If $1 was as high as it got...

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So the Myanmar currency is called kyat (pronounced jat). So far I have see 1000, 500, 200, 100 kyat bills. But there exists nothing higher than 1000. Now I know what you're thinking, in the US, we don't have $1000 bills. This is true. But what is also true is that hotels do not cost $10,000 US a night. The exchange is currently around 1000 kyat to every dollar. So this means that people (and I mean locals, not just foreigners) carry huge stacks of bills with them everywhere they go. a good meal at a moderate local place might cost 2000 kyat per person. Of course you can find cheaper, and more expensive, but the truth is that carrying around kyat is like carrying around stacks of $1 bills, which would inevitably lead to a number of "stripper jokes" in the US.

Another interesting thing about Myanmar is the importance placed on astrology. You will most likely not believe what I'm about to tell you, you'll probably search for a more logical explanation. I know this, because that is what I did, but you won't find one. At least not one that is true.

Cars drive on the right side of the road here. That's not shocking, I know. Unfortunately, many cars have the steering wheels on the right side of the car too. This is because (and I am getting this from several differences sources) an astrologer (not just any astrologer, the official government astrologer) said that the right side is auspicious. So traffic goes on the right. The steering wheel is because the cars come from Japan who drive on the left. So sometimes you'll see people at intersections and their job is to tell you when you are clear to go. No joke.

Those strange things aside, this is an amazing country. The people are among the most beautiful I've ever seen. Both in look and in personality. I can tell it will be diffficult to leave here.

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