BURMA – A TRIP BACK IN TIME

This is Burma, and it will be quite unlike any land you know about …Rudyard Kipling

I couldn’t agree more. Picture Thailand in the 1930’s and 40’s and you’ll get a very rough idea of what Burma (now Myanmar) is like today. But, it’s different. The whole country seems trapped in a time warp, and there is an unmistakable and unique ambience about the place that sets it apart from any other country I have traveled to. Stifled for decades by a brutal and inflexible Military Dictatorship, the country has been held in a sort of suspended animation, and as such, presents a picture of the way life was 50 to 100 years ago.

RANGOON (YANGON)

We arrived in Rangoon (now Yangon) In October 1998 off a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok and we’re transported to the elegant, old Strand Hotel. This is one of 3 grand hotels built by the Sarkies Brothers around the turn of the century – the other 2 being the Raffles in Singapore and the Eastern and Oriental in Penang, Malaysia.

I have been lucky enough to have stayed in all three hotels, and would have to say that the Strand is my favorite. In fact, I’d have to rank the Strand as my favorite hotel in the world. The service was impeccable and the ambience was out of this world – from another era. Our suite was immense and came with a personal butler who lived in a small room next to ours. We were greeted with a bouquet of flowers, a bowl of tropical fruit and a bottle of Champagne – literally, a once in a lifetime experience which can be found nowhere else on earth.

BAGAN

After a couple of days in Rangoon, we flew on Air Mandalay to Bagan. Bagan is an archeologic site situated on a vast plain on the banks of the Ayerwaddy River. The entire area is dotted with more than 2000 temples and pagodas, constructed in the 13th and 14th centuries in an effort by the people of the time to please the gods. There was apparently a lot of competition among the builders – the richer the builder, the higher and more elaborate the pagoda.

In any case, Bagan presents a unique and compelling sight, especially at sunset.

The main population center in the area was formerly known as Old Bagan. The entire population of this small city was forcibly moved by the government a few years ago to make room for the increasing number of tourists. In 1998, during my first visit, I found Old Bagan to be thriving, with a market that can only be described as one of a kind. It was mainly the cigar-smoking market ladies who captured my attention.

MANDALAY

By the old Moulmein Pagoda, lookin’ eastward to the sea, There’s a Burma girl a-settin’, and I know she thinks o’ me; For the wind is in the palm-trees, and the temple-bells they say: “Come you back, you British soldier; come you back to Mandalay!”… Rudyard Kipling.

Our next stop was, in fact Mandalay – “where the flying fishes play” according to Kipling.

Burma’s second city is not unattractive – dominated by Mandalay Hill, but I chose to spend most of my time in Amarapura – small village not far away. This is the site of U Bein’s Bridge, the longest teak bridge in the world. The bridge provides unparalleled photo opportunities, with a constant flow of foot traffic – mainly Buddhist monks from the adjacent monastery. The way that the bridge is reflected in the clear water – rippling and undulating – is unique in my experience and I spent three full days in the area.

The Burmese people have remained very religious in spite of their oppressive government. They like to apply gold foil to their innumerable Buddha statues in hopes of an eternal reward. This is how the foil is made in Mandalay – like everything else in Burma, the hard way.

INLE LAKE

Our next stop was Inle Lake, home of the famous leg rowers with their unique fishing technique and conical nets. The leg rowers depend on sight to locate fish and, therefore, require that the water be absolutely still. So, they generally fish only in the morning.

There are a number of Hill Tribes in the area, including the Padaung People with their fast-disappearing brass neck rings.

Weekly markets are held at various locations around the lake and are always colorful affairs, attended by an assortment of Hill Tribe People.

RAKHINE STATE

On our second trip in 2002, we visited Rakhine State, a mainly Muslim area on the border with Bangladesh. The area has attracted worldwide attention over the past several years because of the attempted ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya People, a Muslim minority group, by the Buddhist dominated army. Hundreds have apparently been killed and many thousands forced to flee to neighboring Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi government has banished them to a flat, barren, and basically uninhabitable island in the Bay of Bengal.

This debacle has ruined the international reputation of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, the country’s main political leader and former icon of human rights, who has not only not been unable to stop the carnage but has even been accused of supporting it.

But in 2002, Rakhine State was peaceful, if isolated, and was certainly one of the most unusual, unusual, and exotic places I have ever visited – truly, the back of the beyond. We arrived in Sittwe, the region’s main city, and were met by our local guide. There was not one other Western person present in the town, but the people were friendly and we were able to walk around freely.

