The View from the Hills of Sagaing (Myanmar)

I crossed Ayeyarwaddy River to get to Sagaing. Like Bagan, I could see several Buddhist structures rising from the hill and down below. Unlike Bagan, these structures were white pagodas, were newer, and were mostly white with golden peaks. An old kingdom, Sagaing has had 7 kings during the reign of the Sagaing Kingdom: from Sawyun of 1315 to Minbyauk Thihapate of 1364. And then there was King Naungdawgyi who reigned in 1760.

While riding my "tuktuk", I was in awe of the gorgeous queue of pagodas from the hill. It was something you don't see everyday in your short life span - and it was beautiful. Like a very fast slideshow that displayed magic. I was on my way to a couple of pagodas - the U Min Thonze Pagoda and U Pon Nya Shin Pagoda accessible through a covered staircase that ran up the 240 meter (787 feet) hill. It would be a harrowing climb if you think about it, but the ascent is gradual, and you can take your sweet time to get there. From the top, I could see Ava Bridge crossing Ayeyarwaddy.

Sagaing is located 20 kilometers southwest of Mandalay. It is 566 kilometers north of Yangon, roughly a 7-hour bus ride from Mandalay.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

The Curious Novice Monk of Innwa (Myanmar)

There are 3 ancient imperial cities that can be visited as day trips from Mandalay in Myanmar. Innwa (aka Ava) was my favorite. I crossed Ayeyarwaddy River to get there, hired a horse-drawn carriage to take me around, and checked out relics of old temples. Catastrophe got the better of this ancient Burmese kingdom, which reigned between 14th to 19th century. The Big Earthquakes of March 1839 leveled the grandeur that was Innwa which literally means "mouth of the lake". The location couldn't be more strategic because it sits at the confluence of Ayeyarwaddy and Myitnge Rivers. But natural forces seem to have cast Innwa's fate.

From Ava Palace, now just a watchtower, I visited Bagaya Monastery. At a relic nearby, I found my youthful welcoming committee - two novice monks who were curious of my presence. I caught my shy but curious little host in one of my photos (above).

Red robes characterize the garbs of Burmese monks. You can't miss them.

This is the Eye in the Sky!
  

Memories of the Fallen in Taukkyan (Myanmar)

From Yangon (Myanmar), on your way to Bagan up north, you can get off your ride and check out this memorial cemetery where 2,700 British soldiers perished during World War II. The inclusive period of deaths was placed between 1939 and 1945. Between each grave were plants (like roses) beautifully maintained. Some unnamed graves were marked with "A soldier from the 1939-1945 war" written on their tombs. In front of all these wrote: "Their names (sic) liveth for evermore."

If you like almost-deserted spaces, pillars, and reminders of the follies of war, then Allied War Memorial Cemetery is worth a short detour. The cemetery is located in Taukkyan, in the township of Mingaladon, about 35 kilometers from Yangon.

This is the Eye in the Sky.

This photo only courtesy of cwgc.org.

On a Slow Boat to Dallah (Myanmar)

It's a 10-minute boat ride from the Pansodan Road jetty in Yangon (Rangoon). This takes you to a small village called Dallah in Myanmar.

While there's nothing to see in Dallah, but for a small temple and the ramshackle eateries by the riverine bay, it's the very short ferry ride across Yangon River that takes the cake for such interest. Foreigners need to show their passport to secure a $1 ticket at a ticket booth solely servicing foreign tourists. Otherwise, its just a measly 30 kyats ("chats") for the locals. A dollar is equivalent to 975 Myanmar kyats.

On board, there are children's seats you could rent for 5 kyats but who would bother? There are ambulant vendors too. I just walked around, checking out the scenario around me. Yangon River doesn't feel any different from the more substantial Ayeyarwady River, Burma's major riverway, also spelled "Irrawady", "Ayarwady" or the Hindi term "Irawati". It takes the color of mud, carries similar influence, and is a considerable lifeline for people living near the banks.

