Before we booked this tour, we were concerned about the three-day stop in Burma/Myanmar because of the sanctions being imposed by most countries against their repressive government. We went to Barnes and Noble to research and read Lonely Planet. Their advice was for each person to decide for themselves either not to go in opposition to the regime or to go and tell what is seen and learned. We chose the latter and, now having been there, are happy with our choice. The following entries, though long, tell first of the culture and traditions of the country and then of life as we learned about it from lectures, public writings and from our guides.
After three days of bumpy seas and rain, we arrived in Yangon (Rangoon). Buddhism dominates the people and the scenic views. Golden temples and red robed monks are everywhere. Each of the temples we visited required climbing many flights of stairs (one had a five-story escalator up, steps down). All visitors must be barefoot to show respect.
We had booked three tours, a half day, a night and an overnight hoping to see and learn all we could. Our first tour In Yangon started with a visit to the 2500-year-old Shwedagon Pagoda both during the day and later at night. That morning, it had been raining and walking on the polished marble floor was extremely slippery. With all the things to see, we had to be very careful not to get distracted and take a misstep. We found both the morning and night visits wonderful opportunities to experience the magnificence of the many golden and jeweled temples surrounding the gold-leafed stupa. Within the stupa are supposed to be three hairs, relics of Buddha (something claimed by most major temples). Topping the tall stupa is a 76-carat diamond and below that are thousands of rubies and emeralds. Jade, the next predominate gem, is used for pillars and on walls. All these gems are donated by followers of Buddhism as ways of seeking favors such as good health, a job, or even to smell good. Another way to make requests is pouring water over a small Buddha. During the day, the pagoda glistens and gleams. At night, its glow can be seen from all over town. On our day and evening visits, we saw only a fraction of the hundreds of rooms, alters, and Buddhas that cover the top of the mountain.
The city center retains some of the look of early 20th century Britain with the courts and city hall in late Victorian style.
Our next stop on the morning tour was the 32-meter-long Reclining Buddha completed in 1907. Originally built by Indian labor, the face was reconstructed in 1966 to a more “Burmese” look. On the soles of his feet is written his history and philosophy.
Sunday morning, we took a delayed Air Bagan flight for an overnight stay in Mandalay. Our first stop was at a monastery school which are the only schools that are free. The classroom has a roof but no walls. The children sit on benches at slab tables. They have minimal books and supplies. Boys and girls are taught separately. They are quite friendly and like to try out their English, which is a standard part of their curriculum. When we arrived, the first graders showed off by singing the English alphabet.
We then took a short walk on the 150-year-old open slat U Bein teak bridge where we were accompanied by a teenage girl and her mother. The girl asked Anna Lee how many languages she spoke. When she responded just one, the girl proudly bragged that she spoke four. If her French and Spanish are as good as her English, she has much to be proud of. The conversation with her was worth the few dollars for a “jade” necklace. Many sellers work at the bridge hawking to tourists.
At the Mahagandayone Monastery we wandered through the many prayer, dining, and sleeping rooms of the 1500 monks. They gather their food in large bowls on treks each morning begging in homes and stores. They eat twice a day, cleanse in an open shower, and pray throughout the grounds. Plaques along the main trail bear the names of donors, including ones from most Western countries. A sign in English gives the “directives” of the ruling regime.
At the silk weaving factory, we watched weavers and heard the loud clatter of the looms.
We took a quick lunch break at the Mandalay Hill Resort, our hotel for the night. The soup and curries were spicy.
The most sacred shrine in Burma, the Buddha of the 1784 Mahamuni Pagoda, has grown from a stone carving into a large gold statue due to the millions of layers of gold leaf applied by devotees as a way of balancing past sins and correcting one’s karma. Men, including Jerry, are allowed to apply pieces of gold leaf to the Buddha. Women are not allowed to touch the Buddha.
The Shwe Nandaw Monastery (Golden) is known for its intricate teak carvings. Although the gold has worn off of the exterior of the building, the interior (which is not lighted) still shines when a flash is used. From there we went to the world’s largest book. The Kuhtodaw Pagoda contains 729 stupas each with a carved stone slab inscribed with Buddha’s teachings (Tipitaka).
