During British occupation, the mountain town of Pyin Oo Lwin offered the administrators a cool respite from Yangon's sticky summer heat. It houses the country's lush botanical gardens and retired generals.

I know that last part because we accidentally had breakfast with one of them at a street stall selling rotis and sweet tea. A man with a distinguished bathrobe sat down next to us and helped us order. He was getting takeout for his wife, but couldn't help practice his near perfect english and ask us what we thought about the country.