Journey Through the Ages: From Dark Corridors to Golden Pagodas
Melody Mociulski first traveled to Burma in 1974, as a backpacker on the Hippie Trail, and she’s been involved in the country since, as she detailed in a recent podcast discussion. Today, her organization is supporting the democracy movement through a number of different ways, and she’s long been an advocate of ethnic minorities and gender equality. In the following passage, she describes how Burma stood out to the other countries she was visiting at this time.
“They told us that Burma was unlike anything we had ever seen and that we must visit.”
“During that trip, we also had the opportunity to travel through Afghanistan. We were on a bus with 30 other hippies from various places, and there was an English guy who drove an old, beat-up Mercedes between Kabul and Istanbul! When we entered Afghanistan, I distinctly remember my first impression. It felt like stepping back into the dark ages. The road was a long corridor illuminated by lanterns. It was pitch dark, with no electricity, just lanterns guiding the way. People on horses and horse-drawn carriages passed by us. Their attire transported me to a time reminiscent of biblical eras.
However, I didn't feel the same way when we arrived in Burma. We had already traveled through Pakistan, India, and Nepal, trekking and experiencing the sights of other third-world countries. So I was somewhat acclimated to the view of a developing nation. Moreover, I had positive opinions about all those countries based on my time spent there. Thus, the contrast wasn't as stark as that first night driving across the Afghan border. I don't recall people specifically commenting about Burma in India or Nepal. However, we did meet many Australians who were traveling in the opposite direction, and we spoke to some of them. That's how we heard about the seven-day visa and the glowing recommendations they gave. They told us that Burma was unlike anything we had ever seen and that we must visit.
At that time, I hadn't explored many parts of Southeast Asia with pagodas scattered everywhere, so it was a completely unique experience for me. The gold, and then the gratitude displayed in Burma were truly remarkable.
However, truthfully, some of my memories from the '70s are vivid, while others are elusive at the moment. I can't recall much else about my anticipation, except that I had read a bit about Burma in books, and I was curious to see it for myself. Regardless of the language barrier, the people always welcomed us warmly and were incredibly helpful. Even the women we encountered in Bagan, sitting on the porch and smoking their cigars, exuded strength, joy, and laughter! They were inquisitive and curious.
It wasn't like entering Vietnam, where the political ideology dominated everything. There were countless differences, and the warm welcome was not the same.