Goodbye Myanmar

Amy and I decided to skip the free hotel breakfast. We were going to a tea house, Lucky 7 for breakfast. It was busy but we found a seat and ordered food. It was all delicious and she loved it as much as I did. We ate too much food were regretting it as we left for our cooking class. 

We were taking a cooking class at Monsoon Restaurant.  The manager met us and told us to go upstairs. We walked to the second level and were greeted by a head chef and two sous chefs. We figured it was going to be a large class and found out it was just the two of us! The menu consisted of tea leaf salad, Ragine Spicy Curry Sea Bass, Shan Chicken Curry with Potatoes, Coconut Rice and lentil soup.

The chef had the sous chef do all the chopping ahead of time. Darn, that means we will eat sooner. The head chef demonstrated the dish, we tasted it and then made our dishes. 

Oops! I forgot to cover the pestle while pounding and the chef caught me! She was concerned I would get spices in my eyes.  

The aromas were heavenly. After all of the cooking they arranged the meal for us. Mmmmm mmmmm! We savored our food. It was more than we could eat. But so delicious. After we finished our meal we ordered Vietnamese coffee and relaxed. It was still early and Amy asked what my plan for my last afternoon was. I told her there were 2 things on my list. A fortune telling at Sule Pagoda and the evening at Shwedagon Pagoda. She was intrigued with the fortune telling. We had both read/heard that the Yangon people visited the Sule Pagoda to have fortunes told when important events happened in their lives. We decided to have our fortunes told. Amy had to catch the evening bus so she went first. When she was done we said our goodbyes and I sat down to have my reading. The woman asked me my birth date, time of birth and country. I told her and she started writing down information on a sheet of paper. Then she read my palms. It was an interesting reading and some of the information from my past were spot on (especially about my last job). I took notes on my future and time will tell if any of it was true. I don't live my life by these things but it was a fun and interesting reading.
I walked back to the hotel and cleaned up before getting a taxi to the Shwedagon Pagoda. It was a nice night out. No rain in sight. I went to Shwedagon and started my walk around the pagoda. I heard a woman chanting and went to the temple and sat and listened to her. As I left a young monk walked up and asked "where is your home country?" I told him USA and he wanted to take a picture. He spoke little English and I spoke little Burmese. He told me to follow him and he took me around to see parts of the pagoda which were special to him. He motion for me to bow three times and what to do next. As we walked he showed me pictures of people he met. He introduced me to his 2 monk friends. They tried to teach me to meditate....a lasted 2 minutes and thought about how uncomfortable I was for 10 minutes. Scenes from the movie Eat, Pray Love kept passing through my mind. I felt like Julia Roberts in India with time standing still. The monks laughed at me and said I needed to practice
more often. As we parted, he gave me his Buddha prayer beads. I thanked him and said my goodbyes.

My trip to Myanmar was amazing! The people were kind and welcoming. They not only opened their country to me but, also their homes and hearts. I feel a special bond with the beautiful people of Myanmar. I hope and pray that the country finds peace and good fortune in the future. They are so hopeful after many years of repression under the military regime.  I love Myanmar. It is an amazing country that I would like to visit again after the government opens up more areas for tourists. A trip like this opens up your mind and appreciation for your own country. No country is perfect or right 100% of the time. But it is pure luck that some of us have been born in countries where we have freedoms versus countries that do not. I am thankful for my opportunities every day. I don't think people understand this until  you have visited foreign countries and witnessed it first hand. Explore the areas you visit and search out the local people. I promise your travels will be amazing. You will be enriched from interacting with the people and understanding their culture and daily life.

Back to Yangon, Myanmar

I arrived back at the Yangon bus station. It was crowded in the early morning and I was thankful that taxis were waiting to take me to the city.  I had planned to go on to the Mon State in southeastern Myanmar but I was tired form being sick. My body decided it needed to rest and recuperate. So, I was staying in Yangon until my flight back to Bangkok. 

I had a few things on my list I still wanted to see in Yangon.

