Entry #11 Myanmar: June 17 - June 26, 2019
Greetings from Myanmar
First of all… Myanmar is absolutely incredible!
The decision to come visit Myanmar wasn’t one we made lightly. In fact, for months we researched the state of affairs in the country that we’ve come to associate with the horrific plight of the Rohingya population. We questioned and debated the ethics of being tourists in a place where the military viciously persecutes a Muslim minority with genocidal intent.
The most overwhelmingly convincing argument, which finally made us direct our travels to Myanmar, was that a country’s people are not the sum of its government’s choices. The farmers, tuktuk drivers, guesthouse owners, street side vendors, and the like - whose livelihoods so desperately depend on tourism - do not have a hand in the crimes of their country. Tourism is an important industry for people who already live on the edge of abject poverty. The absence of tourism doesn’t punish the perpetrators of the country’s genocide, but the lives of people who struggle simply to feed their families. So, besides a sincere desire to learn about Myanmar’s culture and marvel at its beauty, we wanted to make our tourist dollars count.
That is why this entry is being written from Yangon, Myanmar, and since our arrival 10 days ago, we are absolutely certain that coming here was the right choice.
There is no mistaking the sincerity of a smile. The warmth and kindness we have felt from the Myanmar people has been one of the most noticeable things in our experience here.
It says a lot about a place when people share their smiles so generously.
Strangers say hello. Vendors are not pushy. People go out of their way to offer directions or help in any way possible. And foreign visitors are often invited into conversation by eager students hoping to practice their English skills. On our first evening in Mandalay we went to a pagoda on a hill for a view of the town at sunset. The site was full of locals who giggled as they mustered up the courage to chat with us. The kids felt like celebrities, with a stream of requests to take pictures with them. Every interaction was genuine and sweet. It was the best first day!
In Myanmar, traditions hold strong. Men, (even young, “cool” guys), wear the traditional longyi (sarong). Women of all ages wear stunning, colourful sarongs, and perfectly tailored modest tops. We also discovered that Myanmar women have a very unique practice of decorating their cheeks and faces with a yellow paste made from sandalwood. Partially used as a natural sunblock, partially as a cosmetic, women and young children apply smears of this butter coloured cream and create a variety of personalized looks. Jamie and I were treated to a try.
The past 10 days our family has toured through 3 cities; Mandalay, Bagan, and Yangon.
A consistent feature of all three places has been how the architecture, both ancient and modern, reflect the country’s reverence for the Buddha. There are literally thousands of Buddhist temples, and millions of shrines.
The endless replication of Buddha statues is astonishing. Not to mention the spectacular process of embellishing both the famous Buddha figures and a great number of pagodas in mirrored mosaics, gems, painted tiles, and gold.
The small town of Bagan is an archaeological goldmine with over 3000 pagodas all about 800 years old.
To look out on the plains of Bagan at sunset is a sparkling sight of golden domes and spires poking out between the trees, glowing with the most brilliant honey coloured shine.
The physical expression of this extreme devotion in the form of prolific and ornate construction is exemplified by the crown jewel of pagodas, the 2500 year old Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. Coated in (an estimated) 60 tonnes of gold and adorned with priceless jewels, including a 70 carat diamond, this place of worship certainly stands out.
Besides the glitz and glam of its veneer, visiting this ancient religious site feels completely mystical. There is the quiet murmur of prayers, mixed with the tinkling of the golden fringe at the top of the towering spire that sound like a gentle wind chime, hushed voices whisper their sense of awe, the chatter of children joining their families making offerings at shrines, and all this is punctuated by the occasional gong of a ceremonial iron bells, (often sounded by Jamie, who cannot resist giving them a clang). Not to mention that all around, every corner of the temple grounds are crazy beautiful, layered with ornate details.
During our time in Myanmar, Jamie and Jessie became aware of the frequent sightings of monks. Young monks. Monks about Jamie’s age. Even young female monks.
This sparked something in our kids, who were able to see children their age experience a very different life from their own - monastic life. We were fortunate enough to partake in the ceremonial food offering at a large monastery. The 2 daily meals that monks are allowed to eat are provided by the community, and collected in a procession as people bring their offerings This experience certainly gave our kids pause. Hopefully the memory will cement itself in their minds, as it has in ours.
It has been a brief visit, but so densely packed with memorable events. Around the city of Mandalay we were able to learn about traditional handicrafts such as woodcarving, gold leaf production, and tapestry weaving. As impressive as the talented artists were, it was heartbreaking to see the women hunched over the gorgeous tapestry they were working on, and discover that their labour would only pay them $5 a day. Our excursions around town have given our family a lot to think about and talk about.
It was in the city of Bagan that we were able to cover the most ground. Here we spent 4 days on rented scooters exploring the expansive area that preserves thousands of pagodas.
Myanmar is many things. We know of its tragic violence, and we have seen the extensive and extreme levels of poverty that line the streets of its crumbling and dilapidated cities. However, we have experienced a uniform warmth and welcome throughout the country, despite the hardship and struggle its people face. We have been grateful to see beyond the headlines in news reports. It has been an eye-opening, deeply memorable, and sincerely valued experience to come here. And, like we said...
Myanamar is incredible!
First of all… Myanmar is absolutely incredible!