Still barefoot from the shrine and book, we hopped into ten- to twenty-year-old doorless jeeps for a fast ride up switchbacks to Mandalay Hill. Rising over 750 feet over the city, this holy hill affords a wonderful view of the city and the sunset. We took an escalator the last few stories to the top but had to walk down.
Back at the hotel, we enjoyed a Burmese dinner while being entertained by a puppet show including a human dancer and a vocal and dance show. Our hotel, aimed at foreign tourists, is a four-star establishment with large grounds containing pools, tennis courts, a fitness center and a large meeting center, and, of course, very nice shops.
After an early breakfast we squeezed in two more sights of Mandalay. With all the Buddhas, gold leaf is in great demand. We watched two men, working in synchrony, pound 720 layers of gold, separated by paper, into gold leaf less that 1/1000 of an inch thick. The process takes hours to complete and is real work. Shrines also require statues and at Stone Carving Road we watched marble and other stone being carved, mostly by hand. The air, trees, and workers are all covered by a haze of white marble dust.
Back in Yangon, we enjoyed a delicious Burmese version of high tea at the old Strand Hotel. Our food was served in a stack of lacquered dishes. We ate chicken and peanut salad (Jerry passed), spring rolls, semolina cake, fried plantains, and mango sorbet.
Upon our return to the ship, we exchanged experiences with fellow travelers who had taken other tours. Each of us felt our tour was the best and all of us were extremely impressed by our too short time in Burma.
We had an outstanding tourist experience but we also had a basic lesson in the political life of Myanmar today. The following, in no particular order, are what we saw and heard about modern Myanmar.
Starting with its name change from Burma, the military regime rules. In the late 1940s, Burma, along with India and the Middle East, achieved independence from Britain.
Burma was well on its way to democracy when the leader, Anj San, was assassinated and the military took over. His daughter, Anj San Suu Kyi, “Our Lady” who won the Nobel Peace Prize, was recently given limited release from house arrest. She is spoken of with reverence by our guides.
The government has public postings of their directives including:
1. Non disintegration of the union
2 Non disintegration of national solidarity
3. Consolidation of national sovereignty.
The directives go on to require all good citizens to “Crush all internal and external destructive elements as the common enemy.” If you are interested, we can send you the entire set of rules but these should give you the flavor.
The capital was abruptly moved from the biggest city of Yangoon (Rangoon) to a remote place. Billions were spent to build a lavish new city that few people can get to.
A year ago the flag design was changed overnight.
Universities that used to be in the cities have been moved out of town and are difficult to reach. The curriculum has been changed, minimizing science and medicine.
If a person is ill, he/she must purchase medicine at a pharmacy and bring it to the hospital. The government provides no medical assistance. The life span for men is about 50, women 60.
Traffic is a nightmare. Drivers of motorbikes, bicycles, and carts risk their lives vying with trucks and buses, most of which are twenty to forty years old. In a frightening number of cases, parents and two small children wove their motorbikes or bicycles through traffic almost touching our bus.
To get gasoline at government run stations, small trucks and motorcycles line up by the hundreds to wait in line most of the day to buy two gallons. Wine and beer bottles filled with gasoline are sold from stalls along the road way at a substantially increased black market price.
City roads are paved, country ones are dirt. Road repair and some construction is done by hand with men and women packing cement and gravel to fill holes.
We saw little in the way of heavy equipment doing work.
China is a dominant force. Mandalay, the culture heart of Burma, is increasing a Chinese city.
Electricity is shipped to China, limiting the locals to a random four hours a day.
Much of the agricultural industry is owned by the Chinese and shipped to China but there is plenty of beautiful products at affordable prices at stalls along the roads and in towns.
We heard from a traveler who had been here ten years ago that then the people looked grim. We found warm smiles and friendly greetings. Many people could speak some English. Parents were eager to have their children’s photos taken.
While we have enjoyed beautiful blue seas, Burma’s seas are brown.
Dogs and some cats wander everywhere especially temples but do not come up to people. We found this true on many of our previous stops, too.
Immigration has been used to issue one-way passports, out but no return. Now citizens can return home but millions have left for Thailand, Malaysia and other neighboring countries.
