The Myanmar Norway connection

In the North of Norway, way back in 2010 as I looked at the maddening scenery in front of me, I heard a voice. ‘This is like the south of New Zealand’ then one more, ‘maybe even better’. 

People, as in travelers often make comparisons in what they see when they travel. Some of them who travel a lot, often speak about a beach in Turkey being similar to the one they saw in Brazil, or a mountain in Chile similar to the one they saw in New Zealand. But, what I don’t hear and come across is the people comparison. Maybe because the travelers, who are busy ticking off the list of the places to see, find no time to talk to locals, and the only local they ever speak to is their guide.

This is my second trip to Myanmar and on my fifth day I am coming to realize that there is a strange connection between the Norwegians and the Burmese. I was in Norway just a week ago and this maybe just fueling this comparison.  

On the face of it Norway and Myanmar are poles apart! Norway is one of the most developed countries in the world. Myanmar maybe is  the most undeveloped in South East Asia. Norway is building new tunnels every year. Myanmar doesn’t even have good roads to connect its two principle cities of Yangon and Mandalay. A lot of other things like ATM’s, Internet, Medical care etc and others that come with development don’t exist in Myanmar or is very limited. I can go on and on about the opposite’s on the surface. But look underneath, get on the streets and talk to the local people and suddenly it seems that these two are not very different.

Lets say it starts with honesty and ends with being sincere. People mean what they say and say what they mean. Norway does it in a very upfront manner, while the Burmese do it with a smile.  But the tradition is alike.

            The Ticket Collector on the Kalaw - Inle Rail link who doubles up as your lugguage assistant 

When one of my travelers is trying to get his bags from his room, someone from the staff suddenly appears from nowhere and takes it over. People having their mid day meal near their store get up to offer their chair just coz they see an old Indian woman waiting for the group members to arrive. These are just a few of the many things the local’s in Myanmar do and not even make a big deal out of it. I know up north in Norway, something like this will never happen.

But I also know there are very few countries in the world where ‘genuine’ is a regular word.  Being honest is a way of life ..

I am lucky to have seen the local’s up close both in Norway and in Myanmar.

looking out of the window!

The only part of the long journey’s that I remember of my childhood is when I asked my mother, how long before we arrive? My father would then say to me, look out of the window and see how beautiful it is. To sleep in the journey was more out of boredom then out of the actual need to sleep. In short all that mattered was the destination and when I took my first 1 hr flight to Goa from Mumbai, I remember smiling all the way even with the discomfort caused due to the air pressure difference. Getting there quick is important, is what I thought back then.

Over the years the concept of a journey has changed for me, but I never really put it in retrospective as much as I did when I first started to mention the North of Norway. ‘The journey is more important than the destination’ I said to one of the callers, explaining him about the ‘Lofoten Islands Road’. After I had kept the phone down, I thought of the ‘me’, 25 years ago and smiled.

Unlike the beauty of a destination that suddenly comes in front of you and makes you say ‘wow’, a journey takes its own time to grow on you.  That is if you look out of the window! Many train journeys are mentioned which are breathtaking, but not a lot is said about the road. The train has the advantage of a steady speed, stops at known intervals and the freedom to walk around in confines of your compartment. The road on the other hand can be bumpy, the limited space to sit can be uncomfortable and is prone to unexpected delays due to an accident etc. But then the road gives you the freedom to stop where you want and take in the surroundings. And this is where the road scores over the rail!

I have always promoted the winter in Scandinavia tour by speaking about the activities that one does on tour.  Reindeer sledging, snow mobile etc give you that excitement. I also mention the Ice Hotel, and the Santa Claus. But what I have learnt in the last two days of my trip here in Lapland is that the journey is equally important between the towns of the North.

Rovaniemi is the largest town in the north of Finland, while Kiruna is the same to Sweden. Harstad and Tromso take the title in Norway. But what is beautiful in the winter is the journey that connects these towns from Finland to Norway. The sun rises below the horizon at 11 am. This actually means that between 11 to 1pm it is the twilight zone in the North of Scandinavia above the Arctic Circle. We travel for around 650 kms in two days staying for a night in between at Kiruna. There is enough snow in the surrounding to make you feel that everything right from the roofs of the houses to the tiniest twig on a tree has all been quoted in a white paint.

Somewhere in those 650 kms you might unknowingly hear yourself saying, ‘wow’ and that’s when the journey has taken over.  The expanse of nature makes you feel small. The odd snowmobile, or a man being pulled by his dog on a home made sledge catches your sight or as the twilight begins to fade and the Christmas lights stand out even more on the houses you cant help but notice the surrounding. The light makes the white snow turn a into a shade blue and you feel peace!

Looking out of the window!