Sunset in Myanmar
Bagan, Myanmar
January 31st, 2021
Sad news out of Myanmar where the military has staged a coup, assumed power and declared a state of emergency for one year. It’s a strange thing when this happens to a fragile country one has visited before. I think of the horse cart driver, the palm farmer and his family, the people we met running hotels and restaurants in Yangon and Bagan. How will this affect them, in a place already so economically challenged while also in the middle of a pandemic? It’s astonishing how much life can change in one day, anywhere in the world.
More tomorrow,
Kelly
Post of the Day: Adding a bit of light to the darkness as we get through the pandemic together. This series features travel photos from my archives, shared with you while staying close to home.
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I agree, this is sad news for a country that seemed to be on the road to improvement.
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Yes, they had made some good strides to a better future.
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Well written though
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I remember when I was in Myanmar for the second time in 2015, the country was preparing for its first democratic election in many many years. The overall spirit was encouraging, and the people were ready to embrace a better future after decades of isolation. That’s why when I learned about the coup this morning, I was beyond shocked. In just a little over five years, democracy in Myanmar seems to have returned to where it was.
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What a memory to have of Myanmar and interesting time for you to be there. It really is quite shocking. As you say, the decades of isolation had shut them off from the whole world and returning to that just seems unthinkable. Life there is already hard enough. It is sad to see Myanmar’s future so abruptly dimmed. Nice to hear from you! Hope you’re well. 🙂
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Oh, heck yes! I didn’t know this, Kelly. I don’t tend to follow current events too closely because they can be so depressing. My husband makes up for both of us. Thanks for this sad share.
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Sorry for the sad news, Jo. It’s such an interruption to the progress the country has made. And if there was any hope of tourism returning after Covid, that hope is probably fading fast.
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Sad indeed Kelly. We are living in a fragile world.
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We sure are. Everywhere. So sad.
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What Bama said 😦 😦 😦
A.
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Yes, he summed it up perfectly (as usual).
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We too were there in 2015 ( I was also there in 1971) and had the same experience as Bama. T-shirts with democratic slogans and pictures of Aung San Suu Kyi were being sold everywhere. There was such hope. It’s a dangerous time for everyone there – especially non-Buddhists.
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So true, Steve. There is a lot of danger and probably a lot more we don’t see or know about in the northern parts of the country. What was it like in 1971?! Do tell! Must have been memorable and very different from your experience there in 2015.
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Coups seem to be a more common way of changing governments that democratic elections, Kelly. Sad. –Curt
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It is sad, Curt. The people of Myanmar already deal with so many daily challenges and this will only make it harder for them.
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It’s a story of third world countries over and over, Kelly.
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Missing Bagan with this stunning photo (and I love seeing throwback travel posts like this!). What’s happening in Myanmar right now is really saddening though.
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It is sad, although also great to see the local population doing all they can to protest. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your comment, Sherlyn!
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