The most overwhelmingly convincing argument, which finally made us direct our travels to Myanmar, was that a country’s people are not the sum of its government’s choices. The farmers, tuktuk drivers, guesthouse owners, street side vendors, and the like - whose livelihoods so desperately depend on tourism - do not have a hand in the crimes of their country. Tourism is an important industry for people who already live on the edge of abject poverty. The absence of tourism doesn’t punish the perpetrators of the country’s genocide, but the lives of people who struggle simply to feed their families. So, besides a sincere desire to learn about Myanmar’s culture and marvel at its beauty, we wanted to make our tourist dollars count.
That is why this entry is being written from Yangon, Myanmar, and since our arrival 10 days ago, we are absolutely certain that coming here was the right choice.
There is no mistaking the sincerity of a smile. The warmth and kindness we have felt from the Myanmar people has been one of the most noticeable things in our experience here.
It says a lot about a place when people share their smiles so generously.
Strangers say hello. Vendors are not pushy. People go out of their way to offer directions or help in any way possible. And foreign visitors are often invited into conversation by eager students hoping to practice their English skills. On our first evening in Mandalay we went to a pagoda on a hill for a view of the town at sunset. The site was full of locals who giggled as they mustered up the courage to chat with us. The kids felt like celebrities, with a stream of requests to take pictures with them. Every interaction was genuine and sweet. It was the best first day!
In Myanmar, traditions hold strong. Men, (even young, “cool” guys), wear the traditional longyi (sarong). Women of all ages wear stunning, colourful sarongs, and perfectly tailored modest tops. We also discovered that Myanmar women have a very unique practice of decorating their cheeks and faces with a yellow paste made from sandalwood. Partially used as a natural sunblock, partially as a cosmetic, women and young children apply smears of this butter coloured cream and create a variety of personalized looks. Jamie and I were treated to a try.
The past 10 days our family has toured through 3 cities; Mandalay, Bagan, and Yangon.
A consistent feature of all three places has been how the architecture, both ancient and modern, reflect the country’s reverence for the Buddha. There are literally thousands of Buddhist temples, and millions of shrines.
The endless replication of Buddha statues is astonishing. Not to mention the spectacular process of embellishing both the famous Buddha figures and a great number of pagodas in mirrored mosaics, gems, painted tiles, and gold.
The small town of Bagan is an archaeological goldmine with over 3000 pagodas all about 800 years old.
To look out on the plains of Bagan at sunset is a sparkling sight of golden domes and spires poking out between the trees, glowing with the most brilliant honey coloured shine.
The physical expression of this extreme devotion in the form of prolific and ornate construction is exemplified by the crown jewel of pagodas, the 2500 year old Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. Coated in (an estimated) 60 tonnes of gold and adorned with priceless jewels, including a 70 carat diamond, this place of worship certainly stands out.
Besides the glitz and glam of its veneer, visiting this ancient religious site feels completely mystical. There is the quiet murmur of prayers, mixed with the tinkling of the golden fringe at the top of the towering spire that sound like a gentle wind chime, hushed voices whisper their sense of awe, the chatter of children joining their families making offerings at shrines, and all this is punctuated by the occasional gong of a ceremonial iron bells, (often sounded by Jamie, who cannot resist giving them a clang). Not to mention that all around, every corner of the temple grounds are crazy beautiful, layered with ornate details.
During our time in Myanmar, Jamie and Jessie became aware of the frequent sightings of monks. Young monks. Monks about Jamie’s age. Even young female monks.
This sparked something in our kids, who were able to see children their age experience a very different life from their own - monastic life. We were fortunate enough to partake in the ceremonial food offering at a large monastery. The 2 daily meals that monks are allowed to eat are provided by the community, and collected in a procession as people bring their offerings This experience certainly gave our kids pause. Hopefully the memory will cement itself in their minds, as it has in ours.
It has been a brief visit, but so densely packed with memorable events. Around the city of Mandalay we were able to learn about traditional handicrafts such as woodcarving, gold leaf production, and tapestry weaving. As impressive as the talented artists were, it was heartbreaking to see the women hunched over the gorgeous tapestry they were working on, and discover that their labour would only pay them $5 a day. Our excursions around town have given our family a lot to think about and talk about.
It was in the city of Bagan that we were able to cover the most ground. Here we spent 4 days on rented scooters exploring the expansive area that preserves thousands of pagodas.
Myanmar is many things. We know of its tragic violence, and we have seen the extensive and extreme levels of poverty that line the streets of its crumbling and dilapidated cities. However, we have experienced a uniform warmth and welcome throughout the country, despite the hardship and struggle its people face. We have been grateful to see beyond the headlines in news reports. It has been an eye-opening, deeply memorable, and sincerely valued experience to come here. And, like we said...
Myanamar is incredible!
Sending love ~ The Zwaigens
Noticed you guys are barefoot in many photos. Are you required to take off your shoes when you enter the places of worship?
ReplyDeleteYep , you have to take off your shoes almost everywhere indoors in Myanmar
Deletethank you for making your anmar my anmar too :D
ReplyDeleteJust wow. Completely blown away by the beauty and lifestyle of a country that I had reduced to headlines. Thanks for sharing, lots of love and safe and happy travels!!!
ReplyDeleteWow. I appreciate the fact that you debated whether or not to visit Myanmar and then decided to go. Isn't it amazing that the government of a country that's so devoted to the Buddhist religion is capable of such atrocities towards its people? What an amazing place to visit! Lovely pictures. Thanks so much for sharing, not only the pictures but your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely beautiful, everything, the place, your thoughts and reflections. The fact that you are travelling with all the family. One day I am going to try something like this.
ReplyDelete