As I mentioned in my previous post I really wanted to travel to Myanmar given that the country will likely be changing in the future. Just a quick primer, Myanmar (previously known as Burma) was a British colony from the mid-19th century until the start of WWII. In the 1960’s the country came under military rule and became a socialist nation that would remain cut off from the outside world until roughly 2010. This period is peppered with pro-democracy demonstrations that were almost always violently suppressed. In 1990 the government held free elections for the first time in 30 years. Although the National League for Democracy (NLD), the party of Aung San Suu Kyi, won 80% of the seats, the military junta refused to relinquish power. In 2010 the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party won the election although it was contested by multiple political parties. The military junta was dissolved in 2011 and replaced by a “quasi-civilian parliament”. Recently, reforms have been enacted to reduce state censorship, release political prisoners, and liberalize the economy.
With a very small understanding of the country’s turbulent history under my belt it was fascinating to visit a place still undergoing rapid change. I met up with my buddy, Bing, in Yangon and given the short time I had in the country we got right to seeing the sites. Easily the most impressive highlight was the Shwedagon Pagoda which is visible from almost anywhere in Yangon and one of the Buddhist religion’s most sacred sites. The enormous zedi is covered with 27 tons of gold leaf and at the top stands a 72 carat diamond. Bing and I walked around the pagoda at sunset marveling at its size for a good couple of hours.
Although not a tourist attraction, I loved walking around the city blocks admiring the British colonial architecture. Most of the buildings are crumbling and falling into disrepair, but for some reason I thought that made them even more beautiful.
Another thing I’m glad we did was take the three-hour circular train in Yangon. We were the only foreigners on the train and repeatedly got stared at by passengers, but it was a fabulous way to see some of the city and countryside. At each stop we witnessed people going about their daily business, buying and selling goods at the market, heading to work or school, etc. However, at the end of the train ride we realized we had gone one stop too far. The train moves very slowly and Bing and I decided we could possibly jump off. Edging to the side of the open door I thought Bing and I would discuss whether this was "safe" or not before we proceeded. Instead, Bing leapt off the train and promptly fell on the rocks below. Having no intention to jump and being pulled back by people on the train I blankly stared in surprise as Bing dusted off his wounds and the train moved away. I planned to get off at the next train station and take a taxi back to the guesthouse, but this incredibly kind Indian man on the train helped notify another train moving the other direction that I needed to hop on and make it back to the next stop. I happily jumped on and rode back to where Bing had been. He was not there anymore and it took the better part of an hour for us to reunite. Thankfully his injuries were minor, but definitely wise to avoid jumping off trains in general.
We took an overnight bus to Bagan which I was slightly anxious about, but it ended up being really nice – air conditioning (too much almost) and reclining seats. Arriving in Bagan we knew we wanted to see as many temples as possible and charted a course to see the major sites over the course of the next two days. We rented electric bikes which were super fun to drive. We managed to get lost multiple times, but overall had a lot fun traversing Bagan’s sprawling landscape dotted with over 4,000 temples. I think the pictures speak for themselves!
After spending two days in Bagan we took a day bus to Mandalay. Mandalay at the surface wasn’t quite as beautiful and seemed to be made up of mostly ordinary concrete buildings. Around sunset we visited the U-Bein bridge which is apparently the world's longest and oldest teak bridge in the world. We sat and chatted with a monk there and observed the rush of people – some tourists, but mostly locals as they wandered along the bridge admiring the scenery. Another highlight was seeing the Moustache Brothers comedy show. The group is comprised of two brothers and their cousin who have been performing since 1996. Through their shows they spoke out against the government which resulted in seven years of prison for two of the members. They are still not allowed to perform publicly, but give shows every night in their home.
From Mandalay I flew to Bangkok and back to Phnom Penh. I am thrilled I was able to make the whirlwind tour to Myanmar. While I enjoyed seeing the pagodas it was almost more enjoyable to experience just a glimpse of a different culture. It’s impossible not to notice how the men and women still hold on to to traditional customs. For instance, they still wear longyi’s or these long fabrics that are twisted into skirts. Bing was kind enough to buy one for me which ended up being a lifesaver because I needed it to get into any of the pagodas. Also, the women and some men still apply thanaka paste to their faces - a yellowish-white cosmetic paste made from ground bark. This tradition dates back to the 14th century. Finally, I was extremely impressed with the hospitality and kindness of the Burmese people. From the incident at the train station, to the owners of the guesthouses, to random people on the street when we were lost, everyone was helpful and accepting of the confused foreigners. I absolutely walked away with an appreciation for the overall kindness they showed us.
I’m back in Phnom Penh for just a couple of weeks working on finishing up the livelihood articles and videos. We have two out of three articles finished and hopefully I can post them to my blog before heading home. In the meantime I’m trying to enjoy the last couple of weeks in the country before heading back!