1. A day trip to Dala Island
2. Evening at Shwedagon Pagoda
3. Kandawgyi Park
4. Fortune telling at Sule Pagoda

After checking in to the hotel, I was going for a good meal. I was excited to have food that I knew would be safe. I had been sick too many days in Myanmar. It was not a surprise, I was expecting it. Everyone seemed to have a few incidents with food poisoning.  After a delicious and quick lunch, I headed towards Dala Island when a monsoon rain started. I turned around and decided to go to the National Museum for a break from the rain. The only thing I wanted to see was the Golden Lion throne. It was magnificent. It was one of nine thrones and the only one to survive the WWII bombings. Unfortunately, the museum confiscates all of your belongings at the entry so no pictures (if you are interested http://www.myanmar-image.com/enchantingmyanmar/enchantingmyanmar2-2/thrones.htm ). The throne was enormous and opulent compared to the thrones of the European kings. I would describe it as a staircase and doorway rather than a throne. It is easy to see how intimidated people were when they visited the king. The museum has an interesting selection of musical instruments, sculptures and clothing from the royalty. I also liked the royal slippers encrusted with diamonds and jewels.  I suspect  Aladdin would have been envious of them too!  After I had toured most of the museum, I came back down to take another look and I met an archaeologist that was working at the museum. He took me in and pointed out some things I did not notice and he answered my questions. As we talked, he asked where I was going next. I asked if he had any suggestions. He suggested General Aung San's museum. He wrote down the name in Burmese and found me a taxi.

 The General Aung San Museum is located in his previous residence. The museum was not very good. It is basically a tour of the home where he lived with his family. I was told the building in Yangon where he was assassinated will be made into a museum in his honor also. I hope that it tells more about his life and explain to tourists why the Burmese consider him the father of Burma. This museum gave very little information. General Aung San is responsible for bringing Burma's independence from Britain but he was assassinated 6 months before independence. During my travels I saw his picture hanging in the homes and businesses throughout the country. His daughter, Aung San Suu Kyi has followed in her father's footsteps in Burmese politics in the National League for Democracy (NLD). She was placed under house arrest for 12 years between 1989 until November 2010. The Burmese people are hopeful she will be the next president of Myanmar but it is dependent on the current government. The constitution of Myanmar was actually written to prevent her from becoming president with a clause which prevents anyone with a foreign born spouse or children from becoming president. The world will be watching to see what happens in 2015.

Beautiful park

The rain had topped so I decided to go to Kandawgyi park for a late afternoon walk.  The taxi driver let me off on the east side of the park and I started walking. The park sits below the Shwedagon Pagoda. The view of the pagoda above the lake is beautiful. It started to rain and I grabbed my umbrella and enjoyed the peacefulness of the park in the rain. It was me and the die hard joggers in the park. I had planned to go to Shwedagon Pagoda but not in the rain. I was ready for a hot shower and a good nights sleep.

The Royal boat is now a restaurant.

Shwedagon pagoda at sunset.

The next morning was sunny so, I was headed to Dala Island. I met a woman from New Zealand that wanted to tag along. She had to be back by 4:00 PM for a bus to Bagan. We walked over to the ferry and bought our tickets and hired two young guys to give us a rickshaw ride around the island.

In 2008, Cyclone Nargis hit Dala Island  and killed 138,000 people (government stopped counting at this figure) and left many orphans. The island is a short 10 minute ferry ride from Yangon but seems like a different world.  Men were yelling out locations where the buses were going and women were selling foods. This was the center of activity as people passed between Dala and Yangon. Carla and I followed the young boys to the rickshaws and crawled in. We were off to see the island. The poverty in the community is evident on arrival. They have limited electricity and water sources.

  

The Burmese people are not bitter in this poverty. They are just looking for a way to support their families. The young men we met were happy to show us their community and teach us about their lives.  Our first stop was an old temple. First we stopped at the bell to hit it three times. Once for health, family and the world. Dong! Dong! Dong!

The boys were excited to show us a monk who died 150 years ago. His body had not decayed. I wasn't sure if it was because people had covered him in gold leaf or there was another reason. The boys told us ten (10) years ago he opened one of his eyes to warn about a coming cyclone. The photographic evidence of this is displayed beside the golden corpse. I really could not tell.

As they cycled us around the island, my rickshaw driver sang Burmese songs. He showed me where they get their water. It was a large lake in the center of town with a short dock. He told me the people use the water for bathing and cooking.  

