Journey unfolds...

I woke up in a full sunshine mode, smiling on my face and decided to call my good friend, Khun Gan and see if he would like to meet me as it’s Saturday and I do feel the need to talk to someone about what happen to my Burmese trip. So Khun Gan invited Khun Beam and their long time classmate for a long coffee break and look-see in JJ market. I adore them for their hospitality! The day couldn’t have been better, after getting my vegetarian needs at central world food court and the visit to the bookstore bring me back to life again. Without any plans, surprisingly, the map put me in Lamphun and Lamphang where Khun Gan invited me to visit his parents and stay for a few nights before I further up north to Chiang mai.

Fled

I’m desperate to get out of Yangon so I went to the airasia counter to book my ticket and coincidentally, I’m on the same flight with Yuda shang as it makes no difference on the price whether flying today or tomorrow and I can't wait to get out of here as soon as possible.

Near the airasia office, there is the Aung San market where I bought a few pair of jade earrings for my mum (she specially requested it) and I’m contented to get it before I leave Yangon in a hurry!

So with full enthusiasm on my journey once again, I fly to Bangkok for the time being and see what’s my next move…

On different path...

In the morning, I went to the Golden rock by a big truck, not too sure if the road will be bumpy and since it’s only 500 kyats difference by sitting in front with the driver except I need 4 more passengers to share the front seat with me. I met Yuda shang and he seem willing to share, so with 3 locals, the truck start moving. The weather is beautiful and everywhere is surrounded by trees and stones. After we get off the bus, there is a 45 min hike to the rock, so I hike up together with Yuda shang, the road is winding but it also is a great work-out!

When we arrived, I’m very delighted to be greeted by the panoramic mountain views. The golden rock is impressive and spiritual to all the Burmese, some sitting near to the rock, chanting and meditating, tourist like us snap the rock non-stop. I do feel the energy around the rock is sublime! Seems to me it’s like a hairy business through the sights in Burma, the shewadagon paya is said to enshrine the Buddha’s hair after his enlightenment approached by two Burmese merchants for the “souvenir” from the Buddha. Then in the golden rock, it’s said the rock is supported by the Buddha’s hair so as to miraculously stop the rock from falling. Whoever hair it is, Buddha said, if you see me, you’ll see my teaching and if you’ll see my teaching, you’ll see me so whether there is hair or not. It’s not important. I’ll diligently practice the dharma.

Coincidentally, Yuda shang and I share the same bus, where he will go Yangon and I’ll go to bago after specifically to the bus conductor I’ll be dropping off at Bago (at this point, I’m thinking of leaving the country earlier than I should till to the unaligned view I’ve for the government) before I make my plan booking the cheapest air ticket out of Yangon. It turns out Myanmar wants me out as soon as possible. The bus conductor didn’t stop me at Bago and it turns out I was moving forward to Yangon together with Yuda San. Not too sure I’ll be staying in Yangon and Yuda shang told me the panda hotel he stayed is very good, I then suggest if the room is too expensive shall we share the twin single bed room for the night before he flies to Bangkok.

It turns out so smoothly that I was able to get free wifi in the hotel lobby with buffet breakfast for only $17 USD. Needless to say even the free wifi doesn’t mean a thing where the government keeps blocking the major websites like yahoo mail, gmail and even air aisa website is not easily accessible but the breakfast is good though.

More Pictures

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=278113&id=575247633

Fearful locals on the Bus

I took a taxi to the bus terminal and catch a bus to Kipun where I can visit the golden rock. The bus condition is bad but not as bad as the numerous check points they’ve stopped by the military. The locals seem to be terrified by the military and also to be associated with the foreigners. I checked into Sea Sar hotel which looks inviting, too bad the wooden teak single room is fully booked so I go for the concrete double room. I really love the pace of this town and the trees are scenic. That rustic and cool weather makes me lazy!

Shewedagon Paya & Yangon

The nearby morning market from my hotel is bustling, ladies doing their marketing, gossiping with one another, Avocado looks really huge, pirated dvd on sale, men wearing skirt (longyis) (I wonder how they pee), children and women painted with sandalwood powder. The capital has a quaint yet undeveloped kind of charm; it brings me back to the era when my mum might experience with her blow out big hair and bell-bottom. Public phone/communication is not available on the street, so people make local call through the provision shops or stalls setting up with just a few phones on the tables. Cineplex looks retro like the one we have in Pearl centre but much degraded and showing Burmese movie instead of porn movie.

After walking about an hour, I saw someone asking whether I would like to change Kyat so tempted by $1 USD to 950 Kyats, my greed begin to overwhelm me. After counting several times and not putting in my wallet which I should have. I realized I’ve short changed and when I went back, the man has fled to nowhere. Greed indeed is a terrible thing to have. A lesson learnt, it reminds me of the incident when I was in Indonesia, this time round is very different, we do it on the street, right in front of the public so it’s amazing how he slip off the money with his hand! Thank goodness I only changed $50 USD.

