2004 YANGON

1st Jan 2004, we arrived in Yangon in the evening. The airport was so modest, almost no hi-tech equipment around, feel like I came out from a time machine. My 1st suggestion, don’t exchange US$ or Euro to local currency in the airport !! Outside rate’s twice higher.

Outside immigration area, Mr HM & his colleague were waiting for us. I knew him from his travel agent website. He is a very nice & polite gentleman. They both wore sarong as many locals do, but differ way the Indonesian wear it. We roll the top part & the Burmese slip it in one side.

Refer to Lonely Planet, Yangon is the prettiest capital in South East Asia. Because it has greenery more than others, less traffic & old decay colonial building scatter everywhere. I must change my prescription glasses to fit this statement. Pretty is in the eye of the beholder. Everything is then, subjective.

In midday, the city center was silent, no honk from auto or motorcycle. Also rare to see cars made after 1980-s. The new ones must belong to embassies or government.

Buses ‘re full, some has crowded passengers who relaxed sat on the roof. Office workers, blue and white collar carry hamper everywhere. This meal carrier, a 3 or 4 stainless steel pans on top of each other. Rantang I called it in my language. And healthier choice than eat junk food in the cafetaria of resto. This hamper scenery isn’t monopoly by the workers. Almost every worshiper in Buddhist sites also bring it. Like “coca cola” in Yangon everyone – everywhere – everytime always accompany w/ it. But, I didn’t see Buddhist monks & nuns carry it around. They bring lacquered bamboo basket instead. Since they should fast after 11 AM, they only carry it in the morning. But here for sure, I saw more monks & nuns than office workers.

Pagodas, Shrines, Stupas & Temples are in every corner. Clean & well maintained compare to shops & office buildings.

Most of the road ‘re also modest & bumpy, some part are “tol”. But quality is the same, only we must pay to use it. No electronic gate zips up & down, replaced by long bamboo stick that manually regulates.

Soldiers or people in green uniform are also everywhere. Made me feel like in emergency situation. But not every soldier have scary heavy looks. Some are so thin & look friendly. Only their weapon stopped us to approach them more closer.

Boyjoke Aung San Market, in the honour of Su Kyi’s father, is always busy. It sell almost of everything & choking crowded. I looked for a traditional Burmese guitar. But I couldn’t find good quality in this market & the bargain is too pricey.
A block south of this market, there is a high end store, sell all world’s luxury brand. Big question in my head, who will buy them ? The locals ? Only embassy, business, military & government official could afford them. The tourist ? Why should I buy branded good in Yangon, if I could find them at home & cheaper.

In the evening, shops close at 8 o’clock. At 10, the street lamps ‘re off. Neither cars nor pedestrians ‘re buzzing around. So quiet, but outside our hotel standing in the shadow, 2 -3 pretty ladies smiling & posing in inviting outfit. The world’s oldest profession is everywhere. One thing I never forget, the make up !! Burmese ladies, from every social status always print a 5 square cm white powder on both of their cheek. Prevent them from sunburn? I’m not so sure. If it so, why these pretty ladies still wear them at night ?

Since not many exiting places to see in this Lonely Planet pretty city, we booked a day trip to experience outside Yangon. I forgot the places’s name, but we visited at least 5 Buddhist site.

The 1st one was in an island, which has so many huge hungry fish. The next was somewhere on the hill. Another one was somewhere on the plateau, then one on the flat land. Goodness, there’re more religious sites than commercial buildings or even housing complex. Do Burmese have other things to do beside worshiping?

2004 Bagan

We left Yangon on Myanmar National Day, 4th Jan 2004, flying to Bagan, the biggest acheological site in south east Asia. It’s true, there’re more than 2000 sites in Bagan. Some are in good condition & most of them are made from terracotta bricks covered w/ stucco plaster & carved details.

Back home in Prambanan – Jogjakarta, we have a legend called Bandung Bondhowoso. Once, he felt in love with a princess & then proposed her. As a wedding gift, she asked him to built a thousand temples in one night. Here in Bagan, there wasn’t only one King who built more than 15 thousand sites in one go and also wasn’t in one night. Every King contributed 1 or 2 Temples. Do google Bagan for full story.

