Such a stressful life, to die in here

by Eugenia CorralesAguilar (Costa Rica)

Making a local connection Myanmar

I was promised a breathtaking trip. Ironically, I lost my breath and almost died in Bagan, Myanmar. I was travelling with my group and 5 minutes after riding a horse-pulled carriage, I was out of breath. Bagan is pretty rural, as rural as it gets, and therefore I ended in the only clinic available there. No graduated doctors or physicians there, only nurses and students. Myanmar has only 16 000 medical doctors for the whole country. The region of Mandalay only 2 000 for more than 1 million inhabitants. The only medical doctor was called and he will arrive on the next day. No pharmacy. No one spoke English. Between losing consciousness and thinking "such an stressful life, to die in here" and opening my eyes once again, so much happened, so much I was only able to learn afterwards… So much to tell and think about… After ample help from locals, from our guide, and luckily for me, from a frustrated ex-medical student with an internal struggle against the medical system since the death of his sister caused by a medical malpractice who was a member of our group, I was able to breathe once again. I had to spend the night in the only VIP room in the hospital. VIP room does not mean what you and I think when we go into a VIP room at any place. Nevertheless, I was there, getting better, starting to breathe more easily. I woke up at night and noticed that three men were in my room. You should not be afraid of people of Myanmar, they are really good people and therefore I was not scared. One of this men came to me and informed me that he was one of the managers in the hotel where I was staying, that they heard that “something” happened to one of their guests and that they were there in order to help me, if I needed something, my luggage, whatever I wanted I should mention it and they will do it for me. I already knew that I was getting better and that I will be discharged next morning. So I told him that I was not in any need of nothing. After some insistence from him I asked for an apple and water. After one hour, he came back… He came back with a basket full of fruits, one full of bread, several bottles of water, a tea can, a coffee can, a pillow, a blanket and most surprising, with two young women from the hotel so that they will stay with me all night long and keep me company. I cannot tell you how grateful I was. I felt cherished and not alone. They spoke limited English but it was more than anything that I wished for. I am thankful with the manager and with the company of Kim and Mama (sorry if not written correctly). The day after, back in the hotel, they were also keeping an eye on me and giving me even free lunch and dinner. I am thankful for what they did, but I am also thankful for life. This is not your normal travel story, I do not describe the beautiful things and monuments, the magnificent pagodas and temples found in Bagan. But I found out how wonderful the local people from Bagan are. Their true wonder lies within themselves and not inside a temple. Within their souls.