An Introductory Tour to the Mysteries of Myanmar

When most Filipinos hear Myanmar, it's not surprising to be greeted with a puzzled expression. "Where's Myanmar? What's there to see?" It seems like Myanmar’s Tourism Ministry has a lot of work cut out for them. I couldn't blame my friends for their reaction upon learning I was headed to the Golden Land of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) as I never thought I would ever find myself flying there if it wasn’t for a friend who had just opened a travel agency there, RelishTours Myanmar.

Image Source: Cody Romano

As a show of support, I booked myself a flight via Singapore Airlines to try out my friend’s Yangon tour package with the help of one of my favorite illustrators, Ohn Mar Win, who fortuitously made a very beautiful illustrated map of Yangon (formerly known as Rangoon) before my trip commenced. I am happy to report that I visited everything shown on the map and even made some friends with the locals when I showed it to them, which became a point of discussion and orientation to their fascinating culture.

Photo copyright: Ohn Mar Win

I stayed for five days thinking that was enough but it turns out that they were too short especially with the first and last days ticked off for flight travel. So in just three days, I discovered what a lot of people who are either unfamiliar or unimpressed with Myanmar are missing.

Food

Before I left, I kept wondering and admittedly worried about the food. I had no idea what Burmese food was. I had never been to any Burmese restaurant nor seen any food shows featuring it. I only hoped that it wasn’t spicy.

The funny thing was when I asked my tour guide as well as my new-found friends in Myanmar about their food, they were unanimous about it being unsophisticated and very oily. For me, unsophisticated meant home-cooking and real, with no pretenses so that was no problem with me. And oily? Chinese and Filipino food are notoriously oily so my stomach can handle it!

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

I’m glad to report that it wasn’t as oily as it was made out to be (or maybe I’ve become inured to oily Asian food). I’m even more glad to report that Burmese food tastes so delicious! During my short stay there, I don’t remember not liking any local dish served to me. If I wasn’t told they were Burmese, I would think I was eating great Filipino, Thai and Chinese food.

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

The chicken tended to be a bit tough but not unlike our native chicken.

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

Their mango was something different though. I love mangoes and they’re my most favorite fruit. So during one breakfast buffet, my nose could tell there were mangoes but I couldn’t find them. My nose kept leading me to a plate that looked like sliced papayas to me. Turns out that their mangoes were the size of our small papayas and tasted like a sweeter version of Indian mangoes.

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

Of course, I had to try their local sodas which tasted like our own Royal Tru-Orange.

And being a true Asian society, there were a lot of street food vendors though I restricted my interaction with them to taking photographs as I was not that adventurous.

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

This one was very tempting with its coconut grates but like I said, I’m not that adventurous.

Aung San Suu Kyi

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

I told my Burmese friends that the only thing I knew about their country was Aung San Suu Kyi. So I had to visit her house that was made famous when she was put under house arrest for fifteen years. Aung San Suu Kyi is Myanmar's answer to Cory Aquino.

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

And this is it. We didn’t try our luck if we could enter as we were on our way to another destination.

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

On another day, we tried visiting Aung San Museum, her father’s house, but it was closed as it was a Monday. You know how museums are often closed on Mondays. We forgot about that so we just satisfied ourselves with taking pictures of the entrance.

Aung San is considered to be the Father of modern-day Burma.

Kyaiktiyo Pagoda

Four hours outside Yangon is Kyaiktiyo Pagoda or the Golden Rock.

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

Well, it was three hours from the city to Mon State and one hour of riding a truck up the mountains.

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

However, the truck only starts when every inch is filled up so the wait can take as long as thirty minutes---if you’re lucky.

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

If you’re worn out by the truck ride (which wasn’t really bad as it was windy and fun like a theme park ride) upon arrival, you can hire a local to carry you on his basket which has a small seat inside.

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

Or you can do a Cleopatra and be carried while reclining---all for a fee, of course.

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

The entrance to the Golden Rock….

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

…guarded on both sides by its local mythical creature, chinthe guard.

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

Every visitor needs to take off their footwear and walk around the pagoda barefoot as the place is considered very sacred by this Buddhist country. There’s a locker system to store your shoes at the entrance. And if you get caught in the rain, there are vendors at the truck station selling ponchos.

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

A replica of the Golden Rock.

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

And the real thing, perched seemingly precariously on top of another boulder.

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

Only men are allowed in certain areas.

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And most especially near the rock itself.

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

Bells with prayers and wishes surround the rock and the fence around it.

For more information on the Golden Rock, click here.

Shwedagon Pagoda

If you liked Kyaiktiyo Pagoda, you will surely marvel at the next one. No visitor to Yangon must miss this mother-of-all-pagodas -- a fantastic 2,500-year old place, which is almost surreal.  

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

You don’t need to be a Buddhist to be taken in by its beauty. After all, those are gold plates.

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

Like the Kyaiktiyo Pagoda, no footwear is allowed inside the premises. You leave them at the entrance safely stored at a numbered locker. 

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

The green mat is laid out as a pathway but I found it too rough on my feet. As I was there almost to midday, it was so hot that walking outside the mat brought more relief.

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

You can see the top of the pagoda where the hanging bells are through the free binoculars.

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

Other than the pagodas, there were interesting people and activities bustling around quietly.

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

Be very conservative and modest in your attire when you come visiting. If not, you will be provided with covering.

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

The best time to visit the place is at sunset and at night where it is all lit up but I had other plans so I just satisfied myself with its marvelous sight from my hotel window night after night.

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

As it was almost lunch time, there were a lot of people finding a free spot to have lunch with friends and family.

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

There was also free water offered with an attached cup.

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

For more information on Shwedagon Pagoda, click here.

People

When visiting a place, it’s always nice to observe the locals and how they are similar while at the same time appreciating the differences from what we are used to.

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

I’m sure you’re wondering what’s on their cheeks. It’s called thanaka, their local sunscreen.

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

They make the thanaka themselves by grinding a bark of a tree.

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

What I find interesting is that the use of sunscreen is part of their tradition, meaning that they already knew about the harmful effects of the sun before it became vogue. My tour guide remarked, “I’ve never seen any Burmese with sunspots and freckles like yours…”

Thank you, my dear tour guide! There goes your tip!

You know how it is when women sometimes have a hard time deciding what to wear---short skirt, long skirt, dress, shorts, capri, slacks, etc. whereas men have only two choices: shorts or pants. In Myanmar, I didn’t see any man wearing shorts but they are presented with two choices: pants or longyi (wrap-around).

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

I asked some men if there’s any particular reason why they would choose to wear a longyi over pants and one said, “More ventilation.”

Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN

I asked if they were wearing anything underneath and all I got was silence from the men and some giggles from the local women. I’m back in Manila and I still don’t know the answer to the mystery.

If you want to try out Yangon or any part of Myanmar, you can get in touch with Relish Tours Myanmar and tell them the Paranoid Traveler or Philippine Fight Network sent you!