The rest of Myanmar...

Day 2: Bago

Bago is a city that is not very far from Yangon but can take hours to get there b/c of bad roads and traffic. Luckily the scheduled 3 hour drive only took 2 so we got to spend extra time at our first stop which was a monastery. The Buddhist monks are so beautiful with their dark Asian eyes, shaved heads and red robes. Every morning the monks go around to the villages and collect spoonfuls of rice which they put into their black bowls. Back at the monastery all the rice is dumped into large pots for it to be distributed equally during their second and finally meal of the day (which is around 11am or 12pm). The feeding of the 800 monks in this monastery is a process in and of itself. Whoever is available in the community comes and helps prepare the meals for the monks to earn merit (for their next life). Monks can’t cook anything b/c they cannot kill any of the organisms in the water, bugs in the food, or the actually plant itself, so they rely on the people that come. The people were young and old but all doing there various duties, from peeling, cutting, cooking, setting the table, etc. When its time to eat someone rings this huge bronze bell and the monks line up. Then they file past the rice pots where volunteers load their bowls with rice and proceed into the dining hall. Scriptures are read as they eat their meals of rice, duck eggs, coconut, potatoes, and other veggies.

After the monastery we proceeded to a replica of the golden palace from the 1700s. It was cool but so elaborate and big. By this time it was midday, and very, very hot and sunny. We visited a pagoda much like the Schwedagon in Yangon but not quite as glamorous. But the marble or whatever the floor was made of was soooooo hot to walk on. As our tour guide showed us around we went from one boadhi tree to another for relief from the scalding pavement and sun. After lunch we headed to another reclining Buddha. Nothing remarkable about this one but I did meet the coolest girl there. She was selling postcards and asked if I wanted to buy any. I replied no thank you and began to walk away when she followed me and started a conversation. I took the chance to find out how old she was (b/c she looked like she was 8 or 10 yrs old but was really 14), if she went to school, and since she didn’t how she learned English. She told me that she didn’t have a father, couldn’t go to school b/c she didn’t have the money, and learned English by talking to people. She in fact knew 9 other languages! I was so taken aback by this brilliant girl. She gave me 2 postcards as a gift b/c she said I was beautiful. I gave her a dollar for the postcards b/c I wanted to pay for them. She also had some old Myanmar coins that I bought from her for $3.
Next we went to a village not far from the reclining Buddha, and when the bus door opened there was my new friend again. I don’t know how she got their but she and many other hawkers/beggars that were at the Buddha were now at the entrance to the village. We walked and talked as I toured the village. We went to a cloth weaving shop and many people bout longyis (the traditional Burmese skirts that men and women wear). I continued to find out more about my new friend. I wanted to give her my address or get hers so I could write to her. I asked if she could read English. She said that she couldn’t read or write any languages. I was so flabbergasted that such an intelligent girl couldn’t read or write, but I guess if one is not able to attend school then one wouldn’t be able to. I realized how privileged I am to have been able to go to school, for free, and then to college. Schooling, along with freedom of speech isn’t a universal privilege. I am once again so thankful to be an American yet I feel so guilty that not everyone can enjoy the freedoms and dare I say it, luxury of going to school. To exasperate my feelings, on the way back to Yangon we passed another reclining Buddha that is being built. Our tour guide said something to the effect the govt would rather sponsor another Buddha then build schools for its children. On the way back to the bus, we passed a monk school, where families can send their boys to become monks b/c it is one of the only ways for them to get an education (and enough to eat in some cases). When it was time to depart from the village, I told my friend that if when I return to Myanmar, I would teach her to write. She asked me not to forget her… and quite honestly I don’t think I will ever.

On the way back to Yangon we stopped at the 4 sided Buddha pagoda and the World War II memorial. The memorial was absolutely beautiful but I still don’t understand why these soldiers ended up dying in Burma.

Day 3: Glass factory

Jesse and I snuck on the shuttle from the boat to downtown Yangon early the next morning. We had talked to some friends the night before and all decided to rent a room in Yangon instead of trying to make it back to the ship late at night again. We checked into the Central Hotel for $35 a night and our room was very nice. Even more, we had satellite TV (granted we couldn’t get many channels b/c of the govt) but we did get BCC, CNN, and MTV Asia. We settled in and then headed to the “glass factory.” I don’t know what I expected before but it was unlike anything I ever would have imagined. It was located in a woodsy, jungle area of Yangon. The set-up was a seedy, shed like shop and a roofed work area. One of the owners (there are 9 brother and sister owners)gave us a tour and showed us how they blow the glass, bake it and then polish it. It was very interesting but I couldn’t get over the piles upon piles of glass that they had lining the walk ways. Our guide told us we were welcomed to rummage through any of it and they would clean it up for us to buy. He also mentioned that the piles are how they store everything and if the items break then they just melt make them into something else.
I bought a few cool items, but Jesse went absolutely crazy buying three huge vases/bowls, plus matching glasses. I had to laugh when we walked back to the cab with 4 boxes full of glass.
Once back at the hotel we headed to the top floor where we enjoyed a hour foot massage and a hour back massage for $8. It was incredible and much needed.

Day 4: Practice for Vietnam
Early in the morning, we walked to the US Embassy hoping to talk to someone about life in the foreign service (I had spoken to a the consular onboard during preport and she invited me to stop by). But when we arrived the consular wasn’t there and another guy who would have talked to us had to go to a meeting… bummer but we’re going to try to go the Embassy in Vietnam.
Next we headed for the market for some practice for our “shopping experience” we anticipate having in Vietnam. We spent all day spending all of our money in the market. I bought some beautiful artwork of monks and of the marketplace (in the impressionist style). I also got a beautiful longyi (the traditional skirt of Myanmar). I splurged slightly and bought some loose blue and white sapphires. I originally was going to have them made into a ring in Vietnam but I think I am going to hold on to them and have them appraised when I get back. Once we ran out of money we snuck onto another shuttle back to the ship. The next morning dock time was at 11am so we just slept in and enjoyed the rest of the day!

Final thoughts on Myanmar…
Myanmar is so magnificent. If they didn’t have such a horrific govt, the place would be an awesome country to visit. Its called the “bejeweled pauper” b/c it is one of the most naturally endowed countries (teak wood, rubies, jade, rice), yet it ranks among the most undeveloped and poor nation in the world. I definitely don’t think that SAS should have gone there. There is just so much corruption and it is inevitable that you’ll support the govt no matter how hard you try. For me there is no reason that is not selfish to visit Myanmar. If you go b/c you want the “experience” then you do so at the expense of entire repressed population. And to me it is not worth the stamp in my passport.