By the old Moulmein Pagoda, lookin' eastward to the sea, There's a Burma girl a-settin', and I know she thinks of me. ..Rudyard Kipling

When Kipling wrote those words could he have known the love and affection the Burmese population of Myanmar would show their pro democratic leader, Aung San Suu Kyi? I found everyone held her in high esteem. Five  million people have signed a petition asking for the consititution to be changed so that she can run for president in next year's elections..  but it doesn't look hopeful.

I set off on my journey to Myanmar with  excitement, I was visiting a land where time had almost stood still, little did I realize just how much it had stood still, and little did I realize the depth of my concern at how quickly all  that may change.

I knew I'd see temples, pagodas, stupas, meandering rivers, monks,  dusty cities, rural villages, thought I'd even see an elephant, but nothing had prepared me for the gentleness of the people, the innocence of the children's  faces, the beauty of the land, nor the talent of the artisans.

Nun's wear pink, Monks,  orange.

Ananda Retreat sailing the Ayeyarwardy

A few local words sure helped.
The following are my own phonetic spellings which seemed to work well.
Mingalaba - Welcome/Good morning/Hello
Jaysobay  - Thank you
Whare peepee - I have already bought.  

Golden stupas everywhere

Dragon fruit

captivating expressions

Economy based on natural gas, rice, teak and gemstones.
8 majority tribes, 135 minority tribes, 100 dialects and languages spoken
Schools teach English and Burmese.

Gold leaf artisans at work

How soon will change happen? 

Taxi's don't have meters, negotiate price prior to embarking your journey.
New US dollar bills after the year 2006 are accepted .
Credit cards are almost not accepted anywhere except in hotels.
ATM machines are few  but do work.
Longhi (not sarongs) are worn everywhere by men and women
Only need to pack flip flops as constantly removing shoes to enter pagodas.  

Internet works well in most  upscale  hotels otherwise, for now, consider it non existent.

Try a Burmese massage over a Thai massage. 

Take a horse-drawn cart ride. 

Eat a morning glory salad and wonder how soon you can return. 

The new deluxe Sanctuary Ananda river boat sailing the Ayeyarwady and Chindwin rivers.

 The New Sanctuary Retreats deluxe river cruiser, specifically designed for the Irrawaddy, or if you are up to date with current name changes, the  Ayeyarwady  river, began sailing in November 2014  and I was a lucky guest. Just 21 suites (14 deluxe suites  291-301 sq ft), 4 Luxury  suites ( 334 -356 sq ftt)
and the  Aloungpayah  owners suite with 721 sq ft of space)
Every cabin has it's own balcony.   

A shallow draft especially adaptable  for the many sand bars along the river.

An open deck policy meant you could check out  what depth the river was, inquire what was cooking, have a cooking lesson, a longhi tying lesson, and even a Myanmar make up lesson on how to prepare and apply thanaka, the traditional  Myanmar cosmetic.

Great corners

for inviting  chats.

Luxury suite

Luxury suite sitting area.

Aloungpayah owners suite sitting room

Aloungepayah owners suite bedroom

Aloungepayah suite bathroom

Aloungpayah suite bathtub.

I was invited to partake in the soft sailing of Sanctuary's new ship the Ananda, on the Irrawaddy river, an offer I couldn't refuse, leaving me with earnings to return. It's not just that she is a beautiful explorer ship specifically built to handle the sand bars on these famous rivers but it's the people.
The people of Myanmar are so hospitable, so warm, so friendly, their English  is not quite there yet but that's half the charm.

   

Teak wood furniture on the private balconies with all suites.
Here the river boat is moored at it's temporary 'dock' due river flooding
 that washed away the pier three weeks before I arrived.  

My large teak floored bathroom.

More teak flooring in the bedroom with a raised bed suitable for suitcase storage below.   

And the wonderful panorama  through  windows and doors.