Burma has a minion!

Chinthe the Tianlu

“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.”

"Upon stepping foot into a strange land, one cannot help but wonder whether to move one step further in or go back to lands more familiar. But I would like to ask, are you really not curious about what is beyond these borders? I say, wanderlust is not a bad thing, come join me, I'll be your guide." A golden creature quickly trotted right up to you before nudging up your side. You cannot help but gape at its physical appearance. It certainly looked very majestic and strange. You quickly noticed another strange creature next to it, smaller in stature but still a strange creature nevertheless.

"You are judging how we look like perhaps?" The golden one grinned before sitting down next to you, its tail curling up next to its body gracefully. "Introductions first, I guess. I don't have a name that you humans can physically voice out. See, your vocal chords cannot produce such high pitched sounds, but for convenience sake, you can call me Burma. This little one is my companion, also nameless but you can call it Chinthe, it'll respond." Chinthe ruffled its mane when it heard its name, before going off to chase some insects off the beaten path they were currently located at.

"Now, why I look like this. I represent the lands you see right now. All the landmarks dotting the plains, all the creatures roaming the forests and hills, all the minerals making up the earth, the water flowing in the streams. I got my golden fur from the stupas found in abundance, my scales from the hardest and most valuable gemstones in forgotten valleys, my antlers and build are inspired from deer migrating for warmer weathers, my tail from peacocks showing off their plumage, and my beak from a mythical bird called karaweik, I'm ranting now, silly me.. that was a lot of information. "

You looked at Burma in apprehension, and questioned where the journey beyond would entail. It let out a hearty laugh and promptly asked whether you have a compass. Luckily, you always had one on hand just for situations like these. You put the compass down so that Burma could have a look.

"North." it whispered, before tapping its hoof at said cardinal direction. "North is where you need a warm jacket and strong hiking boots. It's where the tallest mountains are. Snow capped, cold winds. It's also where a lot of endangered flora and fauna are protected, like the deer my antlers are inspired from." Burma flaunted waving its head from side to side. "Maintaining delicate ecosystems are important, don't you think?"

"You go further south, then you will reach the central region. It's hot and dry. There are also a lot of archaeological ruins around this place so it's not wrong to keep your boots. You'll need them for hiking. The gemstones on my head should be from this place. Luckily there is a large river running down from the north through this region and to the south. An expressway of some sorts. Take a boat from the north and hop off here? I'm messing with you. "

"West you have the beaches! Virgin beaches with white sands. I'd say if you joined me this would be the last spot I'd have in itinerary. Apart from the gorgeous beaches I've been told that if you try hard enough you can find a heart shaped lake, sakura trees and hilly trails that are perfect for cycling. Unfortunately, the west and the south are prone to cyclones. And I personally don't want you to be in the wrath of one. See, there are abnormally large amounts of rainfall. So I would say bringing an umbrella would be a smart decision, not just for torrential rainfall but also for spontaneous showers."

"I personally believe the east is all about trekking. Limestone caves, extensive plateaus, huge lakes, alpine towns.. you name them! Apart from that one famous lake, there are less visitors to the region as compared to well let's say the south. The reason as to why the lake is famous is.. because an occasional boat that dots the lake is manned by leg rowing. Yes, rowing the boat using your leg.

"If we are going to talk about the south, we will have to talk about two things. Firstly, the city, second the sea. The river starting from the north will drain into the sea in the south. If we think about it linearly, then a river will branch out in a delta before entering a larger body of water. If there is going to be plenty of slow moving water, there will be silt for crops to grow. And that would mean the south of this region can support a settlement. This settlement will grow bigger and into a metropolis. If you are the person who wants to see the hustle and bustle of city life, this is the place to go. There is also a b-e-a-utiful archipelago nearby, so scuba diving?"

"Still not convinced?" You looked at him confused, and getting whiplash from the creature's rambling. It looked at you with a small smile. "Give it a thought, and come back to me tomorrow if you want to travel the place. I'll still be here." Winds blew, the sun set. With a gentle breeze, Burma and Chinthe trotted away as quickly as they had arrived.



Credits
Thank you Virus for letting me adopt Burma.
Thank you Lea for the gorgeous pet profile template.
    (Edited on simple, centered one-column profile by me, Trace)
Background, Bullets, Divider from Pixalbay
Content Background Texture from Photo Public Domain
Minion Overlay by me, Trace
Quote by Anthony Bourdain
Story by me, Trace
    (Inspired by the geography of Myanmar, also known as Burma)

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