No, we're not best friends ...

I arrived in Yangon and immediately bought a plane ticket to fly to Bagan an hour later. As soon as I got on the plane full of tourists, I knew my trip was taking a new turn. Bagan ... 3000 temples ... Incredibly beautiful ... Not my cup of tea. It's not the temples so much, I've actually loved exploring the murals and the architecture, it's just not Burma. Or the Burma I have been experiencing. It's touristy ... Espressos, swimming pools, pizza, everything tripling in price, feeling like you're always getting ripped off. This is the first place I've had men approach me univited and even touch my hair and grab my leg. I had to tell some kid last night that no, we're not best friends, and no I am not going to your house that is just very close. I also had to tell my taxi driver today to stop touching me. I think he got scared of me a little. Perfect. The people of Burma have been beautiful and I find this ugly side of tourism disheartening. I just don't like the feeling here. I think this feeling is compounded by the pounding rain, which makes sightseeing hard, gets me feeling stuck, and I think leads to feelings of loneliness. I've tried to capitalize on the breaks in the rain to walk and bike to some sites on my own. Biking around dirt paths to see sites of my choosing was fantastic! Today I booked a taxi, and although the guy gave me the creeps, I did get to see some lovely temples farther out in the country. Most are from the 11th century and the inner areas are covered with original frescos depicting Buddha's life and images of guardian nats (spirits). Stunning. Getting out into the country also meant getting away from a lot of tourists for the most part. 

All in all, I've had enough of Bagan and am ready to get out of here. After I eat some Indian food tonight ;) Tomorrow I am taking the bus to Thazi and then hopefully catching the train to Taungoo. I am going to try to cross the border where I had initially planned when I came to Burma. I think it's open now. Fingers crossed. My visa expires in four days, so I think I may have to overstay my visa in order for it work. Everyone says it's not a problem. Let's see.