Red fishing boats waited just right across in Dallah. It somehow suggested a sudden halt, like "Stop - there's nothing further!" Thirty minutes later, I was back in Yangon. Back in a land where time stopped ticking 30 to 40 years ago.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Last Royal Palace in Mandalay, Myanmar

I was actually anxious of Myanmar's military men so anything that had anything to do with a government post flashed red lights with me. Even the guards at the Mandalay Palace grounds, the bastion of the very last Burmese monarchy founded by King Mindon between 1857 and 1859. The whole complex is surrounded by thick walls and a lovely moat. From my observation, very few tourists seem to visit this place. Maybe it's the entrance fee? Maybe it's the long-standing recommendation from Lonely Planet and other travel guides (i.e. not to patronize any government institution), but that must have changed by now after the rise of Aung San Suu Kyi and her new democratic republic. Check out the photo above if you can spot anyone. I took this from a tower. Oops, I see my left hand in the frame. Dang! :)

Mandalay is the last royal capital of Burma and the second biggest city of Myanmar, located 716 kilometers  (445 miles) north of Yangon (Rangoon).

This is the Eye in the Sky!  

Thanaka and Men in Tachileik, Myanmar

A well traveled American girl once argued with me, saying that the "thanaka", a cosmetic paste applied on the face of many Burmese, is exclusively for females. I disagreed because I saw several men wearing them during my Burmese travels. I even asked them about it. Why they use it: 1) cosmetic reasons - culture has them believing that the thanaka lends them more beauty the way make-up and lipsticks do; 2) they cool the face, like mints; 3) they can function as sunblock; 4) they are believed to promote smooth skin and prevent pimples. The active ingredients are courmarin and marmesin. This paste is made from ground bark and you'd easily see the plant sold in sidewalks.

The American girl wouldn't budge of course and I wasn't in the habit of convincing her. I didn't really care what she thought. You see, you can be a seasoned traveler and still be ignorant of the things around you - and it's not going to be worth anything to me. But if she saw this Tachileik boy wearing his thanaka, what would she think? Probably he's a girl? ;)

Tachileik is a border town in the Shan state of eastern Myanmar and is quite far from Yangon or its capital Naypyidaw. I crossed Tachileik from Mae Sai, an "eccentric" northern Thai town. But that's for another story.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Nyaung U Township Bagan - A Scene at a Restaurant

Burmese meal. Don't be surprised when ordering just a single entree then getting all these side dishes along. Everything is part of your Burmese gastronomic experience. And they like them sour - not chilly! Which is fine with me!

Cute 2 year old Burmese child playing with a straw. There is still window time left to cure his gaze deviation.

Characters: A tall blond British girl and her backpacking posse of 4, me, a Burmese family of 6 (a 20-something girl who waits at the tables, her sister who helps serve the orders, an 8 year old boy and his 2 year old brother who’s sucking on a straw-string, a septuageranian lady and her even older husband)

Right after deciding on a Burmese meal, I entertained myself talking to the children. The older one was provoking the cute, albeit strabismic 2 year old. He kept pulling on the string that the toddler was playing.

There was sheer delight on the table as my full-course Burmese meal started to arrive. I knew I ordered a single entrée, but plate after plate after plate of side dishes queued in front of me. This was going to be a feast.

Enter the white mafia. What an endearing British girl, with her Irish mates, I mentally noted. She started to stand and began checking out the graduation photos on the wall. This has been a characteristic feature of the Burmese countryside. Business establishments decked with graduation and family photos – like they were personal mini-museums.
British Girl (BG): Is that you? (She talks loudly to one of the Burmese ladies, as she points to the latter’s graduation photo. She enunciates every syllable, making sure she gets heard and understood.) What de-gree did you fee-nish?
Myanmar Girl (MG): *&^%* (I couldn’t hear her well, as she was speaking with the faintest voice.)
BG: Oh. You’re ve-rry ve-rry smart! How many de-grees did you fee-nish?
MG: Two. (She sheepishly tugs at the her long hair and looks behind her, to where her sister was sitting.)
BG: Aww. You’re ve-rry ve-rry pretty. You are ve-rry ve-rry wit-ttee.
Me: slurppp…. munch … munch…. (Thinking, what an adorable british girl giving these locals such superlative compliments)

BG sees the elder woman walk through the door from the backroom. She raises her voice to include her in the conversation.
BG: Are you their sis-terrr?
Myanmar Grandma (MG): I am grandmother.
BG: Awwww. You look so young! I thought you were their sis-terrr! (She looked 70. The younger ladies looked 20! They grinned at her thick douche of compliments.)
Me: Slurrppp… slurrrpppp… slurppp….. (Though I was obviously enjoying my feast, my digestive constitution was acting up differently. I was feeling the bolus of masticated food churning back up… refluxing!)
BG: Is he your son? (She points to the 2 year old, as she talks to the grandma. At this point, their grin seemed to have slipped into perplexity. If she said she was the girls’ grandma, that would make the 2-year old her great grandson, wouldn’t it?)