The water is then stored in these large ceramic pots outside each families home. It is moments like this that I realize I was lucky we are in the USA.  We have poverty, but not to this extent. I never worried about my water sources. I had a roof over my head. I did not have rising water under a bamboo bungalow that was infested with mosquitos. Yet, these boys were happy and had a positive outlook for their future. They hoped tourism would continue and someday they would have $1000 USD to buy their own rickshaw. We stopped for tea and one of the rickshaw drivers wanted to buy me betel nut. My driver told me he was flirting with me and thought I was beautiful. I thanked him for the compliment but said no to the betel nut. I like my teeth and want to keep them. He laughed and shook my hand. We said our goodbyes and paid them for our tour of their island.

We returned to the ferry at the right time. It started to rain....and then the monsoon rain started. As we exited the ferry on the other side, Carla asked if I wanted to go for Indian food. Sure. Why not. We found a taxi that took us to Little India. As we exited the taxi, we were knee deep in water. Yikes! I giggled as I waded through the water. Carla and I both knew that the sidewalks were not in good shape. We shuffled along the sidewalks hoping we did not fall into a hole or twist an ankle. The rain was not letting up and we were trying to walk in knee deep water to find a restaurant someone had recommended. After a half hour, we gave up. We decided to try one with many locals. The food was good and by the time we finished eating, the rain had stopped. We waded back to our hotel in the knee deep water. I took a shower and washed the dirt out of my clothes. Ahhhh! Another night early to bed. I was tired. Then I heard a knock on my door. I opened it and there was Amy, an American girl I had met at breakfast. We had talked about doing a cooking class and she had some information. We decided to walk over to Monsoon for dinner and to sign-up for their cooking class in the morning.
Dinner with Amy was fun. She has traveled and lived in China and Azerbaijan. She had some great suggestions for travel. I shared my experiences in Myanmar and she shared hers in other countries. We signed-up for a 10 am cooking class at Monsoon after enjoying our dinner. We planned to go to Shwedagon Pagoda after dinner but we got so busy talking we lost track of time and missed it. It was 10:30 PM and we were tired. We would meet up for breakfast in the morning before class.

Buddha Day in Yangon

The next morning I awoke and got ready for a trip to Dala township across the Yangon River. I packed my bag and headed down to breakfast. I had decided to leave for Bagan in the morning and asked the hotel to book my bus. The manager said he would confirm a seat while I ate my breakfast. I was sitting eating and saw a man looking for a place to sit. I invited Karl to join me. He was from the USA on a visa run from Thailand. He had just completed a TESOL certification and had a job offer to teach English in Bangkok. As we talked, he decided to join me on my Dala adventure. We left the hotel and walked towards the river. On our way, we noticed a large crowd at the local temple and decided to join the festivities. It was Buddha day. All of the Burmese were going to pay their respects to Buddha and we both wanted to experience this event. We removed our shoes and paid the foreigner fee to enter the pagoda. The first stop was to see the Buddha relics. It was a long, hot line. We stood waiting to enter the area for 15 minutes. The Burmese were excited to see 2 foreigners at their pagoda and stopped us for photos several times. It was cute. The would get shy and then one of them would be brave and ask for a photo with us. We finally got in and saw the Buddha hair relics.

As I was wondering around the temple grounds I met sisters that were excited to talk with me. They had worked at the British consulate and had gotten books in English on their way to the temple. They were so cute in their hats and wanted to see a picture of themselves. I obliged and promised to send a copy to their home. Aren't they cute?

The temples are used for both religious meditation and for social interaction. Friends and families had brought picnic lunches and set in the temples eating and conversing with one another. Others used the time for a short nap.

As we left and went into the courtyard, we were handed cups with a green juice. I looked at Karl, we cheered each other and said bottoms up. It appeared it was made with purified water...or so we hoped! Only time would tell! We watched as offerings were given to Buddha and families fed the turtles and fish in the pond.


Neither of us had planned to spend a day at the temple but it was an relaxing and enjoyable day observing normal Burmese life. I looked at my watch and realized it was 2:00 PM. I looked at Karl and asked if he was hungry. We decided to find a restaurant. We walked a few blocks to Monsoon Restaurant and ordered a few dishes and beers. We sat talking and laughing about life and the sights at the temple. Afterwards we walked over to the ferry. When we arrived, we were told that we could not go over to Dala as it was Buddha day. So, we walked back to the hotel. As we passed the local restaurant, I heard a familiar voice yell hello. It was Brad and Marilyn inviting us for a beer. We sat down and shared our stories. Before I knew it, the table was full of empty beer bottles, I was tipsy and it was dark outside. It was a good day and I needed to get to bed....I had to be ready for a 5:00 AM taxi to the bus station in the morning. I said my goodbyes to my new friends and headed to bed.

