Final Thoughts on Burma

The military regime of Burma is considered one of the world's most repressive and abusive of its own people.    Human rights are virtually nonexistent.  The government has been suspected for years of marking certain ethnic minorities for extermination.  One method of such extermination is the planting of land mines and then forcing minorities to walk in front of soldiers to protect them from the blasts as they patrol the countryside.  Add to this forced child labor, human trafficking and repression of even the most basic freedoms such as the freedom of speech. 

Democratic rule of Burma’s government ended in 1962 with a military coup.  Power has transferred many times over and the current military regime took control of the government in 1988.  The most recent Democratic election was held in 1990 and results subsequently nullified by the military when the election resulted in a win by the National Leage for Democracy (the party of Aung San Suu Kyi, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991).  The government refused to hand over power and Ms. Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest where she has remained for nearly 20 years.  In today's Burmese society, political parties are largely controlled and repressed from daily activity.   Elections have been promised sometime this year but it is very unlikely that any outcome resulting in a transfer of power will be upheld.  The farce elections are only meant to try and legitimize the junta. 

Even the Internet is monitored by the government and pages such as blogspot, facebook, hotmail and gmail are censored to limit what its citizens can view online.  Cell phones are virtually nonexistent, as the SIM cards run upwards of $1000!  Citizens are afraid of talking with foreigners in public as this may be seen as collusion.  When we asked a friend from Burma, who lives in the US, if we could meet his family in Yangon the response was basically no due to the fear factor.  If you wish to be taken from the airport to somewhere other than a hotel, you can rest assured that the government will wonder why and where.

Perhaps the most recent example of the junta's devastating rule is the refusal of international aid to and refusal of visas to foreign aid workers when Cyclone Nargis hit in 2008.  Nargis devastated the country's Irrawaddy Delta causing nearly $4 billion in damage and leaving 138,000 people dead.  What kind of regime does that to its own people?

Due to the military regime's ongoing human rights abuses, the detention of Nobel Peach Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi and the refusal to accept the winner of the the 1990 elections the country's foreign relations with the West are in shambles.  Both the European Union and the United States have placed sanctions on Burma including import bans, arms embargos and frozen assets (of the military).  All aid has been suspended with the exception of humanitarian aid (which is sometimes refused in an ill conceived effort of saving face).  Relations with its Asian counterparts tend to be better, particularly with neighboring India and China.  Burma is rich in natural resources, such as timber (teak in particular), oil and gas not to mention opium for heroin production (Burma is the world's 2nd largest producer of opium, second only to Afghanistan).  Commercial ties and trade are strong with both India and China. 

So why would we want to go there? 

Well for starters, Burma is home of some of SE Asia’s friendliest people.  Truly, after traveling around the region it’s difficult to imagine a place where smiles are so forthcoming, where you can hop into a taxi cab or negotiate a business transaction without worry of being taken advantage of.  It’s really a breath of fresh air.  The touts are practically nonexistent and where they are around they give up pretty easily.  Traditions are taken seriously, you notice this as soon as you step off the plane just by the typical dress, the unisex saree, of the average “joe.”

It is in their eyes, the vision of an everyday working class, that you truly see the real impact of trade embargos and tourism boycotts.  All of the nations wealth lies in the hands of a handful of military rulers that will always be able to find a market.  Whether it’s ‘legitimate’ business transactions with the Chinese or Indians, or illegal smuggling – desired goods like jade, teak, and emeralds will find their way to market.  Odds are that if you have purchased any teak furniture – it came from here thus supporting the junta.  Much as the trade embargo with Cuba has resulted in no regime change for the past 40+ years, the same can be said here.  In all that political bickering there remains still one constant – the normal, everyday people suffer.  Common items to you and I like shampoo and toothpaste are scarce and expensive.  Education is possible, but to what end?  With tight controls, Burmese are not allowed to leave the country to find work and international business and commerce are not allowed to enter due to embargos.  As our horse cart driver in Bagan says, “Of course I can study in university, but why?  Earning a degree in business is of little use when there are no businesses to work in.  I can make more money here driving this cart and I don’t need a degree for that.”

With that reality in mind, Burma needs what Vietnam, China, and Eastern Europe received 20 years ago, – Capitalism, free enterprise.  Business has a funny way of changing the rules.  When tax revenues begin to pour in, governments start to change their stance more and more.  The change is not sudden, but rather gradual.  As once strict communist countries began to relax the rules and began to open their borders to foreign investment the society changed.  It was then possible for the kid with a degree to not only find a job, but eventually start their own business.  A Middle Class begins to develop, and with wealth and power, are able to invoke change from within. 

