seeing burma the slow way

it's hard to describe myanmar in a few sentences... as peter has pointed out it's a complex country with a long history.
what struck me maybe most is how very friendly, openminded + welcoming the burmese people are. the living standard of the average burmese is very low compared to that of many other countries around. very few people own cars + those you see are dented old models that have been on the road for a long time. most people get by with their old bicycle or the ox-cart, or if they are more successful financially they might drive a moped. the only new cars we saw (apart from government vehicles) were the tourist busses that are operated for the package tourists + ply the few well maintained stretches of road between any official tourist site + the nearest airstrip. since all land travel is slow + bumpy most tourists on a 1-week-tour jet from yangon to mandalay, take the tourist-cruise along the irrawaddy to bagan + from there jet to inle lake before the flight back to yangon. undoubtedly, you will see a lot of beautiful places this way; however, you probably won't mingle much with the average burmese. also, a big chunk of your tourist dollars will find their way into the pockets of the government which heavily taxes these package tour establishments.

another way of seeing myanmar is to take time + join the locals on old dented minibusses that pack an incredible amount of people, live stock + goods, or squeeze onto a hard wooden bench on a truck bed among families, monks + nuns; the young guys usually prefer to stand on the ledge or ride on the roof amidst boxes, crates + baskets. it's not the most comfortable mode of traveling, it's invariable very slow because of numerous stops to pick up more + even more passengers, but it's an excellent way of meeting people + making friends.

on the s-l-o-w train down from the shan hills we got to sample many local delicacies that were offered by our fellow travelers + in turn we shared the cookies + fruit we had packed for the ride. another day we spent tuckering along on a ferry through the canals in the irrawaddy delta watching the rural life on the shore. the only way to get back was on the back bench of a crowded bus that rattled along the pot holes tossing us about. a young muslim scholar insisted on offering us his seat so we wouldn't hit the roof standing in the aisle.

wherever we went we were greeted with hospitality, curiosity + lots of giggles. the further away from the tourist tracks the broader the smiles. burmese are gentle + beautiful people, nobody seems to be in a hurry + nowhere did we hear harsh words. considering that the media are still censored + foreign books are hard to come by - as foreign products in general (no mcdonald's or starbucks here!)- burmese are surprisingly well informed about the world + politics outside myanmar. everywhere we went people came up to chat or just practice there english, yet open criticism is not the burmese way. the local head of the "national league for democracy" that we talked to acknowledged cautiously that equality + freedom are still far off, that it is only a small percentage of people who benefit from the package tourists, but welcomed us with a smile + assured us that he wants foreigners to visit + see his beautiful country + support their plea for more openness by sharing our appreciation + concern with our friends + family back home.

most burmese men + women wear their traditional longhy, a sarong-like cloth wrapped around the waist + knotted (for men) or tucked in at the waist (for women), a practical garment that can be worn bathing or sleeping. most women use the traditional tanakha to protect their faces from the harsh sun, a beige wooden paste that is applied to cheeks, nose + forehead. i did not see many women with short hair, apart from the buddhist nuns (+ there are an astounding number of nuns + monks of all ages). most women have looong beautiful glossy black hair, often waist-long, sometimes down to their knees. we saw several women gracefully riding their bicycle with their long hair wrapped around their shoulders like a long shawl.

although myanmar is home to many muslims, hindus + christians the vast majority of burmese are devout buddhists. pagodas + chedis dot the country side. even the smallest hamlet has at least one pagoda + a monastery. people can be found praying or bringing offerings any time of the day. as everywhere in asia merit-making is taken very serious. one might have little money to live on but a good part of it will be spent on offerings to the buddhas + nats (local protective deities).

any occasion to celebrate is welcome. we arrived on a national holiday at the end of a week-long celebration. many streets were closed off + loudspeakers set up to transmit music late into the night. coming from bangkok burma felt like a time-warp, refreshingly low-tech + slow-paced. kids + adults gathered in the streets to play barefoot soccer. teenagers played badminton. little ones gathered around the popsicle-cart. games + races were in progress + i realized that it had been a long time that i have seen old + young mingling like this.

all in all - myanmar is a magical place that takes time to discover + i'm looking forward to return + see more of it. i hope you will, too.

yasha