Obviously it was a good night....pic is blurry because I drank too much!

The Golden Land Pagoda and Teahouse in Yangon

My friends Brad and Marilyn told me I had to try Lucky 7 Teahouse before I met up with them for dinner. So, after the train ride I walked over to the teahouse to have a meal. The area is surrounded by trees giving it a secluded garden feel and shutting out some of the noise of the city traffic. There are young boys working and all of them have a Lucky 7 jersey. I was greeted and shown to a table on the sidewalk. They brought a fresh pot of tea and a cup along with a menu in English. As I looked through the menu, a plate of fried spring rolls and samosas appeared on the table. I was famished and ready to have a snack. I decided to order a lime juice, a fresh chicken spring roll and a red bean dumpling. Mmm mmm.
I sat enjoying my tea and snacks as I waited for my meal. The first thing I noticed is the teahouse was busy with locals. But they were not just eating and enjoying a cup of tea. This was meeting place for friends and business transactions. People were looking through documents and signing papers. They sat and talked with friends.
My food arrived and it was delicious. The spring roll was steamed and delicious. Not what I was expecting but really good. I enjoyed every bite of my meal. Then, sat and relaxed with a cup of tea.

It was getting late in the afternoon and I had an hour before I was meeting my new friend at Shwedagon Pagoda. I decided to walk back to my hotel and rest for an hour and charge my camera battery.

I freshened up and was ready to see the Shwedagon Pagoda. It is the most famous structure in the city of Yangon.  This religious structure is the most sacred site in all of Myanmar.  I arrived at the Southern entrance (not where I had agreed to meet my friend Oon) but where the taxi driver said he was allowed to drop me off. It was raining and I did not argue. I entered the building, removed my shoes and left them in a bin and paid my $5 fee. I was shown to the door and told to take the lift to the shrine. I had read the travel guides and new that the stairway was much more beautiful. I went outside and walked across the parking lot to the stairway.  I am a wimp and winced with each step until I go to the stairway. As I entered the stairway I was in awe of the teak carved ceiling. There were sales stalls along the sides with flowers, umbrellas, books, gold bowls, incense and souvenirs. As I walked up the steps I wondered how I would find Oon in this giant complex. I figured in reality, he would locate me first. As I exited the hall I looked out to see the large gold pagoda. It was massive. I was awe struck by the size and the small stupas surrounding the main pagoda. As I stood there in wonder, my friend Oon found me. He had met up with another friend and they greeted me in Burmese.

  

Oon started by explaining it is customary to walk around the pagoda in a clockwise direction. Oon had spent 5 years as a monk and his friend Nu has lived in a monastery as a lay person for 7 years. They started with a brief explanation of the history of Shwedagon. It is enshrined with four Buddha relics and is 325 feet tall and covered with solid gold plates.

Even in the rain the structure is truly amazing. The size is incredible. As we walked around the pagoda, Oon and his friend explained the history of Buddhism and the significance of the different temples. They stopped at one small cave where a baby was held in the arms of a man. He explained this was the site that couples come to that are trying to have a baby. I told him we could skip over this, I am too old and have no personal interest in a baby! We all laughed and moved on. Next Oon asked me what day of the week I was born. I told him Sunday. He explained that in Buddhism there are 8 days of the week with Wednesday morning and afternoon counted as separate days. Oon explained that there are statues for each day of the week. When we arrived at Sunday (galon), he had me bow my head three times as is tradition then, he took me to the statue and instructed me to pour cups of water on the images. One cup for each year I was old. I told him this was going to take awhile. He laughed and promised not to count since age was something westerners are sensitive about. I laughed and said no problem asking a western woman her age. We need to be proud of what we have accomplished in life. He was shocked because he was taught in tourism class never to ask a western woman her age because it is offensive. I admitted some woman are highly sensitive about it but I was not. I am 44 and proud of it! He laughed and helped me keep count.

