I spent the last day of my Laos trip in Huay Xai, a small border town at the Mekong river which serves as the natural border to Thailand. Again, hardly any tourists except for a very nice, retired Japanese man who is without a doubt the most travelled-man I have ever met in my life. He invited me for dinner and told me about his amazing journeys around the world. When I asked him what his favourite country was, he said: “Thailand, 20 years ago.” Even though the country has changed a lot, he comes back two times a year. This summer, it’s his 40th journey to Thailand. I couldn’t resist asking him why he would always come back, even with all the changes and developments. He answered: “It’s a mermory place. It doesn’t matter how often you come here – the memories will always guide you. You will keep coming back to Seoul for the same reasons, you will see. It’s a memory place.” I guess he is right.
I crossed the border to Chiang Khong in North Thailand and made my way to Chiang Rai. First thing I noticed – the roads! WOW! They have no holes! They are in good condition! Yippie! Second thing – WOW, I actually have a seat to myself on the bus! Yippie! Haha. That made my day.
Together with a guy from Holland, I decided to cross the border into Myanmar. I have been thinking about doing it for quite some time now, always asking myself whether it is a good thing to do or not. Most travellers avoid a visit, deciding not to support the current regime – something I can understand only too well. In the end, I came to the personal conclusion that my decision to go there is by no means a sign of support for the tyrannic regime but an attempt to show the Burmese people that there are at least some people out there who do care.
Crossing the border was relatively easy, except that the Myanmar officials keep your passport and you are equipped with a visitor ID. I hate to not be able to hold on to my passport. Once in Myanmar, the difference between the two countries is indeed very visible – even if there is just a river dividing them. We went off to explore by ourselves, not joining one of the Tuk Tuk tours that you are offered everywhere on the streets. We eventually managed to leave the city and walked into the countryside. People greeted us everywhere and we could at least get a glimpse of the rural life in this country. At one point, pretty far outside of the city, there was a second “inofficial” border where we were held up by soldiers and not allowed to pass. I guess there was something we were not meant to see.
I tried to spread my wealth a little bit during my visit, buying things from different people, even if it was stuff I don’t actually need. I felt that I could contribute maybe just a tiny bit by leaving some money with the right people. All in all, I think Burma is a country that you should support by going there - I believe that every visit counts to help ending this regime or simply to show Burmese people that we do care. I plan to go back and properly travel there. Not just for a day.
