Inle Lake
il 14 novembre
A last day in Myanmar and I woke up early, savoring the quiet and stillness around me. Activity began with a morning walk through the Khaung Daing village where local industries flourish, each family in charge of its own particular product. I saw people hard at work, a young couple hours away from their wedding ceremony, and a party in full swing celebrating yet another marriage.
Nyaungshwe is the main town here and a busy one at that…boats in the harbor, construction going on, people at work, and a the central market with lots of goods to offer.
The Shweyanpyay Monastery, steeped in reverence for the Buddha; its walls covered with fragments of mosaics and hundreds of small individual niches.
The highlight of the day was a visit to a local nunnery sheltering and educating young girls and keeping them safe from drugs and sex trafficking which is a serious problem, especially in the border areas of Myanmar. The girls performed a dance for us, answered questions, and then got back to their studies. I left the school with a smile and hope.
I’ve written many stories about these past three weeks; taking the time to reflect, research, and comb through countless numbers of pictures has brought this journey alive again. Traveling throughout Myanmar has shown me the resiliency of a people terribly oppressed for many years by a military dictatorship interested in its own gain; leadership that committed countless human rights violations, leadership that was responsible for destroying the economy and sending so many into an ever increasing poverty, leadership responsible for the destruction of personal and religious property, leadership that turned free speech into a jail sentence or death, except that this leadership was ignorant of something crucial…it could not destroy the human spirit of the people of Myanmar.
As an American, whose freedom is guaranteed by the Constitution, I cannot come close to imagining what living under an oppressive rule is like. The books I’ve read about the history of this remarkable people have given the facts, but I was not the one to live through it. The recent election and the softening of restrictions are just the beginning of what I pray will be the resurgence of this country…so steeped in history and spirituality and beauty. I’ve been touched by the warmth and graciousness of many during these past few weeks and I leave Myanmar appreciative of all that I have experienced, enriched by friendship, and very grateful.
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