Moustaches in Mandalay

Mandalay. Mandalay is another stop on the tourist circuit in Myanmar. Located in the geographic center of the country, the surrounding area is home to several ancient capitals. The city itself was once a major center for the British empire in Myanmar and is now experiencing a flood of Chinese influence which can be seen in new buildings and cuisine. We decided to check it out.

We began our journey by bus from Pagan to Mandalay. The journey took about 8 hours and our bus only broke down once. Pictured above are some of our fellow passengers trying to cool the bus off.

Though Pagan was excruciatingly hot, Mandalay for some reason seemed even hotter. Here is Max sweating so much. We arrived in the afternoon and decided to grab some tea at a local tea shop. In Myanmar, tea shops are found everywhere and are a place for hanging out and passing the time for many unemployed men.

There are a couple of tourist guesthouses in Mandalay. This was the road to one. We learned that if a street is getting repaired in a city, it is usually the undertaking of the citizens who live on that block and not the government's responsibility. Apparently the inhabitants of this street had spent years saving money to rebuild their road and the project had just begun.

Here is Max with Par Par Lay of the famous "Moustache Brothers Comedy Troupe." The Moustache Brothers consist of a group of three brothers: U Par Par Lay, U Lu Zaw, and Lu Maw. Lay and Zaw were imprisoned for 7 years to a labor camp for their politically volatile routine performed at Aung Sung Suu Kyi's house in the lead up to the 1996 elections. According to the Lonely Planet, the Lady reportedly enjoyed the show and laughed uproariously at the famous screwball routine. The Moustache Brothers used to tour the country, performing their routine at weddings, festivals, and local ceremonies. Nowadays the government has confined their performances to their tiny house and it is only legal for foreigners to attend the nightly routine. And attend they do. The Moustache Brothers are a "must see" attraction in Mandalay.

A Photo of the Moustache Brothers and The Lady is proudly displayed on the wall of their home/performance space. Located in the southern quarter of Mandalay, The Moustache Brothers provide one of the few chances for tourists to see traditional Burmese dance and comedy in this once thriving theater district.

Par Par Lay was most recently arrested in 2007; it was rumored that he was involved in an antiques smuggling operation, but this is unconfirmed. The brothers simply state that he was arrested and most foreigners assume it was once again because of dissident political activity. Though we were initially really excited to see this performance because of their outstanding hype and the knowledge that they continue to speak out against the government, we came away with mixed reactions. First of all the show is painfully unfunny and very awkward to watch. Secondly, the show costs about 8000 Kyat each which is $8. The price doubled in 2 years, and before that the show used to be free. Though in the States an $8 show would be a steal, in Myanmar it is extremely expensive. We began to wonder whether or not the Moustache Brothers had to pay off the same government that they mock so openly. We were also really confused as to how the operation continues under the nose of the SPDC, considering the government has arrested these members many times and knows where they live and what they do. What is clear is that they are capitalizing on tourists' desire to help democracy activists for better or for worse.

Picture removed for subject's security

Our friend, who shall remain nameless just in case an SPDC member figures out how to use a computer. Our friend, who we will call Alex was a cycle rickshaw driver that Kara met at a tea shop the first morning we arrived to Mandalay. He struck up an interesting conversation and Kara and him clicked. He asked if we wanted to meet the next day to hang out and we agreed. It was the best decision we made in Mandalay, for he taught us so much from small Burmese phrases to the cost of rent for an average citizen. For example, Alex's rent is about $19/month. It increased by $5 in the last year which has been extremely difficult for him. He makes approximately $3/day on a good day. He can eat for about $2/day. He is also trying to put his daughter through school, and must support his grandfather who lives with him and is too old to work. His wife was not in Mandalay at the time that we became friends as she had returned to her village to ask her parents for a loan. Alex never asked us for anything and gave us all he could. He is also very open with how his life had been directly affected by the regime. Alex is a kind hearted and extremely intelligent person. Here we are after wandering around on our first day.

Alex took us to the riverfront which is essentially a shanty town. Goods are floated in from the northern states such as charcoal, timber and sugarcane.

These guys REALLY wanted Kara to take their picture. Here they are, moving barrels of raw sugarcane off the barge onto the main land.

When we first saw these barrels we thought it was sewage or something. Alex quickly explained to us that this is raw sugarcane.

Small street children and local kids living in the shanty towns collect over spilt sugarcane throughout the day from the ground. We assume they resell it or use it themselves for cooking.