One of the first things most Myanmar people will tell an American is "Obama visited Myanmar. Obama good. Help my country tourism. Obama born on Friday." I didn't understand why they cared what day of the week Obama was born until I visited Shwedagon. It was because they had seen him pour water over the Friday statue when he visited. You also get told with pride that Aung Sun Suu Kyi (Myanmar people are hopeful she will be the next president) is born on Tuesday. In Myanmar, the people believe astrology will guide your future. Oon suggested I visit a fortune teller at the Sule Pagoda and have my future told before I leave Myanmar. The Myanmar people do this regularly. Historically, names of children were even chosen based on the day of the week a child was born.

As we walked the pagoda in the rain Oon and Nu laughed at my slippery western feet. They said that years of wearing shoes had made my feet slippery since my toes were squished together. They pointed at there feet and showed me how their toes were spread, "like web duck feet." We all laughed. I was not use to walking barefoot let alone on the slippery marble. I was hoping to survive the night without landing face first on the ground. I am a little bit of a clutz! It was a beautiful night. I watched in awe as men and woman meditated. I enjoyed the peaceful sounds with the chimes of the bells from the umbrellas on the top of the stupas.
Oon and Nu walked me over to a large bell. He picked up a piece of wood and handed it to me.  It was time for me to ring the bell. I laughed and thought he was joking. He explained that I needed to make a wish, bow my head three times to Buddha and then hit the bell three times. I took the large piece of wood and hit the bell. It was at this time my battery died. I had forgotten to charge it! Ugh! Oon told me many tourists visit the pagoda at the beginning of their trip and the end. I was obviously going to be back at the end of my trip.
The Shewdagon Paya is topped with an umbrella that has 5,448 diamonds, 2,317 rubies and the top is crowned with a 76 carat diamond. Oon and Nu took me around to different locations to see the jewels reflected by the lights. I was impressed with the site and appreciated the time Oon and Nu spent explaining the history of the pagoda to me. I offered to buy them dinner but they refused. It was something they did because it gives them a chance to practice their English and prepare for their tourism exams. I thanked them and asked if they needed a ride. We decided to share a taxi and drop them off at the bus station on my way back to the hotel.
I returned to the hotel and went for a quick dinner. I walked to the neighborhood Myanmar restaurant and who did I find? My friends Brad and Marilyn! I walked in and Shelly was lighting Brad's cigarette. I laughed and pulled up a chair to share the events of our days over dinner.

 

Riding the Circle Train in Yangon, Myanmar

I awoke to rain. My plan was to take the ferry to Dalah, return to Yangon for lunch at a tea house and then the circle train in the afternoon. I decided to change my plan since it was a beautiful rainy morning and I wanted to stay dry for a couple hours. I decided to start with the circle train of Yangon.

I took the scenic route to the train station as I wanted to see the old train station first. It was another beautiful colonial building that needed some repairs. A sort walk and I arrived at the current train station. I walked in and looked at the board trying to figure out where and when the circle train was leaving. A Burmese man saw me and waved for me to come to his table along the side of the wall. Why not? I walked over and greeted him in Burmese. He asked where I wanted to go. I told him I was interested in the circle train. He smiled and asked me to follow him. As we walked across 7 rail lines he asked the standard Burmese questions. Where are you from? How long are you in Myanmar? When did you arrive? Are you traveling alone? Where is your husband? I smiled and answered each one. He walked me to a small yellow building and pulled out a chair in front of a small table. I obliged and sat down. He poured me a cup of tea and said it would be one minute. I waited wondering what was going on. Three men walked in, pulled up chairs and poured themselves a cup of tea. Uh-oh! This was concerning to me. I smiled and greeted them. One of them pulled out a ticket book and asked me to write my name and country of origin. They all talked amongst themselves and smiled at me. Then he handed me a ticket, told me the price was 1000 kyat ($1) and said "Ms Michelle from America, have a pleasant journey today and the rest of your time in Myanmar. We have a police officer that will escort you to the train. There will be another officer on the train. If you need anything please ask him." I thanked him for his hospitality and said my goodbyes. A police officer stepped into the office and said the train had arrived. He escorted me to the train and reminded me if I needed to use a bathroom or needed food to please let the officer on board know. Wow! I felt like I was receiving special treatment.

I boarded the train and sat down. The car was empty for the most part. A few people looked at me and nudged their friends to check out the foreign girl. They smiled and waved or nodded their head at me. I waved back and they giggled. As the train pulled out of the station, I followed the actions of the locals and removed my shoes and curled up to look out the window. It was harder for me as the window was really low but I figured it out.