Sittwe Harbor was fascinating as was the adjacent fish market.

The next day, we embarked upon the long and mysterious journey up the remote Kaladan River to Mrauk U, the main focus of tourism in this rarely visited area. I wasn’t quite sure about the sea-worthiness of the vessel to which we were assigned. My intuition proved correct on the return trip.

The voyage took about 4 hours and was basically uneventful – a slow cruise up a languorous, tropical river. Mrauk U was interesting, to say the least, and I felt lucky to get a look at a culture that few outsiders have had the opportunity to see. Indoor plumbing is obviously not an option for most people in the area.

Oxcarts were much more in evidence than were motor vehicles.

We arrived at the Mrauk U market before dawn and spent several hours exploring. Again, most of what I saw was unusual.

We left Mrauk U a couple of days later in the afternoon. The boat still didn’t inspire much confidence and, like clockwork, came to a dead stop in the middle of the Bay of Bengal. Not only were we helplessly adrift in a boat that couldn’t be repaired, but it was dark, and this part of the Bay of Bengal is notorious for pirates. Several suspicious boats passed silently by but we were eventually rescued. Back in Sittwe Harbor there were, predictably, no taxis available. We had no choice but to jump on the handle bars of the waiting bicycle rickshaws and began a long and perilous ride through the streets of Sittwe, eventually arriving at our hotel, the best in Sittwe – but no electricity after dark.

We had had a real adventure, but were happy to board an Air Mandalay flight back to Rangoon the next morning.

SHAN STATE

We flew on to Keng Tung – a village located very close to the borders with China, Laos and Thailand in Shan State. The whole area was populated by various hill tribes which made for another colorful experience.

Shan State is full of priceless, evocative vignettes that exist nowhere else on earth – reminders of an era that has long since passed into history elsewhere.

KYAIKTIYO AND THE BALANCING ROCK PAGODA

We returned to Rangoon and, the next day, made the long drive to Kyaiktiyo, the location of one of the world’s most unlikely, arresting, and surrealistic sights – the Balancing Rock Pagoda. Completely encrusted with gold foil, the rock lies at the top of an impossibly long and steep series of steps. Fortunately, there were groups of men at the base of the incline who were anxious to transport high-paying pilgrims to the top via sedan chair. I was very reluctant to use their services as my wife and I are not small people. But these guys were very poor and practically begged us to let them help. So, I figured, what the hell – these guys need the work, and the climb was quite daunting.

The trip took about 30 minutes and the locals couldn’t help but comment all the way up about the heavy loads these small men were carrying. In the end, I was happy with my decision – this was suppose to be a vacation, not an ordeal.

However, the sight at the top would be worth almost any degree of suffering just to see.

THE SHWEDAGON PAGODA

Then, a golden mystery upheaved itself on the horizon – a beautiful winking wonder that blazed in the sun, of a shape that was neither Muslim dome nor Hindu temple spire. As it stood overlooking everything it seemed to explain all about Burma…Rudyard Kipling

We saved the high point of Rangoon for our last day – the incredible Shwedagon Pagoda. Looming above the city, I was as impressed by the sight as was Rudyard Kipling.

I found the sights and ambience of Burma to be almost addictive, and we have visited the country on 3 separate occasions. There are things to see in Burma that have absolutely to parallel in the rest of the world – it’s almost like a bygone age that has been purposely recreated for those who enjoy that sort of thing.

But, it’s not an easy place to visit. It requires patience, stamina, and a willingness to put up with adversity. For instance, Burma is generally a cash only economy – ATM’S are few and far between credit cards are practically worthless. US dollars need to changed on the black market at a rate many times the official rate. Your guide will take care of the details for you. The last time I checked, the internet was difficult to access and was heavily censored. Many hotels are marginal and can be very basic in remote areas.

Is it worth all the trouble? For the right person, no doubt about it. So, if you’re curious and adventurous, go to Burma. You’ll see things you’ll never forget and sights that you will never see again, no matter where you go in the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tags: amarapura, bagan, buddhist, burma, inle, inle lake, leg rower, mandalay, monk, mrauk u, myanmar, pagoda, raffles, rakhine, rangoon, rohingya, shan, sittwe, strand hotel, temple, u bein’s bridge, yangon