Revisiting Myanmar – the difference a decade makes

by Jacques & Jeanine Prosper; Ballston Lake, NY

In the fall of 2002, we toured Myanmar, visiting Myitkyina, Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan, Kalaw, the Pindaya Caves and Inle Lake. We had a wonderful time.

We were so impressed by the natural beauty of the country, and the kindness, friendliness, gentleness and hospitality of the people, that we left Myanmar hoping to return.

Making plans

In June 2011, we decided to do just that. We contacted Ms. Chi Phuong To of All Asia Travel (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam), who promptly put together a September itinerary for us that included visits to two remote, colorful villages inhabited by special ethnic groups.

As we’re both at an age susceptible to medical emergencies, we decided to stay in large cities and take day trips to the neighboring areas. We chose Yangon, Mandalay and the new capital, Nay Pyi Taw, for our stays.

We wanted to see the modern Burmese architecture in the newly built capital, but three weeks prior to departure we were informed that foreigners were not allowed to stay in Nay Pyi Taw overnight, so we were limited to Yangon and Mandalay. The cost of our land tour was $1,435 per person*, which included deluxe accommodations, private car and driver, guides and entrance fees.

We booked our transpacific flight with Delta, flying from Detroit via Narita to Bangkok. We used our frequent-flyer miles to upgrade to business class in order to have a comfortable flight.

In Bangkok we stayed at the BS Residence Airport Apart-Hotel, which provided breakfast and shuttle service from and to the airport at the cost of $57 per night.

Getting settled

The following day we took an early flight on Bangkok Airways to Yangon, landing at the beautiful, newly built airport there. What a difference from 2002! There were no uniformed, armed soldiers in sight. We zipped out of Customs just by following the green line while our baggage was being x-rayed — no need to declare and register cameras as before, and laptops and cell phones were now being allowed into the country.

Once out of Customs, we found our guide, Win Min Aung (pwarwin@gmail.com) of Columbus Travel, the local operator, waiting for us. After the usual introductory salutations, we started the drive toward the city.

The scenery was somewhat different than what we remembered, with numerous new buildings and continuing construction.

Our guide was very talkative, telling us about his country — the past and the present — and showing confidence and hope in the future. This was in sharp contrast with the demeanor of the timid but practical guide we had in 2002.

Our hotel in Yangon was the ParkRoyal, centrally located in the business district. It was a beautiful hotel with all the amenities, including in-room WiFi.

Yele Pagoda

Because this was our second visit, we wanted to avoid “déjà vu.” We started with a trip to Thanlyin, 45 minutes from Yangon, to visit Yele Pagoda. We drove along a very nice country road, passing rice paddies, banana plantations and young teak trees (part of the reforestation effort). We saw children walking happily to school, and we stopped to give them pens and pencils.

Yele Pagoda is a small, beautiful pagoda built on an islet in the middle of the Bago River. As is every pagoda in Myanmar, it’s a little jewel, richly decorated with gold.

To reach it, we got on a small boat. Two little boys came to offer their help, rolling up the legs of our pants.

The pagoda was really beautiful. The entire complex is about 30 feet above the water, and a colony of fish swims below, waiting to be fed by the pilgrims.

Upon completion of our visit, we went back to the shore, where we found the two boys waiting to unfurl our pant legs. We tipped them generously.

Back in Yangon, we stopped at the Sky Bistro in the Sakura Tower to savor a glass of delicious mixed tropical fruit juice while enjoying a panoramic view of the city. It’s a great place for a relaxing lunch or dinner.

For lunch, our guide took us to a restaurant for typical Burmese cuisine. The menu was rich and expansive, with a long list of choices. With Win’s help, we settled for soup, a tray of assorted appetizers (at least seven) and three main dishes, plus mini desserts and a 16-ounce bottle of beer, all for $11. The food was delicious.

Shwedagon Pagoda

It is very hot in Yangon in September, so after lunch we went back to the hotel to relax. At 4 p.m. Win returned to take us to Shwedagon Pagoda. This precious religious center is the most important landmark in Yangon. It’s an impressive 2,500-year-old complex that is so well maintained, it looks as if it were recently built.

At the entrance, we removed our shoes as requested, then rode the elevator to the platform. Crossing the walkway leading to the pagoda, we could see the beautiful, manicured garden below.

Having been there nine years before, we didn’t expect to be so impressed again, but once we approached, our eyes popped, our mouths opened in awe and our cameras started to click. There was so much gold that it dazzled our eyes.

The main pagoda, 325 feet tall and built on an octagonal base, is part of a 100-acre complex full of stupas, shrines and pavilions. It’s a statement of the love, respect and devotion for the Buddha, relics of whom are enshrined there.

Like all the pilgrims, we began to walk clockwise around the stupa as our guide explained what we were seeing. After about 10 minutes, we climbed a few steps of one of the pavilions and sat down. From there, we could observe the pilgrims coming and going — a whole family with children in tow, a single man or woman or a couple — most carrying an offering of a candle, a little flag, flowers or a garland.