I followed the crowd and come to the bus terminal where I know, definitely, I’ll be able to get a bus to Shewedagon Paya, Bus 43, that’s the bus I need to take except if I know how to read Burmese, all the car license plate and bus number are not numerical! Of course, in times like these exaggerated hands gesture is needed and for those who knows me know I’m good at that!

Finally, I got to the Shwedagon Paya, with slightly 10 mins walk, I reached the east entrance, it’s indeed beautiful but not like something I’ve not seen. With 6000 kyats as the entrance fees, I expect a little more. The most interesting part is I met a “fin”ish and dutch couple, Barbish and Miko as I approach them to take a picture of me. We chatted and decided to have lunch together, professional habits, I decided to explain on the Buddhist art and symbols to them which they find it fascinating, especially on the animal guardians surrounding the main stupa representing the different days you were born. In Thailand, you’ll make donation, light the candles or paste the gold leaves on the symbols but in Myanmar you “shower” the Buddha instead.

After lunch, I walked straight back to the house and have an early night!

More pictures

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=278109&id=575247633

Myanmar - The very beginning

This Myanmar trip started with a cheap airfare I secured from Airasia, Bangkok to Yangon for only 1010.00 THB (S$44). I booked this air ticket without thinking how much I was going to spend on my air fare flying to Bangkok, convincing myself I’m able to get a cheap air fare at the “right” time from Singapore to Bangkok. The more I think about it, the more I’m amazed at how I’m travelling to 2 countries at a fraction of price. It turns out my Bangkok airfare is only S$138 together with the Myanmar airfare S$44. I actually spend S$178 for the air tickets on these 2 countries.

The night before I embark my journey I was at my twin brother’s wedding (we are not from the same parents but we are born on the same day), so I was a little lethargic and bus 858 which I usually take to the airport amended the route which make my bus journey longer that I expected and feeling more frustrated as it make a big round about in Sembawang for more than 20mins. As I’m always prepared for the unexpected (just 2 hours in advance), I checked in at ease without lateness, only left 15 minutes to browse the gossip magazines at the bookstore.

Despite the bad reputation on the recent delays Tiger airways has garnered, they deserve a good mention on the larger air plane they have upgraded (my long hairy leg can finally stretch) and somehow their services are much better.

After arriving in Bangkok airport, I’m happy to get a airport transfer from the nearby hotel as it’s about 650 Baht including one night stay and to and fro to the airport. Kriss residence is very clean and cozy so much so I’m reluctant to leave Bangkok to Myanmar. Still, my trip has to go on.

The end is the beginning and the beginning is the end

I understand I probably shouldn’t start my first entry on why I “fled” Myanmar in a hurry but I truly believe this is what I can do if I decided to continue where I’ve traveled hopefully in the near future.

1) Fearful locals and aristocratic government
I know I probably shouldn’t mix my travelling with politic but it does affect one another. My initial idea is that once Aung San Su Ki is released from house arrest, the people might have more freedom of speech or human rights but I though wrongly. When I was travelling from Yangon to kyaiktiyo, there are numerous military checkpoints. At one point, my bus conductor look at me frantically, asking for my passport as the officer approaching my seat, the fear in his eyes haunted me, what has he done wrong to deserve this? I’m so worried if I said the wrong words or gesturing a wrong move, I’ll get him into serious trouble. The locals do fear at some point associating themselves with the foreigners.

2) No Freedom of web surfing
The government blocked most of the American email accounts like Google, Yahoo, hotmail and even Coca-cola is not allowed to sell in Myanmar (you can get it in the black market but still can find it on the supermarket shelves manufactured by Singapore). Why then let the people have internet services if you’re blocking their rights to read the world news! My company webmail has been blocked too. Booking an air ticket is so troublesome till to the slow network time out. Funny enough the only website that can be easily access is the Facebook and who is the founder? An American, yes you can catch his story on the pirated DVD selling in Aung San market.

3) Third world country but developed country price
Can you imagine the food prices are 20% slightly lower than Singapore food court or Macdonald? The admission fees to the temples are about USD8 – 10 dollars. Even entering the bus terminal and taking pictures in the temple have to pay. Everything is overcharge and who is earning? The junta government!

4) Doesn’t make sense
I took a bus from Yangon to Golden rock is 6000 Kyat the coming back from Golden rock to Yangon is 9000 Kyat, I wonder where has the extra 3000 kyat goes to? Then sitting in the big truck on the way up to the mountain is 2000 Kyat in the front seats with the driver then on the way back sitting and squeezing with the locals on the wooden log bench is 1500 kyat, my goodness where is the consumer rights?

5) Creativity unfound
I breathe in creativity, everywhere I go, the local handicrafts, street fashion, bookstore or the food can be a great inspiration to me. But in Yangon, since that’s the longest period I’ve stayed in Myanmar. My creativity died down nearly to an extend I was asked to redesign a poster from my client, even the men wearing the long skirt (longyis) and face powdered with sandalwood (tanakha) cannot be inspirational. I almost feel suffocated without the air I breathe in creativity!

After the emotional turmoil, I still believe in the nature of human goodness, I'll definitely want to visit Myanmar again but maybe and maybe not this time. Ming gala ba (Burmese translated as it's a blessing)