Can you imagine eating this?

We did, but after it was thoroughly boiled. Alex lives in a sugarcane factory complex, which sounds very large but is actually just 2 big sheds. Alex took us back to his house and factory area where we saw what happens with the sugarcane after it leaves the barge. Seen above is the cooling process which takes place after the sugarcane is boiled.

Then a small assembly of workers, seen here, pull the cooled sugarcane into large, ropey bundles. The women cut and pack the sugarcane into the final product that is then sold to villages in the area.

Standing over the bridge near Alex's house, we looked down at the water (seen above) and found it difficult to take in the harsh reality of our new friend's life. He explained to us why he had become a cycle rickshaw driver. He used to work in a newspaper printing press back in the 80s, but then was fired along with the whole publication when the government (then known as the SLORC) banned independent publishing. He was unable to find another job for almost three years and finally resorted to the backbreaking and low paying work of cycle rickshawing. There are thousands of cycle rickshaw drivers in Mandalay with similar stories and equally grim challenges to face everyday. Competition is fierce and fares are very low. He used to be able to support his family and even make trips to Thailand less than 20 years before. He showed us pictures of a better time, when his face was full and healthy looking.

After lunch, Alex took us to Maxwell hill. Remember Maxwell hill in Malaysia? Same guy. The path up the hill is paved with steps and leads to a nice panorama of the city and countryside. Along the way are several giant Buddhas, each one larger than the last. Here is the final big Buddha.

More Buddhas. The next day we met Alex again to explore some more. This time we rented bikes and followed Alex's lead throughout the chaotic traffic This is the Mahamuni temple where Mandalay's most famous and most gold covered Buddha image resides. It has been gold leafed so many times that it's surface is no longer smooth but bubbly under a froth of devotional decoration. The image is particularly holy for Burmese from the Rohingya state. The temple also houses several statues that were stolen by the Khmers (Ancient Cambodians) and then stolen back by ambitious Burmese raiders several centuries later.

Outside the main viewing area of the Buddha lies a collection of images from a major SPDC visit to the shrine. Seen here is General Than Shwe, current dictator of this military junta. The generals are very conspicuous in their contributions, spending millions of kyat building and decorating temples throughout the country. As one article in the Irrawaddy opines they are following an ancient merit making tradition whereby Burmese kings built temples to atone for the wars and destruction they had caused. In addition to metaphysical motivations, the merit making goes a long way in securing political support from the devout population.

Later that day we rode out to the ancient capital of Amanpura, which ended up being a 15 km away. The scenery was beautiful riding out there; watching the city life slowly change into small villages lining the dirt road was a highlight of the trip. Kara stopped for a while to watch the water buffalo walking along the banks of the river while Max and Alex rode toward the oldest and longest teak bridge in the world.

We walked on the teak bridge along with monks, other tourists, and locals who all came to enjoy the sunset and serene view.

It was really hard saying goodbye to Alex. We will never forget him and hope to come back to visit him in different circumstances. We gave him a copy of Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" to read in hopes of giving him inspiration that desperate labor conditions can, do, and indeed MUST change. If you are reading this and are thinking about going to Myanmar, we would like to get you in touch with Alex. He is one of the most amazing people we met during our time here.

We left Mandalay with a more complete picture of every day life of the Myanmar people and our hearts were all the more heavy for it.
To Alex, we will never stop thinking about you.
Kara and Max

Bagan: Forced Pilgrimage

Bagan. The most pagodas you will ever see in your life. Once the capital of the Burmese empire, Bagan's rulers were fanatic temple builders. It is probably the most visited tourist site in all of the country, and for a good reason. It rivals Angkor in its scale and architectural grandeur. Although the golden era of the Burmese kings was short lived, these monuments have stood the test of time. In stark ideological contrast to Angkor, the temples of Bagan are constantly being repaired and rebuilt. This has its advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, these temples are active places of worship and the repairs allow them to remain so. Also, the visitor gets to see the temples in how they were "meant to be seen." Conversely, it takes away from the mystique and romance of falling apart, unmaintained buildings. We loved it both ways. Welcome to Bagan, where all you can do is see temples.

Getting to Bagan from Yangon is a pretty straightforward route. It was the nicest road in the country for the first 12 hours. The brand new highway has been routed to restrict tourist interaction with locals to the bare minimum required. We saw no villages, a few people for the majority of the drive. The last 3 hours was perhaps the bumpiest of our tour in Myanmar. We guess the government hasn't gotten to the last section yet.

