M-whY

Deer had some deliveries to make in the morning, but her afternoon was free, and she'd take me to Burma. She asked if I wanted to drive, and I replied it might be better if she did. I wasn't used to driving on the left side of the road, I lied, though my real excuse was I felt a bit uncomfortable driving someone's expensive SUV. If it were a rental car, I wouldn't care. Any damage would be covered by insurance.

"You'll get used to it," said Deer, and handed the keys to me. I guess I would be playing chauffeur today.

We hadn't gone very far when we encountered a police checkpoint. I hadn't done anything wrong, and I had my international driver's permit on me, but for some reason, uniformed personnel always made me nervous.

"Don't worry, just keep going." And indeed, they just waved us on. "The police here know my car, they won't stop us so close to home."

Driving on the left side of the road has become so normal to me, I'm beginning to wonder how I'll adjust to driving on the right when I go home. My navigator told me when to turn and where to stop. I'd remain in the car while she made deliveries to her more important customers, listening to music until she returned. Several boxes of tonics in the back was soon unloaded. As usual, her phone rang non-stop, as customers called to place more orders and schedule future deliveries. Occasionally she'd tell me miraculous stories of the effects of the tonic. Western medicine can do amazing things, but in some parts of the world, traditional remedies are still more favored than pills and fancy surgeries.

Her work was finished sometime in the early afternoon, and as planned, we headed north to the border towns of Mae Sai (Thailand) and Tachilek (Burma). Burma (or Myanmar) is a country that has somehow gone horribly wrong. Ruled by an tyrannical military regime, civil and political rights are nonexistant. There is no freedom of press, no internet cafes, and even owning something as simple as a fax machine without permission can be reason for a lengthy jail sentence. Corruption is rampant, the people are poor, and people are often discouraged from visiting, as some believe tourism legitimizes oppressive government.

If there's one thing the country's got right, it's that they drive on the right side of the road. We left our car on a quiet street and proceeded to cross the border on foot. For Deer and her Thai passport, a one day visa cost 30 baht. My ticket cost 200 baht. But at least the visa was available. It's not until recently that American passports were allowed through.

I don't think Tachilek really conveyed a true Burmese experience though. A popular gateway for foreigners making a Thai visa run, it also drew a lot of Thai visitors looking to purchase cheap movies and CDs. While Deer browsed the pirated wares, I wandered around a bit. Young children and mothers bearing infants latched onto me, begging for me. It was heartbreaking and annoying at the same time. I didn't give any handouts though; I didn't think it was right to encourage such behavior.

We ate at a restaurant where two huge bowls of noodles cost only 90 baht.

"So do you come here often?" I asked while we waited for for our food.

"Sometimes. I have customers here." She told me of a mind reading monk who used her products. "Do you want to meet him?"

"Uhh... that's okay. I don't want to bother him." I didn't trust my mind to keep only pure thoughts. If he really could read minds... well, maybe it's better I don't see him.

The architecture of Burmese temples differs from that of Thailand's, and is worth a look. We hired a tuk-tuk for a tour around town. Deer had seen all the sights before, and acted as my tour guide. Most impressive was a temple modeled off of one located in Rangon (the capital of Burma). Surrounding the structure were these platforms, from which you paid your respects, depending on which day you were born.

The border closed at 5:00pm, so around this time, we had to start making our way back to immigration. A new stamp granted me another 30 days in Thailand. We returned to the car, and began our drive back home.

By this time, I had decided it was time to move on. For a variety of reasons. I didn't want my presence to interfere with Deer's work. I also didn't want to be a burden on her family. And most importantly, I feared that I would get complacent, and if I didn't get moving, I might find myself staying here for a couple weeks.

We decided to stay in a hotel (for easy access to the bus station). When Deer's mom found out I was leaving, she said something in Thai, which Deer translated for me.

"Mom asks why you're leaving so soon."

"Tell her I'll be back someday."

This answer seemed to satisfy her, and I loaded my two backpacks into the car. I said goodbye to the family, and as we pulled out onto the street, her nephew shouted something in Thai.

"[Come back tomorrow!]"

Well, maybe not tomorrow, but someday!

Thanks to everyone for their support and comments! Knowing people are reading keeps me motivated to continue the updates!