A Blog to help all those moving to hectic Hanoi, wanting to learn about the culture in Vietnam or simply interested in the opinions of an adventurous expatriate teenager!

Tuesday 18 October 2011

Myanmar compared to Hanoi

Since Myanmar (formerly Burma) is just around the corner we decided to pop over for the autumn break. My mum kept telling everyone she met how similar it was to Hanoi but actually I thought it was pretty different as well. Here is a collection of our pictures from the trip showing you similarities and differences between the two countries.



Differences-





Like India the buses were packed full of people like sardines except they were also all sitting on the roof which is something you don't see here,



This picture was taken at a monastery at 10 o'clock in the morning since monks cannot eat after lunch,



 There were hundreds of temples covered in this gold leaf, (the umbrella is because the sun was burning me),

Buddhism was very important and there were Buddhas everywhere,

They wear a white sandalwood make-up which is made by rubbing the wood on a stone with water to form a paste. You can't really see it on my porcelin skin but it was obvious on everyone else there,


The dress in Myanmar was a lot more conservative with long skirts and trousers respecting the Buddha whereas here there are a lot more see through items...

I have never seen horses and carts here not even on my trip to Ba Be which I would consider pretty rural.

The food was amazing a combination of Thai and Indian food (unfortunately I didn't take enough pictures of my dinner as it disappeared too fast), in some ways it reminded me of here, but in other ways it was even more backwards and different. Even the language was softer.

Does anywhere remind you of Vietnam?

4 comments:

Julia said...

Jemimah - I love this comparison! It sounds like Myanmar was a trip back in time, which is something for you to cherish for the rest of your life. As the ancient world disappears, there are relatively few places you can have this experience. It reminds me of being in Oman in the late 1970's, when we could only go to the souk wearing a long skirt and long sleeves.
Jonathan says that Costa Rica reminds him of Vietnam because it is so green and hot, with mountains and beaches, and lots of friendly people.
Julia

Anonymous said...

Hi Jemimah,
What a wonderful exotic place to visit. You were lucky to go just as the Burmese people are gaining some freedoms, but the mass tourist market hasn't discovered Burma yet. So unspoilt and beautiful. Please make a calendar of all the pics for 2012 so we can enjoy it every month.Love Nanaroo

Anonymous said...

Fantastic photos Jemimah-that could be a career one day! My brother-in-law has visited too so I saw some of these sights but I liked yours better! I shall keep reading the blog with interest
Consilia x

Jemimah said...

Thanks everyone, it wasn't hard to take amazing photos since in real life it was extremely beautiful! I think everyone should visit there if they have the opportunity before it develops.