Myanmar

Michael found this trip more than nostalgic. So far, every place we visited has greatly changed since he was there twenty odd years ago.  I was interested in his reaction to the changes that have occurred in Burma, now called Myanmar. My first experience of these Asian ports has been to note that the so called "third world" does not exist anymore.  Everyone has cell phones. Everyone wears shoes, if only flip flops.  The roofs of most buildings have satellite dishes. People, no matter how poor, are not isolated from the rest of the world.  This is true even in benevolent dictatorships, which I suppose characterizes Myanmar.

Tour Manager Sylvia Organizing a Tour of Yangon in Antique Buses

Yangon (Rangoon) came close to what I used to think of as a third world city.  Myanmar is only beginning to develop an infrastructure after years of stagnation under a military dictatorship yet there are motor bicycles and autos causing traffic jams on most of the city streets. Tourism and foreign investment are beginning to alter the landscape.  Yangon has a number of new high rise buildings. Construction cranes dot the skyline. Still, the streets are dirty and residents seem to have little civic pride; we saw people throwing trash out of the windows of their vehicles and there was considerable roadside litter. I wonder if that is a consequence of living for many years in a repressive society.

Myanmar Art For Sale at Scott's Market

Myanmar is a mostly Buddhist country.  Beautiful stupas and pagodas are scattered about the city and countryside. Most are covered with gold leaf or gold paint. Monasteries abound. A lot of wealth must be tied up in religeous structures. Some of the older non religeous buildings appear run down.  I was told that during the military dictatorship most historical buildings were allowed to fall into disrepair. They are only now beginning to be restored. As Myanmar has a hot and humid climate, constant maintenance is required to keep the buildings sound and attractive.

On the Way to the Schwedagon Temple

Michael and I visited the Schwedagon temple complex on our own the first day in Yangon. It is not the largest temple complex in the area but it is the most revered. We walked there from the center of the city.  

Exhausted Visitors Rest among the Buddha Images

Pagodas and Stupas

Burmese is Even More Strange than Thai

We took organized tours of a monastery, saw more temples and a number of markets in towns near Yangon during the next two days.. Everyone is required to walk barefoot through the religious sites. The pavements and floors were not all that clean. The bottoms of our feet turned black with dirt. The tour guides gave us moist towelettes to wipe our feet with before we put our shoes back on. You can believe that we cleaned our feet thoroughly each time when we returned to the ship. I couldn't complain, the magnificence of the various temples made it well worth collecting a little dirt on our feet.

Monks have Lunch at the Monastery

The Biggest Stupa in Myanmar

Second Largest Reclining Buddha

Both of our tour guides told us that the military dictatorship is over and Myanmar is embarking on a democratic future.  General Aung San is revered as the father of the country.  He was largely responsible for resisting British rule prior to World War II.  Later he negotiated with Britain to establish a united Burma. General Aung  was assassinated shortly before Burma got its independence from Britain in 1948.  His daughter, Aung  San Suu Kyi, was under house arrest from 1989 until a few years ago. The Myanmar people regard her as the “mother” of the country and would elect her head of state except for the fact that the generals have passed a constitution making it illegal for her to be more than a legislative leader.  Even though Myanmar has the trappings of a democracy and the people can vote in a limited way, the government is still firmly in the hands of the military. The populace appears to have more or less freedom of speech and freedom to make money.

The Strand Hotel - Another Raffles Property
The Military Junta let it Run Down
The Hotel Has Been Restored and is
Again a Luxury Property

On Our way to the Countryside

Economic freedom appears to be the critical factor behind the rapid change taking place in Yangon.  It would be fascinating to visit in a few years and see how much more the city has changed.  Michael tells me that there were no significant high rises in Yangon on his previous visit.  The open sewers he saw back then have been covered over.  He could spot the Schwedagon Temple from anywhere in the city.  Now tall buildings block the view. I understand that China, India and South Korea have invested in Myanmar.  The rest of the world is taking a wait and see attitude.  Chinese money has financed a four-lane highway between Yangon and Mandalay, the first interstate type road in the country.  Most of the principal rural roads have been paved within the past two years according to our tour guides.  Tourism is becoming a big business.  The Scott's Market, a marketplace that dates to British colonial days, has become a place for vendors of jewelry, carvings, small sculpture and clothing aimed squarely at foreign tourists.

A Weaving Demonstration in a Country Village

A Market in a Town South of Yangon

Detail of a Pagoda

Shrine in a Lake
Michael and I Chose to Stay on Shore
Rather than Walk in the Muddy Water
to Climb in the Boat

Monk at yet Another Temple

Our veranda faced the river so we were able to enjoy watching the river traffic while we were aboard the ship.  Regular ferries and small boats took crowds of workers across the Yangon River to the city in the morning and back to the countryside in the evening. 

Yangon River As We Departed the Pier

While it was fascinating to see Yangon and a little bit of the interior of Myanmar, three days was more than enough for a first visit.