On the way our bus broke down, naturally. An hour into our two hour delay, we learned that it was the A.C. unit that was causing the trouble. The foreigners were more than happy to open the windows and get on the road, but the locals who had paid extra for the A.C. were willing to wait for it to get fixed. Needless to say, we ended up with windows after the third break down. Along the way we saw this snake farm. Thousands of snakes are packaged in tarp lined wooden crates and sent to China for god knows what purpose. Here the proprietor sorts the larger ones from an open crate.

Soda! In a bag! Soda in a bag. That's right, why buy a bottle when a bag is twice as fun and almost free.

We arrived in Bagan at like 4:30 am. At the bus station there was a group of horse and buggies waiting to take people to their next destinations. Kara didn't want to take the horse because she's Kara and doesn't like to see animals working. After realizing we would have to walk very far with our packs to our hotel, we got in the buggy. Here is the town around 5am. Burmese wake up early.

We slept the whole day and did some other sightseeing with obnoxious Euro centric Canadians and Germans who don't deserve to be on the blog. However, we did end up seeing these people throughout the rest of our journey in Myanmar. Oh well. What we did with them, if you are curious, is ride up a mountain to go see a large Buddha. The next day, we woke up and rented bikes, prepared to ride around the Bagan Archaeological Heritage Site. Here is Kara in front of the first temple that we saw on our ride out. We can't remember the name but it is one of the oldest in Bagan and the archetype for the majority of the pagodas in Myanmar including Shwedagon in Yangon. (see last post)

The landscape for as many kilometers as the eye can see is dotted with temples. It is estimated that there are over 4,000 temples, pagodas, stupas and monasteries in the Bagan area dating back to the 9th century, though the majority of the temples were built during 1000-1200 AD. Knowing our tendency to linger at historic sites and religious monuments, we tried to be timely so we could see as much as possible. We only probably made it to about 10 or 15 monuments the first day.

Kara riding away from Dhammayangi Temple, the most massive temple in Bagan, built in 1165. By the way, its SO hot. You can't really imagine how hot it is, but maybe go sit in a sauna for a while. A dry one.

Max and Kara couldn't find each other at this stupa. In a notable architectural quirk, the base of the stupa is shaped like a pentagon instead of a traditional square or octagon. Maybe this contributed to the confusion.

Max looking out.

Inside Htilominlo. Outside all significant monuments you will find a group of children selling either George Orwell's "Burmese Days" or asking you for foreign currency to trade. The most popular temples are surrounded by small market places with sand paintings, crafts, and cold drinks. It was at Htilominlo that we struck up a conversation with one of the painters there. We were initially concerned that he would eventually end our chat with asking us to buy some of his paintings, but it turns out he just wanted to talk. After touring around the temple that he works at together, he asked if it would be ok to follow us to some other temples on his bike. After some hesitation about his intentions, we agreed. On this trip many people pretend to be our friends and then end up asking us to buy something or give them money. Our friend, who we will call John for his protection, was not like this at all. He was stellar, sweet, and also knew the best temples to check out. We later learned after hanging with him for some days that we were the first tourists that he had ever approached as friends.

John and Max at Ananada temple, which is considered to be the most beautiful in Bagan. The design of the larger temples was clearly intended to make the best use of the natural light, creating serenely lit passages and prayer spaces with surprising skill and subtlety.

Sitting in the corridors of one temple, John sheepishly approached the subject of politics by pulling out some discontinued currency, pictured above. The old Kyat used to feature portraits of Boygoye Aung Sun, the father of Aung Sung Suu Kyi and leader of the revolutionary independence movement. Although he is still officially considered a hero by the SPDC and democracy activists alike, the current regime apparently felt it unwise to keep his face on the national currency.

The day continued on like that: lots of temples and pagodas and a little hushed politics in between. Here is outside Ananada Temple. To walk in any Buddhist temple, you must remove your shoes. This was no surprise to us, but the Burmese are particularly gung-ho on shoe removal way before entering the temple complex. Thus, at Ananada in the scorching heat, we felt our feet might burn off.

Seeking shade under this tree, we found various Buddhas dedicated to days of the week.