Win, with the skill of a good teacher, told us the history of the pagoda, briefing us on Buddha’s teachings as well. We were very fortunate to have had such a knowledgeable guide.

When the lights came on in the evening, it was the most beautiful spectacle, the colors changing over the pagoda, shrines and stupas.

Around Yangon

The following day we crisscrossed Yangon, visiting Botataung Pagoda, its interior walls being resurfaced with gold leaf; the Nanthida Jetty, watching the comings and goings of ferries; the must-see Bogyoke Market, full of mementos, jewelry, etc.; the Strand Hotel, where a rich art gallery in its annex was exhibiting modern Burmese art, and The Governor’s Residence, a beautiful teakwood house that is now a luxury hotel.

We also went to Kabar Aye Pagoda and Maha Pasana Cave. Unfortunately, both were closed.

We had the opportunity to see different townships of Yangon, plus its lakes (the Inya and Kandawgyi) and parks. There were beautiful, wide boulevards lined with lush green trees and colonial buildings.

Yangon has maybe the largest concentration of colonial buildings in Southeast Asia, representing both European-style architecture and a mix of Burmese and European. Some had been renovated and some were in the process of being refurbished.

That evening we enjoyed a nice cultural performance and dinner at the Karaweik Palace, a marvelous masterpiece of Burmese architecture and workmanship.

When we visited Yangon in 2002, we had the impression that the city was stagnant. This time we found a city that was well awake and moving forward.

Mandalay

After four days in Yangon, we flew to Mandalay, where we were welcomed by our guide, John Zaw Weik (john.zawweik@gmail.com), also of Columbus Travel. Mr. John is a very intelligent man who speaks English fluently and is very knowledgeable about Myanmar’s history and about Buddhist teachings.

Mandalay is still Mandalay, the cultural capital of Myanmar. Marble, woodcarvings, bronze castings, tapestries, gold leaf, jewelry — everything beautiful is still made in Mandalay.

The population had increased since our first visit, as had the number of cars and motorbikes. New housing developments and apartment complexes had been built, and more were under construction.

We visited Mahamuni Pagoda, where we remembered having applied some gold leaf to the Buddha image in 2002; now the thickness of the gold is 15 centimeters (almost six inches).

We also went to Mandalay Palace, a symbol of a glorious past. The complex, in fact, reminded us of the Forbidden City in Beijing. Most of it was destroyed during the Second World War, but the rebuilt section that we visited was impressive.

We also returned to see the world’s biggest marble book, housed in a forest of stupas at the foot of Mandalay Hill. Each stupa houses one page of Buddha’s teachings inscribed on a marble slab. We could not resist continuing up Mandalay Hill to enjoy the stunning panoramic view of the city and the plain.

We had a very appetizing lunch at the Blue Elephant, which was only a few blocks from our accommodations, the Sedona Hotel. Centrally located, the hotel was nice and offered all the amenities for a perfect holiday, including in-room WiFi.

Day-tripping

Upon the recommendation of our guide in Yangon, we decided to go to Maymyo (or Pyin Oo Lwin), about two hours from Mandalay. This quaint village on a mountain, about 3,500 feet above sea level, is a very scenic place, with an abundance of pine and eucalyptus trees; a mild climate; large colonial homes, and colorful horse-drawn carriages used as taxis.

Near Maymyo, there is a botanical garden with a very rich collection of plants. About eight miles north, Hampshire Falls (aka Pwe Kauk Falls) is very beautiful and is surrounded by an outdoor market where local products and produce are sold. The bathers in variously colored swimsuits against the foaming white water and surrounded by the green landscape created the most beautiful picture.

Not too far from Maymyo, there is a beautiful temple, built fairly recently, called the Pagoda of the Reluctant Buddha. Our guide shared the amazing story behind its construction.

A temple in Yunan, China, had ordered three massive Buddha statues from Mandalay. The truck carrying them to China had an accident near Maymyo, and one of the three statues fell off the truck. All attempts to put it back failed. Then the truck driver said he had a dream that the Buddha told him that he did not want to go to China.

A local monk built the pagoda to house the Buddha, naming it Maha Ant Htoo Kan Thar Paya, or the Pagoda of the Reluctant Buddha.

Our visit to Mandalay, although short, was very informative and memorable.

Myanmar is a fascinating country to visit. Its natural beauty, its proud people and its culture all make it attractive to travelers.

During our visit, we found the people to be very friendly; they seemed more relaxed and more prone to interact than before.

Once more we left Myanmar with the hope to return.

*CORRECTION (August '12 issue): In the print version of this article, Jacques and Jeanine Prosper cited a land-only price of $1,435 for their tour. It should have been noted that this was the price per person, based on two people traveling for the nine days (the larger the group, the lower the per-person price). — Editor