We left Thailand through the Mae Sot border and quickly hitchhiked to Taunggyi to visit friends living there and to attend the hot air balloon festival. Fireworks fell from the nacelles on the crowd and then pour into the sky, it was as impressive as  dangerous! We did several hikes on our own: three days on the touristic trail from Kalaw to Inle Lake, three days on an uncrowded trail around Pindaya, as well as day hikes in Hpa-An and Mount Kyaiktiyo. We visited the archaeological site of Bagan by bicycle and then by electric scooters to discover the most remote places in three days. The capital Naypyidaw worths a detour for its huge and empty avenues and its pagoda. Myanmar is my favorite country in Asia for its authenticity, its low level of tourism, the kindness and curiosity of the Burmese people, the ease of hitchhiking, the beauty of the landscapes and the numerous hiking possibilities. The original plan of my hitchhiking world tour was to cross to India but in 2017 the border is closed to travelers without guided tour. So we went back to Thailand.