Picture removed for subject's security

John said he knew a great temple to watch the sun set, so we followed him to one nameless temple. We decided we all liked each other a lot and would meet the next day for dinner. Or sunset. There was a little bit of a language problem, more on this confusion later....

After schlepping around on our bikes the whole first day in 100+ heat, Max decided that a horse and carriage was in order. The night before we had eaten at a vegetarian restaurant outside of Anananda temple. The owner of the restaurant was a kind hearted and outspoken vegetarian who we felt would treat his horse well. The next day we arranged for him to take us to the far away temples of Bagan.

That horse ride was shaky and so are many of Kara's photos. The large temple in the middle is Htilominlo (where we met John.)

Bagan is some flat land. In between temples you can find fields still being cultivated by the local population. The major crop here is peanuts, which we loved. Above, a farmer herds his cows through the dry heat to his farmland. Unlike Yangon, the rains hadn't hit Bagan yet. We were there just before the monsoon, when the farmers were preparing the harsh, clay-like terrain for the coming shower.

Walking up through a passage to the top of a temple. Many of the temples came with full rooftop access, allowing for beautiful views. Max loved walking through these passages, feeling a sense of excitement as they seem to be secret tunnels from a time forgotten.

Demon like creature protecting the inner sanctum.

We really liked this rooftop and did some "hot" yoga here. Take that, Bikram.

Along the way we stopped in a small village community who sells most of their handwoven clothes to various parts of the country. Here Kara learned how to spin cotton into thread. Later this old lady pulled out the largest cigar we have ever seen and smoked it. She gave one to Kara. We later learned that old women traditionally smoke these "cigars." These huge cornhusked wrapped things are said to be very mild, but we aren't sure what that's in comparison to.

Big Buddha Hand.

So, the day before we had arranged to meet John for dinner or temple sunset-watching. We missed the part about the sunset and he had been waiting for us at his temple for a long time before giving up and going home. Finally we learned that he had left after speaking with some people at the temple and we rode the 1.5 hr bike ride to his house, nervous that we had committed a serious faux-pas. To our delight, John and his lovely family were understanding of the communication issue and welcomed us into their house with open arms. John's wife prepared the best meal we had in Myanmar, completely vegetarian and delicious. Though it was painfully obvious that they have hardly any money to live, the helpings were extremely generous and they treated us like family. Though the majority of the conversation was in strained English/Burmese, we understood each other perfectly well. John's brother caught word, along with the rest of the village, that we had arrived. He came over after dinner and drilled us for information about the outside world. He spoke very good English and seemed to be very informed about his own government and its doings. Many people listen to BBC Radio at nighttime and are very proud to tell us about it, including John and his family. The BBC Radio is broadcast in Burmese and has a basic English teaching program as well. Obviously this activity is illegal but surprisingly wide spread.

After dinner, John's wife noticed that Kara was still sweating, even though it had been hours since the sun had set. Here she is, applying Kara's first Tanaka. Tanaka is a mix between facepaint (makeup) and sunscreen. It serves to keep you cool in the daytime, keeping your skin free from prickly heat and zits. It also absorbs your sweat and makes your skin so smooth. In addition, tanaka is applied as temporary body art/makeup. The designs can get quite intricate, however a standard tanaka look is two circles or squares on the cheeks. Tanaka is made from the bark of a special tree. Some women choose to use the bark itself, which must be ground on a special stone with water. Others use a "ready made" tanaka/sandlewood mix which requires less effort and is available in a soap-like block. Kara and Max are convinced this is the best makeup ever. Kara bought dozens to bring home and is setting up a Tanaka camp for Burning Man next year.

Picture removed for subject's security

The entire family, consisting of 5 people eat, sleep and relax in the small space on which we are seated. A quarter of their very humble house is dedicated to a shrine honoring their ancestors and the Buddha. While we would use this space to put someone else for sleeping, they hold it sacred to the gods. We left that night very late from their house, tummies full and hearts happy. Later on the trip we met some cool Brooklynites who we sent to meet John's family. We were delighted to learn that their meeting was also a successful one. We hope to meet them again when we return to Myanmar one day. We have the telephone number of Htilominlo temple...all we are supposed to do is ask for "John." If anyone is heading that way, please contact us. Apparently this system works.

After three days of temple-ling, we were ready to move on. It is perfectly possible to fly into Bagan, stay in a 5-star hotel, and tour the temples by taxi learning much about Myanmar's past and nothing about its present. But as we learned, Bagan is more than just an ancient capital; it is a thriving community with people who are very concerned with Myanmar's future.