As if slapped with a judicious case of misplaced flattery, the Burmese family retreated to their backdoor. BG flips her ponytail and heads back to her table where her mates sit wide-eyed and mum.
BG: Is our order ready?
Excuse me if I barf!

Being friendly doesn’t mean you have the license to cajole and patronize the locals. Ignorance of the English language after all does not constitute stupidity – or there would be millions of stupid people walking all over Europe. Sometimes, a simple smile is enough to let them know you mean well. Otherwise, sheer garrulousness sans deliberation will only spotlight your imprudence.

This is the Eye in the Sky summoning my digestive tract back to its normal peristaltic movement.

Display items. They have the cola equivalents: Max for Coke, Quench for Sprite, Crush for Royal Tru-Orange at just 300 kyat a piece (sometimes even just 200 kyat). Since a government agency owns these local cola plants, they made the likes of Coke and Sprite rather expensive - at 800 to 1,200 kyat a can (no bottles - so no contest at all!). Coke in can will fetch a minimum of about PhP35 or more. Personally, it was hard to get myself to buy anything that I know is 50% cheaper back home... so Quench and Max were fine with me. They almost taste the same, but being a Coke-lover, come on...

Shwedagon Pagoda and Alienation in Yangon Burma

Spires and stupas of the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon skyline. This photo only courtesy of Jean-Marie Hullot.

Shwedagon Pagoda grounds. This photo only courtesy of flickr's MikeRussia.

Shadows and lights. This photo only courtesy of dwstein.

Night time awe. This spectacular photo courtesy of dr. sithu win.

At a travel forum prior to this travel, I mentioned that if there was only one place to visit in Myanmar, Bagan and its temples would be the no-brainer. Another traveller agreed but he would have to add the Shwedagon Pagoda if there were only two places to visit.

The Shwedagon Pagoda (Yangon) is Myanmar's most revered place of worship. A $5 foreigner's entrance is all worth it. From atop the mount, there are temples all around. It's easy to get humbled by the grandiose beauty of this sacred paya. Of particular interest to buddhist followers was a temple section where prayers, incense and flowers were offered. It was an octagonal (8-sided) temple. Each side represented the 8 days of the Burmese Buddhist calendar - where Wednesday is further subdivided into two separate days: Wednesday morning and Wednesday afternoon, don't ask me why. You needed to be aware of the particular day you were born so you can make offerings on that side of the temple. This is supposed to dispense blessings and luck. I was born on a Thursday (I checked beforehand), so I just offered a silent prayer nearby since I couldn't find my specific side of the octagon. Everything was written in Burmese.

Needless to say, the view of the city skyline was awe-inspiring.

I was also missing a good bit of civilization - of an email acount that has all the complete features - instead of the very basic wap-based skeleton; I missed the beep of my mobile, or withdrawing money from ATM; abusing the endless possibility of my credit cards, and of course, directly sending and receiving messages from family and friends. I miss the smell of my car, my room back home, and the frosty cineplex of Manila or Bangkok. It can feel a bit constricting; alienating, like being in Pluto with "Clouds Across the Moon" blaring at a nearby speaker.

I will be hopping with glee once I step into Suvarnabhumi.

This is the Eye in the Sky.

Sunset in Bagan and Bupaya's Pineapple-shaped Temple

Bupaya Temple in Old Bagan. This photo only courtesy of jingalex.wordpress.com.

Bagan's temples. Just a few of the 2,000+ temples in Bagan. This photo only courtesy of wikipedia's MurrayJ3.

I knew I had to hire a horse-drawn cart for another ride on my last day in Bagan.

