This is the English version of "Der Kater von Mingun":
A Day of Smile
Encounters with the Burmese Soul
Mysterious Myanmar - whoever has been there once, always wants to go back.
Why is that?
What is the secret of this country that has been enchanting its visitors for centuries? Is it the golden pagodas? Is it the empty beaches and the blue skies? Or the originality of its nature and culture? Or is it the people? .....
The author has been living in a Buddhist monastery in Sagaing, and from there he takes a day bike tour to Mingun, a small village where the largest functioning bell in the world hangs and the largest pile of bricks of all time is venerated. On this trip, his experiences and the many encounters with the friendly people put the author in a special, somehow extraordinary state, the "Burma flow". At the end of the story, he met a somewhat strange "Mingun Cat". This excursion and the unusual encounter have amazing, nearly mystical effects that go well beyond that one day and perhaps explain why one can become addicted to this country.
The author tells a story about Myanmar as it was before the tourist boom after 2011 and how you can still find it if you are prepared to delve carefully into a foreign, very traditional culture and to learn something from it, what has been lost in most other countries.
A joyful and encouraging story that may end up making you a little thoughtful and tolerant for the other. With numerous color photos.