P.S. a note on the title: Forced Pilgrimage. We didn't realize it at this point in our trip, but in order to go anywhere or see virtually anything in Myanmar, we must visit a temple, pagoda, shrine, or stupa. This is because every natural phenomenon, beautiful place, or city has at least one, if not 10,000 Buddhist shrines. Hence, even though we did not intend to, we ended up on a serious Buddhist Pilgrimage for about 6 weeks. We guess we must have made a lot of merit.

Signing off for now,
Max and Kara

Myanmar (Burma) in Many Parts.

Myanmar. The only way to legally enter the country (for more than a visa run) is by flying. Even though we were only 6 km from the border at Mae Sot, Thailand, we had to take a bus to Bangkok and then fly to Myanmar from there. After our three week crash course in Burmese politics, we were excited to "go inside," as the NGOs put it. There is a mixed opinion throughout the pro-democracy movement on whether or not tourists should visit Myanmar. Aung Sung Suu Kyi herself in one of her last public addresses in 2006 specifically asked for tourists not to come in that year, stating that tourists would be supporting the military government's "Visit Myanmar 2006" campaign and the forced labor it employed. In that year, thousands of citizens were forced to rebuild and refurbish the tourist sites, fix and build roads, and "clean-up" the homeless areas of Yangon and Mandalay. We don't know how The Lady (the Burmese code word for the Nobel Prize winning activist) feels about tourism at this time because she is not allowed to communicate with the outside world. Some activists also point out that in order to visit Myanmar, you must give at least some money to the SPDC in the form of visa fees, hotel taxes, and entrance fees even if you avoid the government run hotels and package tours. In spite of this we decided to go in for several reasons: First of all, even though some of our money did go to the SPDC, the vast majority of it went to the taxi drivers, restaurants, independent hotels, snack sellers, boat owners, bus drivers, and crafts people that we patronized while there. Secondly, most of the population of Myanmar is already rigidly severed from the outside world. When tourist visit we bring news, ideas, and encouragement as well as US dollars (the only currency you can exchange in Myanmar). Also, when we leave we bring news ideas and inspiration from the Myanmar people to the outside world. Lastly, the money and political legitimacy contributed to the SPDC by tourist pales in comparison to the millions of dollars made in trade with China, India, Russia, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, France, etc. The complacency of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) of which Myanmar is a member is far more significant in legitimizing the Military Junta than the presence of a few hundred tourists. Since when does tourism imply support for a government anyway?

So in we went. We weren't sure what type of military presence we would encounter, how restricted our movements would be, or what type of conversations people would be willing to have with us. By the time we left we were certain we had made the right decision. So many people were excited and willing to talk to us. So many people need the tourist dollars to survive. And we learned, saw, and felt what was really happening in Myanmar. Our Burmese friend in Yangon said it is good what they are doing in Mae Sot, but to truly know what is happening, you have to come here for yourself. Above is our first view of the area around Yangon. As usual, we followed the monsoon and arrived on depressingly grey morning, adding to our already grim perception of this troubled metropolis.

We arrived to our hotel in the morning. We experienced our first power outage within the first hour of getting there. Before the outage, we turned on the TV, a rather novel amendment for us. We usually try and stay in the cheapest rooms possible which means no TV, no AC and usually no shower. However in Myanmar, strict government regulations of the tourist industry (even in independent hotels) require a level of comfort we weren't used to, including this TV. After flipping through the channels, we were startled to see DVB (Democratic Voice of Burma) was one of the four stations we received. The DVB is a independent media outlet made up of exiled Burmese journalists and their TV station is broadcast via satellite from Norway. We were shocked to find that we could watch this blatantly subversive station in our hotel, as we assumed its censorship would be strictly enforced by the SPDC. Though we could watch it any time in our room we noticed that during the daytime, the owners of our hotel would watch the state run TV station MRTV (Myanmar Radio and Television), yet after hours, when the main doors of the hotel were secured, the lobby TV was always tuned to the DVB. This was indicative of the political atmosphere of Myanmar during our stay: As soon as we were alone with someone or it was clear that no government officials were around, Burmese people wanted to talk politics. We never once initiated political conversations knowing that if we were overheard, the person we were talking to could get in serious trouble. However every day without fail, we would have conversations with people who approached us wanting to talk about anything from hard politics to the standard of life outside of their country.

