A search for authenticity

One of the things about traveling in a group is that transportation to all the sites and cities is planned for you. While that is certainly easier, being on a comfortable air conditioned bus can begin to feel sterile after a while. After a day of more monasteries and pagodas and the worlds largest book (750 pages written on marble slabs each standing in their own temple) Carmen and I were craving some authenticity.

We ditched our group and planned to head back to the last monastery we visited that didn't seem too far from the hotel. Honestly, there was a cute Buddha that was calling Carmen's name that we were going to go back to buy; I had managed to purchase one already, but Carmen was putting too much thought into hers and then ran out of time. It felt so good to walk on the side walk! We've been so sheltered and scheduled we haven't felt like we've been experiencing anything in a genuine way.

We were following the concierge's directions - down 3 blocks and then take a right - but, we weren't finding the place. We ended up back at the worlds largest book. So after walking and walking we flagged down some tri-shaw drivers (bicycles with an extra side seat). Of course, we didn't know the name of the monastery we wanted to go to, and there are hundreds. After reading what we thought the name was off our itinerary and negotiating a price we were off. It was so fun to not be on a bus! Unfortunately we were driven to the palace. We had been there this morning and knew that was not where we wanted to be. The palace was actually closed and the guard yelled at us and told us to go away, which actually worked out since that wasn't where we wanted to be anyway.

The whole experience was so invigorating. Like I said we've felt stifled on this trip by not having to figure out transportation or any meals either. The meals have all been at the tourist traps that no local would dare go. What fun is that?

So, in another act of defiance, we continued to ditch our group at dinner time and stayed in the hotel and had hamburgers and French fries! Yes, we have reached that point of the trip. Not because everything is so different and difficult and we were craving comfort food, but because we have been fed Burmese curry for lunch and dinner almost every day, and we were sick of it. The burger was really, really good!