Mandalay, Myanmar
Greetings from Mandalay, Myanmar (Burma)! After a lot of persistence, I finally found an internet connection in this city. My email is mostly blocked (the government censors everything), and this computer is an ancient Pentium 3, 500MHz, running Windows 98. The power comes and goes (the government only allows one side of town to have power at a time) so writing this has been a bit frustrating.
Thus far, I have loved this country. The people are especially welcoming, friendly, and curious. A smile is quickly rewarded with a beaming grin, a happy wave, and the inevitable "where from?"
I arrived in Yangon (Rangoon) about five days ago and discovered a town empty of tourists. The locals are a diverse mix of Bamar, Indians, Chinese, and Colonial English who peddle everything from jelebi and buddha statues to small, colorful condoms. Yangon is a run-down, broken capital with dusty, leafy streets that are relatively empty of traffic. Bicycles, Trishaws (bikes with sidecars), and noisy, ancient pickups seem to be the main means of transport, while those associated with the military ride around in shiny new jeeps. The city's centerpiece is the Swedagon Pagoda, a 100m high golden stuppa that towers over the city. I explored the stuppa grounds in the company of a charming young monk and his sister, both of whom wanted to improve their english.
After a day and a half in the Capital (where I had some wonderful mutton Biryani), I endured a gruelling 16 hour bus ride to Mandalay. The bus seats are not built for large western men and to make matters worse I was in the back, where it is bumpiest.
Mandalay is a charming city with a number of beautiful monasteries, stuppas, and religious monuments. Due to constant power outages, life grinds to a halt after dark, but during the day, it is a quiet bustle of people. The food is not as diverse as in the capital, but I have found an amazing little Chapati stand where for 50 cents you are given 2 freshly made chapatis, mutton curry, dhal, mango pickle, and onion. Delicious!
Over the past two days, I befriended a trishaw driver (well, he "claimed" me) who took me around several ancient cities (one of which you have to navigate in a horse-drawn cart) and to see the sunset over the Amarapurra Teak Bridge. Two days ago, I climbed Mandalay Hill in the company of four charming young Burmese who wanted to practice their English. I was peppered with questions:
"Excuse Me! What is your favorite color?"
"Excuse Me! What do you like to eat?"
"Excuse Me! Do you like Myanmar?"
"By the Way! What are your hobbies?"
One girl completely confounded me with:
"Excuse Me! Is it possible to live life without love?"
Last night I went to see the famous Moustache Brothers perform their enduring, illegal vaudeville show. It is a cheesy, cornball affair with political satire, song and dance. In 1996, they put on a show criticizing the Military Junta, for which two of the three brothers earned 7 years of forced hard labor. The third brother kept up the show and for some reason was tolerated by the regime. After the other 2 brothers were released, they kept up the show for tourists. It was odd listening to Burmese openly criticize their government and interesting listening to their points of view. Since it is low season, it was just myself and two other tourists sitting on plastic chairs in the Moustache Brothers' living room.
I'm off to Bagan tomorrow.
Thus far, I have loved this country. The people are especially welcoming, friendly, and curious. A smile is quickly rewarded with a beaming grin, a happy wave, and the inevitable "where from?"
I arrived in Yangon (Rangoon) about five days ago and discovered a town empty of tourists. The locals are a diverse mix of Bamar, Indians, Chinese, and Colonial English who peddle everything from jelebi and buddha statues to small, colorful condoms. Yangon is a run-down, broken capital with dusty, leafy streets that are relatively empty of traffic. Bicycles, Trishaws (bikes with sidecars), and noisy, ancient pickups seem to be the main means of transport, while those associated with the military ride around in shiny new jeeps. The city's centerpiece is the Swedagon Pagoda, a 100m high golden stuppa that towers over the city. I explored the stuppa grounds in the company of a charming young monk and his sister, both of whom wanted to improve their english.
After a day and a half in the Capital (where I had some wonderful mutton Biryani), I endured a gruelling 16 hour bus ride to Mandalay. The bus seats are not built for large western men and to make matters worse I was in the back, where it is bumpiest.
Mandalay is a charming city with a number of beautiful monasteries, stuppas, and religious monuments. Due to constant power outages, life grinds to a halt after dark, but during the day, it is a quiet bustle of people. The food is not as diverse as in the capital, but I have found an amazing little Chapati stand where for 50 cents you are given 2 freshly made chapatis, mutton curry, dhal, mango pickle, and onion. Delicious!
Over the past two days, I befriended a trishaw driver (well, he "claimed" me) who took me around several ancient cities (one of which you have to navigate in a horse-drawn cart) and to see the sunset over the Amarapurra Teak Bridge. Two days ago, I climbed Mandalay Hill in the company of four charming young Burmese who wanted to practice their English. I was peppered with questions:
"Excuse Me! What is your favorite color?"
"Excuse Me! What do you like to eat?"
"Excuse Me! Do you like Myanmar?"
"By the Way! What are your hobbies?"
One girl completely confounded me with:
"Excuse Me! Is it possible to live life without love?"
Last night I went to see the famous Moustache Brothers perform their enduring, illegal vaudeville show. It is a cheesy, cornball affair with political satire, song and dance. In 1996, they put on a show criticizing the Military Junta, for which two of the three brothers earned 7 years of forced hard labor. The third brother kept up the show and for some reason was tolerated by the regime. After the other 2 brothers were released, they kept up the show for tourists. It was odd listening to Burmese openly criticize their government and interesting listening to their points of view. Since it is low season, it was just myself and two other tourists sitting on plastic chairs in the Moustache Brothers' living room.
I'm off to Bagan tomorrow.
posted by Ace at 7:10 AM
1 Comments:
Thanks for your report on Burma. I am an experienced ESL teacher making my first exploration to Yangon and Mandalay in ten days. I am investigating making the change from teaching at university in Phnom Penh because I need better food (virtually nothing is grown locally here - everything is imported)! The challenge will be finding positions that provide enough hours and a high enough wage to merit the move. Korea offers a much better wage, but how much can one save after expenses if the real question. Plus, how much will I enjoy my work life. Money isn't everything.
Best wishes.
Chris
chrysallis_2005@yahoo.com
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