Satellites everywhere. Many people told us that since the government officially moved the administrative capital to Naypyidaw (a newly created city in the middle of the country) that there have been fewer government officials on the streets and that the atmosphere is more relaxed. We have a hard time believing that the government would leave such a culturally and strategic city "unguarded," so to speak, but then again the SPDC is known to be stupid and irrational. Basically, we aren't sure if these satellites are the legal government approved ones or a sign of the "lax" government presence in the city.
On an architectural note, Yangon is home to Soviet-era Eastern European block apartments that are well made but poorly maintained. Yangon looks like a modernist dream project that has been beaten up, badly. This was a surprise to us as we weren't sure whether we were going to see a shanty town or a colonial relic. It was clear that Yangon used to be a prosperous city under British rule. To make clear, we aren't condoning colonialism here, but were shocked to see the state of disrepair in which Yangon exists. We were expecting to see a city that was very slowly stumbling on the way to modernism; what we found was exactly the opposite. Yangon seems to be slowly walking into the past. However, with some new paint, new roads, and serious electrical work, Yangon could be this modern, international city.

Sewage problem. There is sewage all over the streets of this city. These are the worst roads we have ever seen, ever. If you don't look down while walking, you are sure to fall in either an open sewer, or twist your ankle. The many sidewalks look like jackhammers have been taken to them, or that a large scale earthquake has shaken the town. The grey matter shown above is regularly dredged from the gutters and piled on the street, only to be returned there in the next eminent rain.

Communication breakdown. Here is Kara using a local payphone. People sit on the street with a home telephone on a table and charge for local calls. International calls are not possible. All phones are monitored by the government. A note on mobile phones in Myanmar: They are few and far in between. A sim card costs at least $2000 USD, not including the service fees. Yes, that's not a typo, $2000. The only people who own cell phones are the very very rich and government officials, usually the two are the same or connected. International cell phones and sim cards don't work here. Forget about Skype.

Local bus in town. This is one of the newer models. We saw many buses from the 50s and 60s and a rare few that could have been the 40s or earlier throughout town.

The sidewalks of Yangon are crowded with generators of various sizes. The power stays on for no more than 5 non-continuous hours on a good day. The whole city is run on private generators and candlelight. It is unbelievable. Yangon: The largest city in the country and no electricity. Myanmar has more than enough resources and power plants to provide electricity for its citizens, but instead they sell it to Thailand and China. The power cuts have been getting worse as more electricity is diverted away from the cities to new factories dedicated to cheap exports.

Shwedagon Pagoda. The first of literally thousands of pagodas that we would see throughout the country. The country's official religion is Buddhism and the majority of the people are very devout. Shwedagon is the pride of the city, something like Yangon's Eiffel Tower. It is completely covered in gold and is topped by a globe of diamonds and gems. "Shwe" means gold in Burmese.

Shwedagon is the largest tourist attraction in Yangon and a regular hangout for both locals and tourists.

Kara can't handle the rain. It literally rained the whole time we were in Yangon. But it didn't stop us from exploring the city. Some general shots:

Burmese bananas on top of Burmese newspaper. You can see that the script looks like a series of circles in various forms. Fascinating.

A lot of people feed pigeons and other street animals to make merit, a Buddhist concept that is found throughout SE Asia. Merit can be described as "good karma."

Beetle nut. Although beetle nut has been available in all of the countries we have visited in SE Asia, we never experienced it on quite the same scale as we did here. Almost every man we saw or met chews this stuff. We remarked to each other, "People chew beetle nut here like they smoke cigarettes in Indonesia." (See Dec-Feb.) The beetle nut produces a lush red spit that seemingly covers every square inch of the country.

You can get anything tailored or fixed here. Kara got her anklet fixed here on "silver street," which is a line of closet sized storefronts.

Street food is everywhere. Tasty, but the absolute dirtiest we have ever found. The cuisine of Myanmar is delicious mix of Indian, Thai, Bangladeshi, and local fare. With the low tables and stoves, it really IS street food. The four main blocks of downtown Yangon are almost un-walkable because they are completely covered with markets and street vendors. You'll never go hungry in this country, but you might feel more than a little sick. Above are some of our favorite street food: name not known-- corn veggie pancakes with coconut shavings on top. Only mild stomach indigestion afterwards.

