Between 11 AM and 2 PM it's really warm here in Dawei, but after spending more than two weeks in this country I've learned where to go: to the Pagoda. It doesn't matter in which city you are. All Pagodas are mostly well located, good to reach and the atmosphere is unique. The birds tweet around and there is a nice breeze under the shadow in front of a Dhyana meditating white Buddha. A girl with his younger brother is "sharing merits" using the bell on the nice square around Pagoda: "Dooong-Dooong-Dooong". I'm observing a kid praying with her mother. After spilling some water on smaller Buddhas two teenage girls smiling ask me for a picture together.

Foreigners are really welcome in Myanmar and I rarely felt like one. Everyone kindly says "Hello", "How are you" or "Goodbye". Young girls and boys mostly smile to you, shy girls look down to the floor. Adults are nice and polite as well. Children are just children: beautiful and curious.

The second night in Myanmar I shared one of those small plastic tables from a typical street food restaurant. Life happens, fully and loudly, outside on the street here. Later I was sharing local food with the guy sitting in front of me, drinking Myanmar beer and smoking cigarettes on his invitation. No way trying to pay the food or at least one drink. I never spent a day without an enjoyable fully natural interaction with locals. In Yangon, a girl took me around in the market and helped me choose a white shirt and a two nice "longyis" (sheet of clothes worn around the waist). In Bagan, another young girl showed me the way to the top of a temple explaining the religious paintings. A group of kids helped me finding another temple for enjoying the sunset. In Mandalay, on the way up to the Hill, I met two students. They are often there - walking up and down the 1729 steps - talking with strangers improving their English skills. The next day one of those guys took me around with his motorbike and showed me many highlights of the region. In Mawlamyine, it was great watching young monks playing football. In Myeik, I played myself with the children of an entire school class on an island. In Dawei, I did some workout every morning on the pier with a local, watching the sea before sunrise. One day I invited my favorite trishaw driver for a short breakfast before visiting Bilu Kyun Island.

Burmese people are mostly smiling and love to share food, water or experiences in a way the western world forgot. They would never ask for money. Sometimes I gave to my "personal guides" a small amount of money anyway. If not I paid for lunch or gave them a small gift. A kind of donation, which is good for the "karma" and the "merits". During my last night in Myanmar, I could visit some local houses and I really liked it.

Probably it's time for me to change country, because I like the longyi, I started to put some Thanakha on my face and right now, when my roommate asked me for some water, I just answered with a typical Myanmar "Hmm" sound, which means a lot of things depending on the situation. I got used giving some 100 Kyats notes to the children or monks walking around with the shining donation bowls. I gave my last gold leafs from Mandalay to three young girls and to an English friend, who asked me for some. He's going to attach them on a Golden Buddha.

My first day in Myanmar was the 4th of January (National Independence Day here) so there were music and dancing everywhere on the streets of the capital city Yangon. A group of people literally "took" me, offering some beer. They made me dancing and started taking pictures or filming with their mobile phones. Even the police officers were friendly asking many questions and checking my Passport before starting the bus ride to Myeik. There were many other unique situations, which make this country and the Burmese population special.

Of course, there are similar situations in Switzerland, but maybe I didn't really realize it. For sure there is more egoism and less open mind. It would be great to learn from each other.

I experienced strange or unusual situations too, like the crazy freezing Air-Con, really loud TV/Music and non-stop horn sounding on the buses. Once I slept outside on a balcony and once in a small Buddha room because the guesthouse was full. I always tried to see the positive aspects: waking up facing nice palm trees with a red sunrise in the background or have the honor to sleep in the Buddha room. Those are good things. It's not a tragedy if people were loud all night, if the mosquitos woke me up or if there was no warm water. This morning there was no water at all!

There were other foreigns, of course, so sometimes we were together. By the way, I don't feel like a Tourist anymore. I'm a Traveler now, like my Peruvian guide Alim taught me in South America. I was really feeling sorry for some hotel guests complaining about the bed asking to change room. After checking out one couple was complaining about service, which could be better, they said. The wifi doesn't work? Apocalypse! A guy decided to change hotel because of a 1US$ price difference and the next day he was complaining about something else of the other hotel. Convinced vegetarians asked on a spartan island if the food during the tour would be "organic" and their special wishes were changing all the time.

One morning at 4:00 AM after waking up the hotel staff and probably all the hotel guests as well, two new girls were just "checking the room" and loudly started discussing if they had to pay for this or next night: I just left my luggage there and went straightway to a Tea House watching the city slowly waking up. There I met an old Chinese man which is running a big carpet shop. Later an old man came to me - warmly gripping my hands - and said: "Thank you, thank you for visiting my country". After the tasty morning tea, I was sharing a Tuk-Tuk with an overstayed "Rock&Roll American", two other guys riding to the beach. Which one is the best way to start a day in a new city, in a new place you are visiting?

I would just complain about the breakfast. Most guesthouses or hotel don't serve a local or typical breakfast but a kind of international mix. Probably because Burma was a British colony and of course because of the "complaining tourists", which mostly want to eat the same food like at home. For some tourists, it would be great even if the locals would speak the same language like them.

But in Burma, there are bigger problems than an international breakfast. An acceptable and sustainable waste disposal doesn't exist at all and the pollution is big. The efficiency of the public transportations/roads/cities is bad and stray dogs are everywhere. Corruption, drug traffic and much more are for sure still happening. The last religious unrest was in July 2014. There is even no really highways yet down to the south. The biggest bridges are provisory and the rudimentary roads slide from the jungle through wooden villages and gum tree plantation. Everywhere gravel heaps waiting for the coming asphalt. The country is still growing, building, developing. Unfortunately opening the borders to the world and to the tourism include negative effects, like the globalization, which change everything.

Not anymore "the Buddhist way to the socialism", like general Ne Win said 1962 but "the Buddhist way to the globalization". I'm happy having seen Burma without Mc Donald's, Star Bucks or Seven 11! Let's see if the Burmese people are strong enough to keep some of their best qualities.

Even if there is a TV in each bar, house or bus; even if it's possible to buy all kind western products; even if everybody has a mobile phone and is using Facebook: I hope to go to the colorful and intense local markets in the morning. Smelling the flowers, drinking the typical sweet tea and watching a man deep frying the various typical snacks. Sharing looks with beautiful Thanakha girls. Going to a Pagoda or a temple and pray or meditate. Saying "Mingalabar" (hello) to a man, proudly wearing his "longyi" with a nice white shirt. For sure he will be chewing the typically filled leaves, which turn the color of tooth and lips in a yellow-orange tone. I hope to have typical street food while kids are playing football, girls are playing badminton and families are riding on a single motorbike in pajama on the street until night.