Even arriving at night it was unmistakably different from anything I’d seen before. A different fragrance in the air. The people taller than I thought they would be. Funnier, too.

And this morning, in the light, all the sights and sounds of a new world. Thanaka paste on women’s cheeks. Longyis around men’s waists. Saffron-robed monks. Tiny teahouses tucked away behind bamboo-frond curtains.

I want to be out in it … that’s where I’m headed now.

Stay tuned …