Most of the sites usually has Buddha statue inside. One thing tingled me, all statue in Bagan look new & uniform. They all wore white robe, black eye-pupil & red lips. In Mahamuni Temple in Mandalay, worshiper covered giant Buddha statue w/ gold leaves untill 15 cm thick. In Yangon, I’ve seen statue w/ blinking colorful x’mas lamps as its background. I don’t understand this. Back home, I only know Buddha posed elegant in volcanic dark stones or dark bronze. Colorless & bare of any attributes. It gives me serenity, peace & joy. And now in Myanmar, hard for me to meditate w/ this scenery. Is this place for worship or a disco ?

While we’re there, Ananda Pagoda festival is in. There are evening entertainments such as Zats: a variety of dance, song, short and long plays. Anyeints: a performance of a few hours in which number of jokers caricature current situations and or person strung together by a traditional dancer, popular movies shown in open air. It is also a popular fair where all kinds of goods, some of them are locally produced, are sold. The most interesting aspect of this festival is the caravan of bullock-carts in the pagoda compound, camp under the shady trees. It is very crowded around the full moon day.

Bagan also famous of its traditional lacquer ware. No matter its shiny smooth quality is far behind from Japan’s, Korean’s, even Vietnam’s; its fine carving under the thin layer of lacquer is superb. Not only that, Bagan has more gorgeous resorts than Yangon.

The hotel we’d stayed, Bagan Hotel, is unique. It has 3 ancient Temples in its garden, an open air resto which serving from breakfast buffet till candle light dinner. All details also typically from this area. The lampshades are made from local’s basket & coconut oil lamps lighten corridors. Pool deck & bedroom’s floor from local teakwood. And outside in the parking lot, horse carriage stands side by side w/ cars.

A distance to this lovely hotel, Sakura Hotel stands like other 5 stars resort you’ll find in other places. Olympic size pool, enormous lawn garden – feel like entering a golf club. Its material plus finishing are more finer than Bagan Hotel, but then – its atmosphere doesn’t belong here.

Then, another one inside a fortress, The Hotel at Tharabar Gate located right in front of the legendary gate & has great view of Ananda Temple. The interior finishing mainly in Burmese teak. But pardon me, I just feel like compound resort in Bali.

Experiencing Bagan can be either by the road, the river or up in the air with hot air balloon. The last one cost US$ 250 per person for 1 hour ride & has to be booked in advance. Click your fave search engine for further info.

2004 Mt Popa

About 2 hours driving from Bagan, passed dessert like area, heading south, we found Mont Popa – again a religious site, but now is on top of a rock. It didn’t bother me, as we must walk barefoot entering every religious site in Myanmar. But if I have to walk up more than 100 steps, and stepped on many monkeys’s shit on my way….. that absolutely annoying.
Thank God there is a civilization nearby, Mt Popa resort. Beautiful view, fine craftsmanship, great food, but the untrained waiter whom starred at us all the time while we’re having lunch, that’s another thing…

2004 Mandalay

Up on the north, an hour flight from Bagan, there’s one more city worth to visit : the original Mandalay. It’s totally different world to Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. On rainy season, it’ll be lovely to sail from Bagan to Mandalay. While the river on its ebb, take a boat
ride to Mingun, feel like Onnasis for a day, is not that bad.

What is so special in Mingun, then ? Like other places in Myanmar, the whole island full of Buddhist sites.

Skip about that, let see how the locals treat us. Since they have to survive, local vendors were so pushy, told us many stories & tailed us everywhere. They won’t leave us in peace before we buy their stuff. Most of them are ladies; they asked me to trade my lipstick with their merchandise. Another one asked where we’re from, then showed our currency bill & asked if we can change it to Kyat, Myanmar currency. Before this trick, I heard one of them asking us to leave them our bill for souvenir. Great, if I gave them my country money, at the end they sell it back to me !

And what about in Mandalay ?

Apart from its new reconstructed red Palace & moat surounding, religious sites ‘re everywhere. We asked local guide cum driver to take us anywhere except Temples. He’s definitely an angel. We visited some home factories.

From snakeskin’s products

to gold leaf handicraft. From sculpture white marble to copper & bronze statue. It was amazing, pity we couldn’t bring them home hand carry.

By the end of this visit, I remembered our Tibet trip on Aug 1999. We’ve never been inside of more than 100 Buddhist sites, as we had in Myanmar & Tibet. During our journey, as we started a new day, we always begging, no more Temple please!!!