If I gave up too early the first time because of the harsh sun, this time I made the decision to start my temple visits at 3:30 PM. My main destination was a temple beside the Ayeyarwaddy River - and the sunset view of the spires. I needed the illusion of water. Bagan was just too hot and too dry during the summer. Though I have compromised my budget by taking another round with the temples, a visit from Bupaya Temple made it all worth the effort and money! There is nothing like a pineapplie-shaped temple gleaming furtively beside a wind-swept river. From the distance across the river was a sand dune, blowing grains off like sand storm - it was fascinating. It seemed I was the only one to notice this. The riverbank was dotted with long boats lazily parked at the jetty down below, floating calmly over Ayeyarwaddy's strong current.

When the sun started to set at the horizon, Bagan's skyline turned luscious orange and hues in between. There was nothing like ambient light - the existing light before darkness enveloped the sun-kissed terrain - to stoke my imagination.

It was beautiful.

And this is the Eye in the Sky in absolute awe.

Daydreaming in Old Bagan

Bagan, among a thousand temples and more. This photo only courtesy of wikipedia's justiceiro.

Imagine yourself in an arid land of blistering sun. As far as the eyes can see, are mystical spires that revisit long forgotten era of splendor. Only, this particular day, there are no soldiers and princesses and kings, no palm readers nor slaves - just me. Just the occasional toddy palm tree and bushes that thrive despite the seasonal droughty spell. I found myself at the peak of a solitary tower made of bricks, cornices and stucco walls stare languidly from their dirt-ridden constitution. There are so many temples that my eyes can see, visiting each one would be close to impossibility.


This is the land that overdosed on temples way back 1st to 6th century, when as much as 5,000 temples have been erected. A good 2,000 still exists, although stages of neglect are obvious. Most of these temples are deserted. And I am honoured to be in their presence.


Way down below is my horse-drawn carriage. I am recovering from the hazardous heat. I have downed my 6th water bottle in the last 5 hours - that's a record. If I were a soldier or steward back in those days, what would I be thinking? I couldn't help but daydream.

This is the Eye in the Sky wallowing in the splendour of Old Bagan in the heart of Myanmar.

Eye in the Sky visits Yangon, Myanmar

A row of colonial buildings in Yangon. This photo only courtesy of wikipedia's hintha.

I'm finally able to circumvent the block that this government has placed on Blogger, thanks to a friend I met at my hotel. Land locked, dusty, sweltering, Myanmar turns out to be a mystical place shrouded by military rule, a virtual place that the millenium has literally left behind. Cars that roam this former capital are beat up Toyotas and the denizens that walk around the streets don't carry cellphones around. Street billboards of the latest artist releases still advertise "available in tapes (cassettes) and CDs", and all email services are blocked by the government.

The telegram is well and alive.

For several days now, my skin has been burnt by the sun. I have taken to walking all over again. Who needs a taxi?

Though it strangely feels like being cut off from the rest of the "civilized" world, the demeanor of the people have been something to chant about.


This is the Eye in the Sky in new Burma.

One Rude Surprise - Myanmar A No Go, Hanoi Welcomes

I have been prepping myself up for Myanmar. I bought tickets for my Bangkok-Yangon flight as well as the Yangon-Bagan trip. I have booked a hotel as well as arranged a pick-up from a hotel.

Woke up at 4 am just to catch my Air Asia flight to Yangon which leaves at 7:05. New World Lodge Hotel's in-house taxi sped through Bangkok's impeccably maintained highways to Suvarnabhumi. On time and all prepped up, as I queued at the ticket counter. Then I was told that I needed a visa to get to Yangon. What?!

I have been reading so much discussion groups that I had the impression that like the ASEAN citizens, Filipinos enjoy a visa-free status! With a volatile political situation, Myanmar must have changed their policy towards ASEAN citizens. I am losing a lot of money and they have wasted my TIME. I checked the DFA website, and yes, Filipinos are given 21-day visa-free stays in Myanmar.

This was playing out like a nightmare. I had to think fast since Air Asia tickets are non-refundable, BUT I can change flights/destinations.

Hanoi was flashing on the flight board. I was there last November (and loved it), so why not Hanoi again? Better than staying in Bangkok. I paid an additional 1,500 baht for my Hanoi flight which departs at 6:55am. It was 6:10 and the queue to the immigration counter is a hundred kms long!!!! I was pins and needles. Oh gawd! I'm gonna miss this flight anyway! I was 3 persons behind at the counter and the agents were taking their time taking the passenger's photos. It was already 6:55!!! Once my photo was taken, I dashed off Gate G which was a considerable distance. I eventually got to my seat at 7:10 AM. They waited. Turns out there were half a dozen more who were running late.