The train does a circle of the city of Yangon which takes about 3 hours. I was excited to get to meet the locals and see life in the surrounding areas. The train moved on from one station to the next. A man entered with a bag of food, roasted bugs of some type and sat down next to me.

I asked if I may take his photo and he said no. I was respectful and fine with that. Two women sitting across from me smiled and waved. I took there picture as the train continued on the journey. They were animated and it appeared they were getting caught up on each others lives.

The woman smiled at me and I pointed to her hair and smiled. I loved the jasmine flowers she wore in her hair. The appearance and smell is beautiful. She thought I wanted it for my hair. I told her no thank you. She giggled and said something to her friend that made both of them laugh.

A man was watching all of this going on and took out a cigar and lit up on the train. Yes, on the train! I smiled as I realized that this was allowed here. He looked at me and offered me a cigar. No thanks. Then he pretended to take a photo, indicating I could take his if I wanted. I took his photo as he pretended t light his cigar again. I got up and moved next to him and showed the photo to him. He laughed and stared at it. I got the impression he had not seen a picture of himself in a long time.

Above his head was a sign about tourists. This was placed on the trains and throughout the station and on billboards in town. The Myanmar government definitely wants more tourists and for them all to have a good experience.

As we continued into the suburbs, salesmen/saleswomen entered the car selling food, tea and betel nut (chewing tobacco). The betel nut chew is the most interesting to me. They start with a stack of small, green betel vine leaves, a pot of white, gloopy-lime paste and an array of herbs and fillings, including cloves, aniseed, grated coconut, cinnamon, camphor, cardamom seeds, cumin and tobacco, plus small, broken pieces of the actual betel nuts.  It is all rolled up into a pouch. The people chew it and spit red globs onto the ground. Yes, red! The betel nuts stain their teeth red...or the teeth that are left. This rots their teeth and you will see people with red stubs of teeth.  It is the Burmese version of chew. I saw everyone from grannies, to monks and teenagers enjoying the betel nut. I laughed each time they see me and point to my teeth. At first I thought I had food in my teeth. No, they admired the whiteness of my teeth. A woman came over and asked me how I kept my teeth so white. I smiled and told her no soda, little coffee and tea and regular dentist appointments. She was shocked and wanted to know what I drank. I told her water, beer and wine. She laughed. The rest of the trip she continued to show her friends my white teeth.  (Thanks Dr. Laura and JoAnn for making my teeth look so pretty!)

As the train journeyed from one station to the next, people got on and off. The people all seemed shocked to see a foreigner on the train. They would smile and point me out to their friends. Some would come over to take a picture on their mobile phones. Everyone loved America and were so appreciative that our country was taking steps to bring tourists and investments to their country. Everyone is hoping for better jobs. They all asked me to send my friends to Myanmar. I made friends with two young men. They would point out the window and pretend to take a photo when something of interest was ahead of me. It was fun to see what they thought were interesting sights. At one point one of them came and pulled me towards the train door. I was interested to see what was of such importance. Ha, ha! It was a car junk yard. They laughed as they acted out to cars crashing. There were a lot of them. It made me think about all the buses and taxis I have been in the last 3 months with no seat belts. Ugh! I keep my fingers crossed! The guys told me goodbye and posed for a photo at their stop.

At the same stop, the train quickly filled with people and enormous baskets of produce they were bringing or taking to a market. The train had been empty but was suddenly filled. The aisles were packed and nobody could move. The woman with produce baskets started removing vegetables and cleaning them as we continued on the train. The waste greens were tossed out the windows.

Conversations with friends and laughter filled the train. The children looked at me with interest. I was amazed at how the train had become transportation for the markets. I had not thought about this before. The people use it to get places they needed to go. I noticed that there were workers at the stations that would help the women load and unload the enormous baskets on the train. This was done quickly. We never stopped for more than 5 minutes.

The train stations were interesting. Life went on here. Nuns, monks and families waiting for a train. Others selling food. The children found ways to entertain themselves while their parents worked.

Some played soccer while others played marbles or hula-hooped. As the journey continued, I saw the poorer areas of Yangon. I thought the bamboo bungalows in the countryside were poor. Then, at the end of the journey, the train passed through the saddest neighborhood.

