Myanmar - Behind the doors of the worlds newest 'democracy'

The Shwedagon Pagoda

After 6 months in which we went through 24 countries, 8 time zones and travelled the equivalent distance of half of the equator we finally took a flight!  Granted it was only a 45 minute flight and it made our VISA and entry into Myanmar (Burma) far easier but when we left the tarmac I could not help but feel we were cheating a little.  We had spent the previous week ‘relaxing’ with Meera in Bangkok, a novelty as we were living in accommodation with a flight of stairs for the first time since Italy.  Over the ‘relaxing’ week I had been diagnosed with having quite bad Asthma, we had got a new job in Hanoi for August and I had eaten substantially more chicken and cashew nut stir fry than doctors would recommend for a balanced diet!  We were not sure what to expect when we arrived in Yangon, other than both being very excited to a visit a country we had heard such positive things about.  Some of the country is still in the grips of a civil war but with recent elections appearing to ease the military dictatorship that has been in power since 1948 (another success story for British colonialism) we were excited to see the country before too much rampant capitalism had been allowed in.    Even with the recent landslide election win for the National League for Democracy the army has still kept 25% of the seats in government for itself and it retains a veto over all constitutional matters. Some of the country is however still off limits to foreign visitors, particularly around the northern state of Kachin that has huge problems with opium production and addiction.  Whist trying to avoid the travellers stereotype that we had come to Myanmar searching for a ‘genuine experience’ (unless we are in the Matrix surely it is all genuine regardless of development???!!) we hoped Myanmar would allow us to have an insight into an Asia that existed before full moon parties!

Yangon colonial train station

The journey from the airport into the Yangon city centre gave us a glimpse into the poverty that exists within Myanmar.  Due to the Buddhist culture in Myanmar we had been told that theft is very rare and that even Taxi drivers could be trusted!  It was therefore such a pleasant change not to have to argue with taxi drivers at the airport and being able to trust the price they gave us. On paper it is the poorest country I have visited and it was immediately very apparent.  We passed crumbling old colonial buildings, roadside slums and rubbish lined pavements as we took apparent short cuts through a maze of back streets to avoid the traffic.  Despite the living conditions smiling faces beamed at us as we sat in chaotic traffic and for the first time since entering Asia I felt like I was viewed as a human rather than a walking bank note.  It makes such a difference to your mind set in a country and despite the poverty that afflicts most of Myanmar the people have been incredibly welcoming and generous. 

After a quick stop at the hotel we went on our first foray into Yangon to see the Shwedagon Pagoda, a pilgrimage site for Buddhists across the world.  According to some, the pagoda is 2,600 years old, making it the oldest in the world. The main gold-plated dome is topped by a stupa containing over 7,000 diamonds, rubies, topaz and sapphires positioned to reflect the last rays of the setting sun.  The temples are a place where people sit, eat and relax and we sat for hours watching the monks in red robes meditating in front of the hundreds of Buddha statues that are situated around the central pagoda that towers over the city at just over 300 feet.  As the sun set hundreds of people lit candles, burnt incense and placed brightly coloured flowers along the temples walls as the dome grew increasing golden against the scarlet coloured sky.  It was as awe inspiring as our visit to The Blue Mosque in Istanbul had been and we headed back to our hotel with increased anticipation for the next few weeks.

The Shwedagon Pagonda

The following morning we set off to see the heart of the city, a collection of chaotic roads, decaying buildings and vast construction from the foreign investment that is beginning to pour into the country.  One noticeable difference from anywhere else I have been was the lack of a tertiary sector; even in the heart of the largest city there were no office blocks or banks.  We started by wandering the 2000 stalls that make up Bogyoke Aung Sun Market (it used to be called the Scott Market after the British Civil servant who introduced football to the country) where brightly coloured material was being tailored into traditional longyis that are worn around the waist by both men and women like a sarong.   We walked from here down to the riverfront, past open sewers with giant rats and groups of people sheltering under trees from the intense heat whilst eating some of the vast array of street food.  We stopped at the more local Sule Pago pagoda (situated in the middle of a five lane roundabout) and a local explained a little more about the temples and why pagodas have a shrine to each of the days of the week around them.  Apparently I had to tip water over the shrine dedicated to the day I was born and it would bring me good luck and wealth.  A few days’ later and the results are still inconclusive at best!  

The final pagoda we visited in the city was on the waterfront and housed a 50 foot high bronze Buddha.  We sat in the shade to rehydrate and watched a young family praying before putting a donation through a slot into a locked box.  As the family left we watched the ancient security guard, coughing and wheezing, carefully insert a chop stick into the slot, fish out the money and without an ounce of shame insert it straight into his wallet!  We sat and watched the artful dodger repeat the trick again and we were then faced with a moral dilemma of whether we should report the crime.  Deciding that in a state run by a notoriously fierce military junta a reported theft by a tourist could lead to a brutal punishment so we left the pagoda slightly disappointed that our experience had been tainted.  The taxi driver soon reminded us of why we were enjoying the country so much though as he gleefully played us clips of him singing karaoke that he had proudly posted on uchuss (we eventually worked out he meant Youtube).  He also tried to explain the rules of Chinlone, a game played on every corner in Myanmar where 6 players have to pass a ball made of woven rattan to each other without it touching the ground.  The game is not about winning as such but the focus is on how beautifully you can play the game, reflecting the tranquil nature of the Buddhist culture that we had experienced.

The paddy fields on the outskirts of the city

The city suburbs

Having withdrawal symptoms from not being on a train for over a week we sought to rectify the situation by taking the slow moving ‘commuter’ train around the city suburbs on a three hour, 31 mile circular line to try and get a taste of local life.  The extent of the poverty was laid bare as we passed huts made of corrugated metal, plastic sheets and woven rattan which had no electricity or sewers. Rubbish was piled around them and streams running with black water lay stagnant as children lay around in the shade.  Occasionally the houses were broken up by small plantations of rice and other vegetables but despite the tough living conditions smiles still beamed at us from every person working in the blistering midday sun.  Despite the poverty local family’s still offered to share their food with us and curious children delighted in shouting hello and waving to us.  It was interesting to see how locals lived and to get a sense of the community support that must exist to survive in the poor suburbs of the city. Meeting an Italian couple on the train the three hour circuit went by quickly and after we had lunch with them in the market we made our way back to the hotel to wait for our bus north to the city of Mandalay.  We left Yangon in the way we had arrived; laughing in a taxi as the driver beeped incessantly to warn people of their impending doom should they get in our way whilst singing along to Celine Dion.