51 As a passionate yoga teacher, I feel strongly connected to the philosophies and ways of life of Asia. My husband and I had longed for an extensive tailor-made journey through Myanmar in order to immerse ourselves as deeply as possible in the country’s cultural traditions. What an exploration this was! This is only a brief account of what we experienced. As the New Year bells rang for 2018, we flew into Yangon, Myanmar’s former capital city. Our private and local guide, arranged by Enchanting Travels, led us through bustling streets to witness the shimmering gold Shwegadon Pagoda. Legend has it that it’s over 2,500 years old! Still mesmerized by its jeweled appearance, we continued onwards, crossing the Yangon River by a cycle rickshaw until we reached a village, which was a vast and striking contrast from the bustling metropolis. It was immediately as if time had stood still. Visiting the village monastery was a deeply touching moment, unlike anything I have experienced before. Another exciting encounter was hiking in the environs of Loikaw, an idyllic small town that has only opened its doors to visitors recently. We met women of the Padaung community, an indigenous group who, as per custom, elongate their necks for years with the assistance of golden spiral rings. The landscapes of this region were unforgettable, and we traveled by boat in the company of a ‘leg-rowing’ boatman through the floating villages of Inle Lake, with the great Shan Mountains as our backdrop. After rowing through winding channels, we reached a mystical village where over 1,000 weather pagodas awaited us. We met up with our chauffeur who took us through fascinating, tucked away streets and we stopped off at a studio to see traditional umbrellas being made. Venturing further still, we went to the imposing cave systems of Pindaya, where there are believed to be 8,000 Buddhist statues. We had an incredibly engaging guide who shared all the myths of how it came to being as we ventured through the large entrance gate. This fed the anticipation as we explored this unique pilgrimage site. We traveled north to a little place called Hsipaw, located in the northeast of the Shan Mountains. We boarded a boat on Dokthawady River, and sailed upstream through dense jungle forests. Our local guide pointed out exotic gardens, orchards, and a 150-year-old monastery. We witnessed the traditional daily lives of the Shan villagers, as they weaved baskets, rolled Burmese cigarettes, led their cattle through the roads, or simply sat - eating noodle soup!