There were mounds of rubbish along a river. Families were bathing in the river. I suspect they used it for cooking also but I can not be certain. There were children and animals playing in it. It broke my heart but I knew these things go on around the world. It was good for travelers to see this and understand the real life situations of the people. In the western world we take for granted our unlimited electricity and water. We think little about our garbage once it has been collected and taken away. It isn't that way for everyone.

As the train returned to the station, the local police officer informed me I would be getting off at the next stop. I gathered my belongings and waved goodbye to the girls across from me. As I stepped off the train I was happy I had the experience. I walked back across the tracks. Many Burmese yelled out "Hello" and waved. This was a land of smiles, the happiest and most friendly people I had met on my trip.

A man walked up and asked where I was going. I told him I had just taken the Circle train and he was shocked. He asked why I would want to see that when there are more beautiful areas of Yangon for tourists. I smiled and told him "I am not a tourist. I am a traveler." He was confused and I explained that I wanted a cultural experience and to see and meet the people of his country. He was intrigued. He was studying tourism at the university and asked if I had been to the Shwedagon Paya. I told him I was going in the evening and he said that he would love to show it for me and to better understand the differences between a tourist and a traveler. I agreed to meet him at 4:30 pm at the southern entrance. We said our goodbyes. I had a wonderful experience on the circle train and was looking forward to my visit to the pagoda with my new friend this evening.

Yangon, Myanmar...Times are Changing

I arrived at the Bangkok DMK airport ready to get on my way to Myanmar. I have done more reading for these next 28 days than any of my travels to date. I was excited to get this journey started. As I sat waiting for the flight, I struck up a conversation with 2 girls from America that were also going for 28 days. They were as excited as I was to travel Myanmar. We laughed that there is only one travel guide and everyone had it...the bible, Lonely Planet. We had all followed the rules and were carrying our USD and concerned how we were going to keep the money clean. What was ahead of us on this journey? Only time will tell. I told the girls to have fun and enjoy their trip if we did not see each other later. I stood in line and saw that the man next to me was wearing a NY Yankees hat. So, I asked if he was a Yankees fan and pointed to the hat. He was! We laughed and I told him I prefer the Angels and we discussed the season. He was Burmese and was returning home. As we talked we realized we were sitting next to one another. His travel partner asked if I would switch seats because he has never flown before and wanted a window seat. Sure, no big deal. I was prepared for that. I smiled as we sat down and continued to talk. He was a pastor and ran an orphanage in Yangon. By the end of the flight, I had been given his contact information in case I had any problems and was invited to dinner at his home. I politely turned down the invitation since it was his anniversary and his wife had been home with the children for a week!

As I walked off the plane, I was hit with the heat and humidity of Yangon. It was hot! I walked through the airport and got into the line for customs. I looked around as I watched people in the (airport. I spotted a man wearing the traditional longji  (a long skirt worn by men and women) and smiled. Yay! I loved it! Getting through customs was simple. Then, I picked up my backpack and noticed the money changer at the airport. It was changing for 947 kyat to the USD. I had looked up the rate on-line and this was the same. So, I changed some money over. I was also surprised to see that they accepted the Euro, Singapore dollar and FEC. Times have changed since the last Lonely Planet guidebook. No black market money changing for me! There are also signs all over the airport that the ATM accepts MasterCard. I will have to try using an ATM at some point....just because I want to see if they work with international debit cards.

I found my guesthouse, Ocean Pearle Inn, with my name on a sign. They had arranged to pick me up at the airport for free! The gentleman was also wearing a longji! He greeted me and had me wait at the airport curb while he went to get his car. I stood smiling and watching everything around me. I loved this country immediately. As we started the long drive from the airport to Yangon I watched out the window taking in everything. The first thing you notice is the drivers wheel is on the right side of the car. Makes sense since this was a British colony. But, in order to separate themselves from the British, they drive on the right side of the road. It was a little weird. This was going to take a little getting use to. As we drove into town, I saw many of the men and woman wearing the longji. It was traditional and looked very nice. Most of the men wear it with a business shirt and tied in the front. They have there wallets and cell phone tucked in to the side. I smiled. I like the cultural differences.

