People caught in time warp

Tag : Bamboo Slippers

Pages From The Past
Busy Yangon is not a particularly old city, although an initialsettlement in the same place dates back 2,500 years. However, thecity feels older than any other Southeast Asian city as little herehas changed in the past 30 years.
There are few high-rises and traffic congestion is unheard of. Whatmoves in the streets, fringed by buildings in various states ofdilapidation, are pedestrians and cyclists with a few motorvehicles from the 50s and early 60s. Some are as old as from the40s! It is only recently that imports of second-hand vehicles fromJapan are allowed.
In the shops, the only things new are cheap goods from China butthose looking for unique stones or antiques would be in paradise. Iwas especially impressed by the fine pieces of art on sale. Fromthe variety of choices, I'm not sure whether it's peace orfrustration that drives an artist here. For less than US$25, youcould get yourself a masterpiece!
People Of The Lake
The Ayeyarwady River (Irrawaddy River) is fed by the Inke Lake,situated miles away on higher ground at 900m above sea level. Thescenery of the river and lake with hazy mountains in the distance,coupled with the interesting local community, turned out to be thebest part of my journey. The natural and unpolluted lake is studdedwith islands, unique leg-rowers and colourful local markets.
Inke Lake is a major attraction in Myanmar. High hills rim the lakeon both sides and the islands are home to some 150,000 people,mostly Intha, who tend to their farms there.
Last Royal Capital
We also travelled to Mandalay, the second largest city and the lastroyal capital of Myanmar which is a centre for the country's silkand cotton weaving industry.
Mandalay is also a cultural and religious centre for Buddhism, withmany monasteries, famous temples and more than 700 pagodas of greatbeauty. At least a third of the nation's 150,000 monks and nunslive here.
Delta At Dawn
A boat trip on the Ayeyarwaddy River took us down to the 11thCentury Buddhist archaeological site at Bagan, our last stop. Theboat departed Mandalay early in the morning and as the sun rose, amesmerising landscape emerged through the morning mist - one ofbamboo houses on stilts amid the endless green and emeraldpatchwork of padi fields.
Farmers in broad hats cycled silently along the raised riverbank.Brilliant white pagodas with gilded conical spires dot thelandscape. Ox-drawn wooden plows slowly turned the underwater mud,marring the greenery of the fields.
We stopped at a couple of places and saw rustic villages, fishingboats, small cargo boats, bull carts and more - all forming therhythm of life along Myanmar's longest river.
In The Lost City
A chapter on Bagan, a lost city of over 2,000 staggering
impressive monuments, embodies Burma's golden age and people tendto compare Bagan with Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
Bagan may have seen far fewer tourists than Angkor and while noneof the structures can compare to the magnificence of Angkor Wat,the appeal of Bagan is of a much more subtle nature that comes fromthe endless collection of small temples extending across the plain.
And as there are but a couple of dozen monuments, sometimes aseemingly insignificant no-name structure can yield satisfyingdiscoveries as well.
There are drawbacks. I found the intrusion of many locals who hangaround the temples to be tiresome. Unlike Angkor, visitors in Baganare restricted from climbing on or around many of the temples, andshoes must be removed outside every temple. Still, Bagan is amust-see.
Unity In Isolation
As we journeyed back to Yangon, I began to unravel the largetapestry that's Myanmar. Here, living is a privilege andimpressions of the country are subjective, distilled from thepeople's daily way of life as guided by the Buddha's teachings.
Globalisation is happening. It's not something that can be stoppedor accelerated, it's part of the world's evolution and I wonder howMyanmar will move towards a new future.
Perhaps the people have good reasons for their isolation butwhatever it is, stepping into Myanmar will give you a betterunderstanding of the unity that comes from being a small isolatedunanimity. And that's the beauty within.
Getting There
AirAsia flies to Bangkok daily and connects with AirAsia Thailandto fly to Yangon. Malaysia Airlines flies direct to Yangon excepton Tuesday and Thursday while Thai Airways flies daily via Bangkokand then to Yangon.
When In Myanmar...
* Don't raise political questions or make inappropriate statements.It can get you and the locals in trouble.
* Don't buy from one source, including souvenirs. And don't buy atthe first shop. Shop around for better prices and services.
* When visiting any temple or pagoda, you MUST remove your shoes.Wear cheap slippers. If you lose them, you won't fret.
* Take off your shoes and socks when entering a private home.
* Wear skirts or shorts below knee length. Your shoulders shouldnot be exposed either.
* Always carry small notes for donations at temple/pagoda and whenbuying souvenirs.
* If you intend to bring gifts for your Myanmar host, remember thatanything western is popular, including T-shirts, lipstick, toys,stickers and baseball-style caps.