way to get some altitude gain, you will see them peaking from all over the city.  Yangon is experiencing a building boom.  Cranes and pagodas can be seen.  Workers haul new sections of sidewalks (they do not pour them in place instead using stones that have already been sized). I have never seen anything like it.

One of our outings included flying 2 hours to Heho.  The landscape will stop you in your tracks.  There are mountains and pine forests.  We never imagined pine forests!  There are tropical plants.  We traveled to the town of Kalaw.  The infrastructure of this land is not yet up to the levels we have seen in other countries.  Roads are filled with buses, cars and motorbikes honking to let everyone know it is their turn to use the single land.  Nerve wracking….yup!  The drivers speak a language that works to get everyone to where they are going.  It has a ton of honking.

We traveled by bus, on the very, very side of a huge mountain.  Reading a book was the only way you could keep your eyes off the massive cliff just inches from our tires. Their skill set far exceeds ours when it comes to only needing inches to pass other vehicles.  Taking buses around hairpin turns, while avoiding oncoming traffic, is only to be accomplished by a native driver.  We would not have made it under our own power.

We arrived to Green Valley, a private elephant conservation area, to find out what type of work this non-profit group was allowing us to see.   This family left everything in the “big” city and purchased a piece of property to safely allow “retired” forest industry Asian elephants to live out their days in safety.  We met 7 female giants that are meticulously cared for on the property.  Our activities that included the elephant were only “enrichment” activities.   We were not tourists during our visit, we were caregivers.  The elephants are not trained to perform any sort of tricks.  They are trained to assist their caregivers in the care and enrichment of their lives.  Many of these enrichment activities have taken the place of the anxiety type behaviors that an elephant might display in captivity.  All of these gals exhibited PTSD type behaviors upon arrival to the conservation area.  They are now kept busy with their “fun” enrichment activities like bathing.  I can only imagine the long days and poor treatment they received when they were actively hauling huge loads of teak lumber out of mountain areas.  These lands do not have roads that logging trucks could have driven.  The elephants were used as bulldozers and flatbed logging trucks every single day.  These elephant protectors, with the help of their elephant veterinarian (Myanmar only has 48 who are trained to interact with the elephants), that these traumatized over-worked elephants require mental stimulation in order to overcome the PTSD type of behaviors that they were exhibiting upon arrival.

We were invited to touch, feed, and help bathe the animals.  It was an incredible opportunity.  We were beyond moved by these incredible animals.   Gentle Giants who appear to know what we are thinking.  They are watchful and inquisitive. Lincoln became the elephant back washer….he was extremely moved by these gentle animals.  It was a magical minute.

5 of the elephants are being leased directly from the government.    (Yes.  The family pays for the privledge. ) The family that runs the conservation pays the government $400 each month to be allowed to care for them.  Additionally, each elephant must come with their assigned and native handler.  The handlers can only be from the indigenous people who originally inhabited this land.  Each elephant (even when in the logging industry) has one of these native people.  It was explained that the elephant and the handler pick one another when the elephant is young.  It is a mutually selected partnership.  The family that owns the land and conservation area leases an elephant, and must also support the Mahout (native person) that is attached to the animal.  The Mahout (elephant guardian and trainer) also brings their entire extended family to live on the land (also at the expense of the conservation).  Elephants and handlers are not ever without one another. The connection between the animals and handlers was familial.  Respect reflected by both participant.  The elephants are free range when there are no visitors, and only respond to their particular Mahout calling for the to return to the feeding area.

Our boys loved being allowed to help move the elephants through their activities.  So did us adults. The boys were allowed to make molasses and wheat germ balls to feed these gentle giants.

 

 

It was a sort of an elephant mouth basketball game.  They would ask the elephant to open its mount using the command Hut-hut!   And, in went the shot.  These giants were fed molasses balls, sugar cane stalk and pumpkins.

They are allowed to be free range animals (no fences needed as these ladies want to stay close to their handler’s homes) except while we were visiting the conservation area. This is not a place you can visit without a tour or permission. It is only for learning.  And, our approved small group visits are the only revenue that they receive.  There is no other funding.

Additionally, this particular operation works with the local area to replant the native trees.  We helped to plant some Acacia and Teak seeds.   In the hills, trees are most often taken down by inhabitants to be used for cooking fuel. (No need to use these fuels for heat, as that amazing sun takes care of heating needs.  Most water is heated in solar tanks.  I did not see a central heating system in any of the places we visited.) The teak trees are now all long gone, as the government seized all of them years ago for revenue (even those on private property), and the elephants hauled the trees out over the hills.  There are zero left except those that have been replanted.  This conservation group helps to educate the population of the surrounding area about global warming, removal of trees, and general upkeep of native lands. This group is careful to explain that the woods can be used for cooking, or materials for building, but you must replant what you have taken.  This group is careful to strike that delicate balance of working with the people, and their customs, rather than suggesting that the resources should not be used.  It really is the only way to keep moving in the right direction.   NOTE:  The government has now changed their opinion on the removal of teak trees.  If the trees are on private property, they belong to the property owner.  A small step in the right direction.  But, well, the teak trees are gone.  The government took them all a long time ago.

The boys helped to plant seeds for a variety of native plants. The removal of the native trees is now recognized as being the wrong direction for development.  There are efforts to replant and allow the land to return to what it was.  The boys were shown how to make elephant dung paper as well.  Everything is used in this country, more than once.  It is environmental conservation shown in daily life.  Reuse.  Repurpose.  Creativity.  Resources are scarce for the average family.

Tate asked if he would be allowed to come and volunteer for a few weeks this summer.  The answer was yes.  We will see how things turn out.  The magic washed over him and he was inspired.   It was a visit that we will never forget.  This family is making a huge difference in the lives of these 5 elephants, and the lives of the native Mahout handlers.

So, here is the very short story on Myanmar.  It is a place to experience.  I would choose to return if the opportunity presents itself. Amazingly, it has been on its own for a good long time.  And, I am certain this is not negative thing. There is magic in the land, mountains, and waterways.  The people are the magic and the landscape has helped them to create their place.  The lack of “western” influence was refreshing to us.  It is unrefined, and just starting to enter the tourist world.  The people are gorgeous.  Inquisitive and kind.

See it when you can.  It blew us away.  It will remain one of our top places this grand journey has taken us.   The pine forests in the upper mountain areas reminded us of our beloved Central Oregon.  We were surprised to see “our world” in a place half way around the globe.  Myanmar is a secret world that we were allowed to see for a moment in time. We are grateful they allowed us a close up look at the magical place they call home.  Enchanting.