Saturday, March 31, 2012

Golden Land Of Myanmar


I vaguely recall fond memories of my past trips to Yangon, Myanmar when I was a child. We’ll always tag
along with my mother to the uncountable number of houses and be fed like royalty since we do not always get to see our relatives. Briyani, chicken tied up like a pretzel, coconut gravy noodles, mango salad, and the food never seems to stop coming.

Rice Dishes


 We’ll take a beat-down car and drive down the winding streets with numerous potholes and once you peer out of the window to take in the smog-covered air, you’ll see numerous betel-leaf stalls surrounded by men with blood-red lips, you’ll see women balancing trays of food on top of their heads, you’ll see teenagers rolling up their sarongs up to their thighs and playing Chinlone which is something like Sepak Takraw, you’ll  see children playing by the streets without a care in the world.

Roadside Betel Leaf stall

Game of Chinlone (Sepak Takraw)



During my most recent trip, I went to visit my grandmother in the village. I sat at the back of a van and it was a long bumpy ride. We stopped near a railway station and you can see that the place is sprawling with commuters perhaps trying to get to work in the downtown area. There is also a market and my brother and I witnessed a chicken seller haggling with a woman holding a chopper in his hand. It was a new experience for me but everyone seemed to carry on without even a single concern. I guess that happens regularly.
Myanmar roadside Market



Myanmar, though it seems very inaccessible and isolated from the rest of the world, is actually rather travel-friendly. Of course it will be better if you had a Burmese speaker with you but many people can actually get by with basic English in the city area. Always remember to pack light because you can buy anything from the Scotts Market and it beats having to lug a heavy luggage around. Most shops allow haggling so go ahead and ask for discounts. Just remember to be polite. Visit the Shwe Dagon Pagoda and the most important thing is to have an open mind. Be humble and take in as much culture and heritage as you want. Learn to appreciate the simple things in life and you too will be able to enjoy your trip to Myanmar as much as I did.

Shwe Dagon Pagoda