60s? 70s? No. This movie billboard is from a new Bollywood release. It seems movies make it 6 months to a year later than most Asian countries. Bollywood movies are popular next to local Myanmar productions. Occasional Hollywood blockbusters can be found in the main cinema, such as "The Incredible Hulk," and "Fast and Furious 4."

Meat and fish market. Also on the street.

Jews! Yes, your eyes haven't failed you. That's Hebrew written above the entrance of Yangon's Jewish Synagogue. This Synagogue used to be home to the many Jewish families (mostly from Iraq and surrounding areas) who lived in Yangon from the 1800s to the 1950s. At one point the Jewish community numbered some 1,500 people. These Jews originally migrated to Myanmar looking for better business opportunities, religious freedom and British citizenship. Ironically they left for many of the same reasons during the Myanmar's chaotic struggle for independence. Nowadays there are about 8 families who remain.

We walked to the Synagogue in the middle of the day to find a Muslim man watching over it. It was closed until the evening and it was Friday night. We assumed we would come back and go to a Sabbath service. Unfortunately the community is too small to have services, as 10 men must be present to make a minion, (the smallest unit possible for prayer.) High Holidays such as Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are some of the only occasions in which the Synagogue can serve its purpose when enough traveling Jews and members from the Israeli and American consulate can attend. The rest of the year, the Synagogue serves a historic building and a museum of sorts. We spoke with the caretaker of the temple, Moses for quite some time. His son is currently studying and working at Yeshiva University on Broadway in New York. Right next to NYU, where Kara went. What a small world. Max wants to say "Go No!" If you know what that means you're Jewish, or you are Max's Dad.

Max eating at our favorite Indian restaurant in Myanmar. Kara still thinks it was a Nepali restaurant, but the staff denied it. Maybe they are crypto Nepalis.....

We learned about a hand blown glass factory in Yangon and decided to check it out. Though this looks like somewhere in the jungle, this is still in the heart of the city. We arrived at a barn like structure that had been destroyed by Cyclone Nargis in 2008. This was the first time we realized how hard hit Yangon was by the cyclone, as most of the international media attention focused on the south of the country. We spoke with the owner of the factory, who was a sweet older woman. Their furnace has been destroyed by falling trees and now their entire livelihood depends on the sale of their already created pieces as they can not afford a new kiln to make new work.

Luckily they have a warehouse full of beautiful pieces of glass from kitchy paperweights to unique and elegant wine carafes and martini glasses. We reserved some things and told them we would pick them up on the way back. (We did eventually pick them up and sent them to America....does anyone from 355 Humboldt know if the package came?)

No, this isn't Shwedagon Pagoda above, but rather ANOTHER gold clad pagoda in the center of town.


As tourist travel in the country is severely limited to a couple of cities and towns, we knew we would be coming back through the hub of Yangon many times. After finding our bearings and collecting some information about where and what we could see in the country, we left for Pagan. Our initial plan was to stay in Myanmar for 3 weeks, the first couple focusing on tourist attractions and a classic itinerary of Pagan, Mandalay, and Inle Lake. Later, we would see how far we could get off the beaten track without being deported. We brought in enough money to last us for the three weeks, a months tops. A side note about money in Myanmar: there are NO ATMS in the country. There is no way to get money from your bank as soon as you enter the country, with the exception of 2 hotels in Yangon who do credit card advances for about 10-30% commission with an unfavorable exchange rate. All international banks pulled out of the country following the US sanctions imposed by Bush. Not only do you need to bring in all the money that you want to spend in cash, but it must be in new, crisp, unfolded, perfectly smelling and clean US Dollars. If there is the slightest rip or imperfection in your dollar, it will not be exchanged. This is in sharp contrast to the Burmese Kyat, which is literally the most disgusting, smelliest, torn and tattered money in the world. If you took a USD, ran it through a washing machine, shat on it, and then used it to wash your car, it MIGHT look like a typical Kyat. Burmese Kyat is like this for many reasons; we will show you some bills when we get home. The bills are a visual representation of both the incompetence of the government and the daily filth in which the general public must live. We were constantly pissed off at exchange bureaus for meticulously inspecting our currency and then handing us their stacks of rags. 1 USD is equivalent to about 1000 Kyat on the black market. Seeing as we were in Bangkok before we left, it was extremely difficult to secure these perfect bills to bring into the country. We managed, but like we said, only enough to last us for a month. We ended up staying for 6 weeks..... See how we make it in the next posts....
K and M