Two hours later, my plane arrived in Hanoi. It was 7 deg C. I had a summer shirt on. I was shivering as I filled up my immigration card. 21 days once again. I changed my dollar to dong ($1=16,000 dong). A driver was hovering over me as I asked for directions to Tung Trang Hotel, where I stayed last time. I had my brother (back in Manila) text me the address. I made deals with a "taxi driver". HUGE MISTAKE! (Read more on "Hanoi: A Not So Pleasant Return".)


It was such a relief to finally find Tung Trang. Luongthom has apparently married a month ago and is now in Saigon. Her assistant, Teyet, now mans the counter. Got a room for $15 and paid $10 for my departure later in the week.

Situations like this happen, and it's best to just make the most out of a bad thing.

Update:

I've finally found my way to Myanmar last March-April 2008 - with my visa. Please check out my real-time blogs posted here during those travels.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

In a few week's time...

I will be in another hectic trip. I have recently renewed my passport (which turned out to be a harrowing experience) and I have so far visited the DFA 3x just for a renewal (can you believe that?). Since i was a child, I have never set foot at the DFA. It was always through a travel agent. Now I gag at the thought of ever visiting the DFA again ... and those darn scourge of our lives - the "fixers"- may they rot in hell! Oops sorry. Got carried away. ;-) (P.S. The next photos are courtesy of some sites on Myanmar.)

On a more personal note, I have noticed that this blogsite has had a good number of hits in just less than a month. I started this blogsite last week of October, just a few weeks after my arrival from the mind-blowing Siem Reap and Phnom Penh of Cambodia; and Hanoi and Saigon in Vietnam. I had the intentions of documenting my solo travel in Vietnam and Cambodia, as well as sharing my travels to help other Filipino travelers with the little details that would help the anxious wanderlust. I didn't really care much if i had readership, although I did invite all my friends to visit this site to share my adventures with them as early as November. This will somehow serve as a journal. Besides, the pics look better when posted here than on an album, I dunno why?!!




Last December - during the holiday respite nearing the recent New Year - I decided to employ a "counter" to somehow document the number of hits. I was awed by the number of hits!!! I honestly didn't think anyone would "visit" besides my friends (I don't think I have THAT MUCH friends who would keep visiting too.) To my surprise, in a span of less than a month, this site actually got almost 500 hits! Deduct my visits (which is once every 3 days or so), it still is a good number for just a span of a month. In fact, just from yesterday, I have had a spectacular 34 hits/"visits" within 24 hours.

In relation to this, if any of you gets to visit this site, please do say hello, and tell me what's on your mind. Would be nice to have a friendly living being making their presence felt. If you have been to an amazing place that needs to be shared, I'd gladly feature it here so we can share them with others. I would appreciate details and tips that would be "useful" to other travellers. As you have noticed, this blog-site is also picture-heavy so I would encourage you to share those photos. I can't promise to post all of them, but I'll pick my favorites.

Lastly, I will be visiting several places in Thailand again (I've been there several times) but the more notable visit would be that of Myanmar (Burma). I just saw Stallone's "John Rambo" (the 4th incarnation) set in Myanmar, which "demonized" the country's situation. Of course I understand that dictatorship runs this country, but it can't be that bad. Either way, I will find out! (As a footnote, go watch "John Rambo", the action is amazing! And Stallone is back!!! Soooo back!)

The itinerary in Myanmar will be pretty exciting: Yangon (the former capital - I recently read that it's Naypyidaw now, some 300 kms from Yangon), Bagan (my most anticipated), Mandalay and Mount Popa. If Cambodia's Angkor boasts of some 50 temples or so, Bagan has an astounding 4,400 temples!!! And I am fraught with excitement!

If any of you has been to Myanmar, I would appreciate any tips! I am posting herewith some photos I saw from my surfing.

And yeah, do say hi!

These last 3 photos were taken from a well documented backpacking all over Asia, especially of Myanmar. Please visit the site if you enjoy GREAT PHOTOS and a prolific retelling of a travelogue: http://willthedutch.blogspot.com/