Foreign investment and opportunities are what the Burmese need.  The heavy handed approach has had little desired results and it is unlikely to change anytime soon.  Until the common man can get a leg up, their efforts are largely fruitless.  Little resources are at their disposal and the struggle continues. 

As long as the embargo is in place, little change will ever come.  Until that day comes, may the Burmese continue sharing their struggle and warm hearts with all who will come and bother to listen.

We heart Burma.     

3rd Times a Charm: Yangon, Myanmar re-rehashed

Stats: 

Destination:    Yangon, Myanmar

Number of days spent:   2 days

Where we stayed:  Ocean Pearl - $15/night.  Get a room with a window/balcony.  They tried to put us in a mildew and mold filled room at first this time around so be careful.  If we had to do it all over again, we would probably have stayed closer to Sule Pagoda – reasonable walking distance to most things.  We also managed to make it out to Motherland – the unofficial backpacker central for Yangon is still a further 10 minute walk out of town from the Pearl but is consistently full.  Can’t say it’s better, but if you are looking to share stories and chat with fellow travelers this may be a better option for you.   

All roads begin and end in Yangon.  Virtually every legal visitor to Myanmar flies in and out of here.  While it’s certainly not a bad place to be, a couple of days will pretty much cover all the main sites leaving you with ample time to spare for some of the cities neighborhoods should you find yourself here for a longer period of time.  With public transport being spotty at best, we opted to play it safe and tack on an extra day in getting back in time for our flight out.

One of the more colorful and festive neighborhoods is Chinatown.  Starting from the Sule Pagoda, walk to the west about 10 blocks and you reach the start of it.  Several temples are located in the area so we popped into one for a quick peak.  With China itself on our itinerary in a couple of months, the temple gave us our first glimpse of what lies ahead.

It’s when the sun goes down, however, that the area truly comes to life.  The sidewalks are expanded out into the streets where vendors set up for the night.  One side of the street sells the usual sundries, tools, clothing, etc. while the other, more chaotic side is all about delighting the palate.  Fresh fruit stalls selling all varieties of cut fruit from watermelon to first of season durian – an extremely pungent fruit that I have yet to bring myself to try in the raw form.  Regardless of what all the guide books tell you about cut fruit and bacteria, we have yet to have a problem with it (knock on wood).  Down one of the side streets sits BBQ row – an entire street of nothing but BBQ’s and draft beer – excluding our own personal favorite, Dudu’s which is located a couple blocks further on the opposite side.  One odd street stall that is found all over Yangon is the ‘pig parts fondue’.  A boiling pot of oil is surrounded by all the leftover parts.   Tongue, brains, ears, intestines – all laid fanning out in it’s skewered glory.  

On our walk back to the hotel, we passed the wonderful Sule Pagoda all alight.  The rising full moon just behind added another dimension.

 

By daylight, the city is a hodgepodge of middle class and poor, old and really old, all in varying degrees of upkeep.  We spent the day just wandering down a couple of the streets, checking e-mail, and stopping for a coffee when we felt like it.  We even managed to make it to a theater.  One surprise is how excellent the popcorn is here – a slightly sweet-slightly salty combo that somehow works really well.  The locals, however, prefer sunflower seeds as the floor was completely covered with the hulls once the lights came back on.  One other interesting bit was that American movies (Sherlock Holmes in this case) are not subtitled.  I suppose that is the reason why the most popular are action packed with little to no dialogue or plot – Jason Statham movies come to mind. 

We took pause outside these two baby/children stores and wondered if any Westerners would trust the stuff being sold here to be quality enough for their child.  At first glance, I would guess not.

We also managed to make it to the northern part of town, where the ‘other half’ live.  In a country filled with natural gemstones, we got a glimpse of what the country could really be like in a free and capitalistic market by visiting a jeweler (government ran and owned to some degree of course).  $8000 jewel encrusted putter anyone? 

On our last night, we finally made it to Dudu’s in the light so here are a few photos of the lovely family that runs this BBQ stand along with our feast for less than $5.

Of the few buildings that measure over a couple of stories high, the Sakura towers is somewhat of a landmark in downtown Yangon.  The building not only is one of the few places in the city that has 24 hour power and A/C (thanks to trailer sized generators just outside), but also boasts a nice bar/restaurant on the top floor.  While the cocktails are a bit pricey by Myanmar standards, it is one of the few places that even sells spirits beyond the common man’s ‘homebrew’ and sports one of the best views in town – particularly of Yangon’s crown jewel – the Shwedagon Pagoda.

