After saying goodbye to Robert’s parents in Cambodia, we traveled to Yangon, Myanmar with an unpleasant, overnight layover in the Bangkok airport. We took a nap at our hotel in the morning, then went on a walking tour of the city where we saw British colonial buildings in various states of disrepair; markets selling fried snacks, clothing, and jewelry, and the radiant stupa of the gilded Sule Pagoda, which every taxi driver took their hands off the steering wheel to bow to during the many times we passed it on the way back to our hotel. Though tourism in Myanmar has been growing since the country began opening up in the early 2010s, fewer than 80,000 Americans visit each year, so we stood out a lot more here than in other parts of Asia. Things are slowly changing in Myanmar after a half century of civil war and nearly complete isolation from the rest of the world. Tea HousesYangon (formerly Rangoon under the British) is teeming with tea houses that locals frequent to read, catch up with their friends and neighbors, and cautiously discuss the news of the day. Tea houses specialize in anything from Indian sweets to bao buns to curries and samosas, but the one thing they all have in common is the beverage of choice. The black tea is served with a combination of evaporated and condensed milks depending on how sweet, strong, or milky you like it. A pot of strong green tea is always on the table. Our favorites were Rangoon Tea House, a more upscale (and expensive) take, and Lucky 7 Tea House – the locally popular, casual chain. Longyis and BetelAlthough we occasionally saw younger people wearing jeans, most people here wear longyis: patterned pieces of fabric tied like a long skirt. Shorts or skirts above the ankle are rare. Betel leaf, often mixed with tobacco, areca nuts, and lime, is popular here, and those who chew it can be identified by their red lips and teeth. Betel chewers frequently spit out red, betel-tinged saliva, so the streets of Yangon often appear as if they were spattered with blood. Views from a Burmese TrainWe took the Yangon Circular Railway (a local commuter train) on the three-hour loop for 200 kyat (about 15 cents). In place of doors, there were large, open sections where locals sat with their legs hanging out of the train enjoying the much-appreciated breeze on the 97° afternoon. We read George Orwell’s Burmese Days while intermittently watching the scenes of life go by in farms, houses, and markets. Farmers hauled watercress, corn, onions, and other produce in large sacks aboard the train to sell at the central market in Yangon. Shwedagon PagodaAn hour before sunset we walked through the park at Kandawgyi Lake on uneven boardwalks, then visited Shwedagon Pagoda. The 326-foot-tall, gold covered stupa atop a hill was breathtaking under the setting sun. The pagoda, which some historians say was built by the Mon people between the 6th and 10th centuries AD, is said to contain relics of four Buddhas, and is considered the holiest site in the country. The pamphlet we received said it was built 2,600 years ago, making it the world’s oldest Buddhist stupa, and that the upper levels are decorated with 3,154 gold bells and 79,569 precious stones, including diamonds. We circled the massive complex filled with people praying and lighting candles at various shrines and statues, some of which featured flashing LED lights. We spent yesterday walking around the city, exploring the markets, and taking refuge from the heat in an indoor mall. We had afternoon tea at the Strand Hotel, a landmark built in 1901. For dinner, we went to the Parami location of Min Lan Seafood, a large, casual restaurant serving fresh Rakhine-style seafood, which Anthony Bourdain visited on the premiere episode of Parts Unknown. We had grilled fish, grilled prawns, prawn curry, roasted corn, and steamed rice with a delicious fiery sauce that we washed down with cold Myanmar beer. We are currently on a 10-hour ride to Bagan. When we pulled up to the station this morning and saw the state of the many buses there, I could not have been more grateful that Robert booked us in advance on one with large, comfortable seats and a good safety record.
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September 2018
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