We weren’t expecting that.

That’s the phrase we repeated throughout the trip. We thought we were going to discover a country, but we encountered an emotion. With Asiajet, every stop seemed carefully chosen, but the highlight will always be the hot air balloon festival in Taunggyi. Huge balloons, decorated by hand, rose slowly, some releasing fireworks. It was magical, almost sacred. We were at the heart of a rare moment, surrounded by Burmese families sharing this celebration with disarming generosity.