With that one last toast, it was time to say goodnight and goodbye to our dear friends in Myanmar/Burma.  Next stop – a plane hop across the border to Bodhagaya, India.

Holy Bat Poo is that a Ferris Wheel?!?: Hpa’an, Myanmar

Stats: 

Destination:  Hpa’an, Myanmar

Number of days spent:  2 days

Where we stayed:  Seo Brothers Guest House - $14 with private bathroom (definitely overpriced for what you get (no breakfast, somewhat grimy rooms & bucket showers with hot & cold water)…as I said when I came down from looking at the room “it ain’t the Ritz,” they replied, “but it ain’t the shits”.  In their defense they do offer unlimited coffee & tea and they provide excellent maps of the towns & surrounding areas.  They will go out of your way to help you around town to make the most out of your stay.  

Best Restaurant:  The tea party sized Mohinga (Burmese fish noodle soup, K350 – $.35) stand along the main road was excellent.  if you have not grown tired of greasy food yet, the Indian stand (from Soe Brother’s walk one block to the left, turn and 4 blocks straight ahead on the left) had some tasty deep fried treats as well. 

Best of:   Celebrating the full moon festival by riding the man powered Ferris Wheel with thousands of local villagers

Worst of:  Walking across Buddha’s bat poo covered caves in the dark and barefoot.  

Most memorable:  After making a series of wrong turns in making our way to Kyauk Kalap, we could see it directly across the dried up rice patty in front of us.  Undeterred, we set off across the field on the motorbike.  Bumping, cursing, and burning in the hot sun we crossed dried up irrigation ditches, passed cows grazing and met the ire of a few farmers as they watched us take out a corner of a sunflower patch.  Finally after crossing the ‘3 logs bridge’ we made it to the real road.

Useful Tip:  Sometimes it’s better to take a tour rather than doing it on your own.  The Soe Brother’s run a day trip out covering the main sites for roughly the same cost as renting your own motorbike.  They don’t get lost (there is a definite lack of signage in the area), provide some useful info, and it’s in a shade covered tuk-tuk – all enough to have us recommend them their tour over the do it yourself variety we normally love. 

Hpa’an might not make many a tourist’s itinerary, but for those who do venture out here, it’s well worth a couple of days.  The town itself has little to show in way of ‘major’ sites.  The caves and pagodas in the surrounding countryside, however, make up for the town’s lack of sites.  It’s also one of the few places in Kayin state that foreigners are allowed to travel.  For years, the Karen’s have been fighting for independence and most of the state is comprised of this large ethnic group.  Much like other attempts to end the military’s tight grip on control of the nation they too have had little success.

Mounting our noble two wheeled steed, complete with custom stickers, after market grips and the much required upgrade to purple velvet seat cover, we set off in search of pagodas and caves.  After bouncing our way across the afore mentioned fields, we made it to Kyauk Kalap.  From the middle of a small man-made lake a single rock formation juts up.  Atop the rock sits a small shrine and at the base an equally small monastery.  The place was packed with pilgrims and we received a fair amount of odd looks & hand shakes.  A couple of the older folks, perhaps making a pilgrimage from a village that never sees westerners, reached out and touched, one might say petted, our arms with extreme curiosity.        

 

After leaving the rock, we headed in the right direction this time, out to Saddar cave, or ‘hell cave’.  Along the way, at the base of Zwegabin Mountain, we came across where the festival was being held.  After taking a quick peak at the hundreds of Buddha guiding the way, we hopped back on the motorbike and zoomed off to the caves.  While the path is somewhat straightforward, we managed to somehow miss a turn and ended up taking the longer, less used, path up to the caves.  Mixing deep sand with washed out ruts in the road, the going was rough.  At one point, the bag sitting in the front basket flipped out and somersaulted in the air, landing in the sand.  After picking up and quickly assessing, we figured no harm no foul – only later realizing that one of the headlamps somehow managed to fall out of one of the side pockets – just in time to go in the dark caves. 