The next thing I saw was packed buses. People were hanging out the sides. They were packed into the pick-up trucks and hanging off the back. Some people would sit on the roof of the trucks as they drove down the highway. As the suns et on the city, I saw a large golden stupa and knew it was my first glimpse of the Shwedagon Pagoda. It was amazing at night. I was in awe of the sight.

I arrived at my hotel, checked in and was ready for dinner. Food is a great way to get acquainted with a country. I asked for a restaurant and was told to go a couple of doors down the street.  A man  welcomed me, asked where I was from and if I was hungry. It was a BBQ restaurant so, I picked out a few kebabs and then he showed me to a table. He brought me a Myanmar beer and told me it was on the house since I was American. I thanked him and he told me how Obama's visit last November had made a positive impact on tourism. He explained that they hope Americans and western countries invest in Myanmar and the tourism will continue to grow. He also gave me his card with his cell phone number in case I had any problems while I was in Myanmar. The food was great and I had made another new friend. As I sat enjoying my meal, I noticed a load humming sound. I was in the middle of a city and it took me a second to register where the noise was coming from. Generators lined the streets and many businesses used them for backup when power was lost. The owner of the BBQ restaurant told me to be prepared for many blackouts in Myanmar.

There is another custom I read about that I was waiting to witness. Luckily, I did not have to wait long. I heard the kissing sounds as I sat waiting for my meal. No, it wasn't amorous teenagers! Ha ha!  In Myanmar, the kissing sound is used to get someone's attention. It is funny when you first hear it and then see it in action. The table behind me used it to get more beer, order food and get the check. Could I do this? How silly will it look and feel?  I decided to jump in and make the kissy sound and order a second beer. I giggled when I saw the look on his face. He smiled and came to my table and with another beer. The young boy, Shelly, said he wasn't expecting it from a tourist and told me he appreciated my willingness to use it to get his attention. This was fantastic! Another boy was sent to my table to fan me while I ate. I kept telling him he didn't need to but, his father insisted. What an experience on my first night in Myanmar! I thanked the man for his hospitality, paid my bill and said goodnight.

Over the next few days I explored many of the sights of Yangon. I started by walking around the city. It is a large city with constant traffic. The traffic jams seemed to be endless. People were packed into the city buses on their way about their daily activities. I thought I would go unnoticed but the people would see me, nudge a friend and point and smile. Obviously not too many tourists at this time of year. I quickly learned to say good morning in Burmese. Several people would walk up and say hello, ask what country I was from (they love American's here!) and then say "bye,bye!" Off they would walk. Some of the women would come up to me and point at my face and say something that I did not understand. I just smiled as I experienced the sites and sounds of this city. Women walk around the city balancing trays of food and produce on their head. Men in the longji's and buses packed full of people. My senses were overwhelmed, but I loved it!

I was intrigued with the beautiful British colonial buildings. There was one abandoned building that was gorgeous. I walked around and took pictures which seemed to attract the people. I finally found someone that spoke English and told me it was the building that General Aung San  was assassinated in 1947. I asked several people and got some mixed stories. I am not really sure but I loved the beautiful architecture and hope that it will be restored and used as a museum as one man told me.

My next stop was the Sule Pagoda. As I walked down the street, I saw the local bus stop and walked over to observe the scene. An old bus would pull up and a man would yell out to the people. I am guessing it was destinations. I was approached and asked where I wanted to go. I told them I was just watching and thanked him for his assistance. I wandered on to the park and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings.

Then, on to the river and past the Strand Hotel. A couple of girls tried to persuade me to go to their island to see how the village people lived. I could see a storm arriving and told them I would be back another day. It was getting late in the day and I was hot and tired. I returned towards the hotel and met with the man from the restaurant the night before. I decided to go in for a Myanmar beer. Shelly greeted me but all the tables were full. An Australian couple invited me to sit with them. I hit it off with Brad and Marilyn immediately. We laughed and shared our adventures from the day. As we were sitting in the restaurant, we noticed Shelly would even light a cigarette for you if you made a kissing sound. The service was fantastic. Shelly became our favorite waiter in town. Brad and Marilyn gave me some tips from their day exploring the city. I decided the next morning I was going to take the Circle train around the city and they insisted that I try Lucky 7 teahouse before we met up for dinner the next night.



Tomorrow I will take the ferry to Dalah Island, have lunch at Lucky 7 and finish the day with the Yangon circle train.