After shaking off the overly helpful ‘monk’, who was also the only one in the place walking with his shoes on, we made our way though the cave, one with the now lonely headlamp, and the other with a pen light (thanks to Keith’s handy x-mas gift).  Every so often there was a misstep and a little squishing was felt beneath the feet – nothing like a little bat poo.  After wandering through the cave for a few minutes, a dim light grew larger in the distance.  Exiting out the far end of the cave revealed a small pond with ducks and an oddly placed fisherman.  We rested underneath a tree for a moment, enjoying the last of our granola bars from home and watching the ducks splash around.  It didn’t take long before our peace was disturbed by a couple of groups of teenagers wanting to pose with us.  As we have found out, plan on being asked to have your photo taken by many locals, particularly if you have blonde and curly hair!  Just beyond another field lies yet another cave, apparently nicer then the one we had just passed through.  Virtually exhausted from the heat, sun and dust – we gave up on that notion and made our way back out of the cave.  Sometimes the body just has its limits.  Ours had been reached and we still had to return to town – over an hour’s ride away.

 

 

 

We eventually made it back to town, all the while swearing off motorbikes when it’s this hot and having little to no protection.  We sat on the balcony of the guesthouse resting, relaxing, drinking tea and waiting for nightfall – festival time! 

For this particular auspicious full moon, pilgrims from all over the country climb Zwegabin mountain in the middle of the night single file.  After completing the religious trek, they then return to the base where draft beer, concerts and revelry await their return.  We, of course, skipped the 4 hour plus return trek and headed straight for the fun.  Clambering into the back of an over filled pickup truck, we made the half hour journey out of town and joined in.  The festival was quite large considering the population density of the surrounding countryside.  It was as if everyone was there.  Noodle stands dished out various squiggly delights.  Purveyors of anything from ice cream to fish soup to grilled bird on a stick set up all hoping to make a few bucks.  Intermingled with all the food were countless games.  The dice game from Inle made an appearance – only this time they were smaller and many more.  Other games were more difficult to understand.  There were several versions of the ‘cup’ game but with a twist.  The twist was that everyone watching knew where the ball (or color, symbol, etc.) was – including the two men playing – and yet the bets continued.  When the men turned their heads to get money out to bet, the woman would switch the cups – obvious to everyone watching.  The only thing we could figure was that the two men were in on the take and all three were waiting for a sucker to lay down money.  In a land where the WWF (yes no matter how poor – satellite TV with American wrestling is a must) is thought to be ‘real’, nothing surprises me anymore. 

Probably the most interesting part of the festival was their version of the Ferris Wheel.  No motors or engines and the only electricity supplied is to run the lights – these wheels are 100% manual powered.  Once on board, you spin around waiting for the rest of the carriages to be loaded.  While waiting, I was fortunate enough to be splashed with a bit of good luck betel nut juice compliments of a fellow passenger above me.  When I complained to the operator in hopes that he would say something to the man, all I received was a napkin.  After loading up the wheel full of passengers – which takes a while, the magic begins to happen.  A crew of 6 or so men, youthful and spry, clamber up the sides of the contraption.  Upon reaching the top, they make a couple of quick motions, and one by one they jump on the front of the carriages.  The wheel begins to turn from the momentum until it’s in full spin.  The momentum is enough for the wheel to make about 4-5 complete turns before it slows to a stop.  Not bad considering it’s just a couple of 90lb kids generating the energy. 

 

After enjoying the festival we returned to the guesthouse and got ready for our early morning departure back one last time to the city of Yangon!

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Floating through time – Mawlamyine to Hpa’an, Myanmar

One can make the journey between Mawlamyine and Hpa’an on a bus in about 2 hours, but most tourists and a few locals prefer it the old fashioned way – by river.  The day we boarded, 90% of the boat was the handful of foreigners hanging out in Mawlamyine and we had free run of the boat for the most part.  The ferry only runs on Monday and Friday at 2pm so you have to time it just right, but if you do, the ride along the river is well worth the $2 price tag.

Here is one of the few places where the casual traveler can see river life happen as is.  Bathing along the shores, kids splashing in delight and entire villages showing up to the banks to greet the passing boat.  Closer to Hpa’an, nature takes over with some impressive limestone outcroppings.

Sometimes, a picture is worth a thousand words so without any more delay – here are a few of the photos from our journey.

    

 

      

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My Burmese Days, an ode to Orwell’s Mawlaymine, Myanmar

Stats: 

Destination:  Mawlaymine, Myanmar

Number of days spent: 2 days

Where we stayed:  Sandalwood Hotel - $25/night – Our most expensive hotel in Myanmar…wasn’t worth the money but the alternative was way too dirty looking for girly girl Tracy.  However, the staff was very friendly and the AC ran constantly with 24 hour hot water.  The breakfast was uninspiring…oily eggs & white toast. 

Best Restaurant:  If Mawlamyine has a traveler’s hangout, it would be Mya Than Lwin.  This warehouse looking place along the water has an extensive menu of seafood and even has a computer with printed out receipts - a rare site in Myanmar!  The sweet and sour squid was excellent, the calamari not so much.  Chan Thar restaurant comes with western dressed clubbing teens practicing their karaoke and the entire wait staff huddled around a tv watching cheesy Myanmar produced soap operas.  Despite the ‘atmosphere’, the massive fruit salad (not on the menu so you have to ask for it) and the sweet and sour chicken  both lived up to the Lonely Planet hype.      

Best of:  The lazy, laid back atmosphere is a welcome change to the hustle and bustle of Yangon and the pilgrim heavy site of Golden Rock, despite the fact that it is the third largest city in Myanmar. 

Worst of:  Before leaving town on our rented motorbike, the military pulled us over and asked for our passports, where we were going, how long we would be gone, etc.  It was a reminder that the junta is still alive and well, keeping tabs on everyone.

Most memorable:  Lady cackling when we wanted to know when the truck left to see the golden boulders at Nwa-la-bo (see below). 

Useful Tip:  You won’t find any shops renting them out, but just ask a motorcycle taxi to rent their motorbike for the day.  We did for K12,000 (about $12).  They get the day off, and you save quite a bit on having to hire an expensive taxi for the day.  

Serving as the British capital during the mid 1800’s, Mawlaymine’s importance lies more in the past than in the present.  Only astute readers of George Orwell would perhaps have even heard of this town prior to a visit to Burma.  A quick look around town reveals somewhat of a time capsule feeling – the city seems to be stuck in British colonial times with old decaying facades looking lazily upon the once bustling sea port.  A little bit of imagination and you could just about envision Orwell sitting on one of those verandas writing his memoirs, listening to the waves crash upon the rocks and watching the freighters hauling teak back to England.  To that point, the tourist infrastructure is rather small – a couple of hotel/guesthouses and an equal number of restaurants.  In that lies the best part – no touts, no hawkers – just people carrying about their normal lives in amongst turn of the century abandoned buildings.

Aside from the row of Pagodas lining the hill above the town, the town itself has little sites per se.  It does, however, have a couple of interesting day trips just outside of town.  We decided to rent a motorbike and hit up two of the major ones – the golden boulders, dubbed ‘sausages’, and the world’s largest reclining Buddha.  

About 12 kilometers north of town sits the pagoda of Nwa-La-Bo, famous for it’s balancing rocks.  Somewhat of a pilgrimage site similar to the Golden Rock, we were confident there would be no problems getting to the top.  Wrong.  The base of the mountain is lined with similar coffee/tea stands and across from those stands sits the idle truck.  Just like golden rock, they need 45 people to make the trip ‘worth it’.  Unlike the Golden Rock, the demand is slightly less…make that dramatically less.  When we asked at the booth what time the truck would leave, a lady in the distance responds with a crazy cackle of a laugh followed by a few words in laughter.  Translating body tones and mixing in a few words of my own the answer was something akin to: “Truck?  You want to take the truck?  That truck has not ran up that hill in years!”  The real response was: “ one, two (pointing at us), 45 (pointing at truck)”  Of course, you can walk up the hill or charter the entire truck (about $72).  A demanding 3 hour hike in the middle of the day, no thanks.  We took a picture of the picture and the truck – good enough this time.

 

Head south of town and you eventually come to the world’s largest reclining Buddha, and perhaps one of the largest period.  Just turn off the main highway where loud speakers blare music and several people collect money for the pagoda.  Perhaps equally as interesting are the 500 some statues lining the entrance road, A Buddha on a hill pointing out to sea, and one strange lumberjack, err…gold leaf pounder.  The whole scene has a somewhat Disneyland feel to it, but in a pilgrimage-holy-Buddha-site kind of way.

 

Perhaps Burma’s most enduring trait is its time warp feeling.  A holdover from WWII, they still use American and Japanese made troop transport trucks as local buses.  Yes you are reading that right, 65+ year old vehicles still plying the roads in everyday local use.  Perhaps GMC should use these as a model of longevity in a commercial as I am sure the miles logged have to be off the charts.

Other than these handful if sites, Mawlaymine is really more of a place to just wander and soak up the atmosphere of town.  Wander through the bazaars, stroll along the seaside at night and just let your imagination take you away!

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