#6 Naypyidaw

Just a note:  I am writing about many details of our trip because when I am finished, I want to have these posts printed as a keepsake book for myself. I have used some pictures from the WEB images because we were often to busy looking and seeing to take the picture to tell the story. I do not intend any copyright infringement.

We left the hotel very early on our third day, and headed out of town to Naypyidaw the new capital, about 250 miles to the north.

It was very interesting to see areas of Yangon that were not in the city center. There were a lot of newer looking apartment buildings, but still many road side vendors selling all sorts of things. 


It did seem that it was quite common for people to build shaky shacks made from what looks like recycled materials, wherever they could find a space. 

alamy stock photo cropped

Traffic was even more crazy with the addition of zillions of motorcycles and motorbikes. Families of three and four all piled on together with Mom holding the smallest tots in their arms, or larger ones to the side.





It wasn't long before we left the congestion of Yangon and turned onto Myanmar #1 - the Yangon-Mandalay Highway. It is a "straight as an arrow", two lane, toll road that doesn't allow motorbikes or bullock carts on the paved lanes. Instead, on the shoulders of the road there is a dirt path for their use. The land was mostly fallow fields (it being January) or uncultivated acreage. There were no small villages visible from the highway, but out in the fields, there were houses on stilts, much like what we saw at the National Races Village Park.  

We did stop for a break about halfway to Naypyidaw to stretch our legs and have a mid-morning snack, of would you believe KFC fried chicken!

 To my relief, "European" style toilets were available most of the places we went. I'm adding that bit of information for any older woman who is thinking about a similar trip. Having to use a squat toilet was my biggest reservation about going on the trip, and I only had to do so twice in 30 days.

Naypyidaw is a strange place. It was built by the military government as the new capital. It covers a large area, but seems to have a very low population. I guess the concept of "if you build it, they will come" did not quite work here.

Among the oddities is a twelve lane road that goes nowhere, and few cars use. We were able to park, and take the above picture of the only other car we could see on the road.

Actually it does go somewhere, to the Presidential Palace.

We drove up and stopped outside this deserted looking gate. Craig and Joko got out with their cameras, and two guards came out from the smaller gate. We thought they were going to let us in.

Craig was able to take this zoomed in image of the inner entry way gate before the guards told us to get back in our car and move along. Reflecting on the situation of the journalists that are presently in prison in the northern part of Myanmar, it probably wasn't a smart idea for us to pull up to the Presidential Palace in a big black SUV and waving around a very nice large camera and a video rig. On another day, we might have been taken into custody for questioning!

Giving up on getting into the palace, we went to lunch.

No, we did not fly there. 

The "Cafe Flight" has a couple of airplanes decked out as a restaurant. Much like some of the older trains and cabooses we have in the USA. The planes were not open for lunch, so we ate in their indoor table area, which by the way was almost deserted.

From there we went to the other side of the city to see the Uppatasanti Pagoda.

Built between 2006 and 2009, it is so new that the base is still just gold paint, and only the very top is covered with gold.

Naypyidaw is in very flat country, so they built a high hill for the pagoda to sit atop. 
The retaining walls of the man made hill were fronted with gold-painted stone work.

There are two ways to get to the top of the hill. Take the elevator and walkway, or climb the stairs.

We chose the elevator! The green-roofed buildings in this picture are the monastery for the monks that care for this pagoda. It in itself is quite a sight! I would have liked to have seen the inside and learn more about a monk's life, but that didn't happen.

The entry to the Stupa was beautiful.

The exquisite detail of the interior

And of course, in the park-like area below the pagoda there were many:

VENDORS!

Next post #7 Hot air balloon ride over Bagan

#5 Food, and More to see in Yangon

As we traveled through Myanmar, we became accustomed to having a fairly large breakfast each day. These were included in the price of the room. 

image from web, I forgot to take a breakfast picture

Self served from covered hot pots, one could have fried potatoes, chicken sausage, fried fish, fried tomatoes, fried slices of corn on the cob, and of course the ever present rice noodles, fried vermicelli noodles, and fried rice.


A hot bowl of Miso soup was also standard with things to add such as green onions, won-tons, and tofu.

Fresh fruit, buns and toast, coffee, tea and yogurt were standard, and a few places offered oatmeal. Most hotels had a cook on duty to make omelets or fried eggs to order. 

Also, each hotel seemed to have something different from the others. One offered sweet and sour pork, and another had a big pot of fried vegetables with steamed rice.

My favorite, Pumpkin Ginger Soup

If Craig and I had been traveling alone, these breakfasts would have satisfied us all day, but Joko and Nicki are both big eaters and we found ourselves eating lunch, a snack and a nice dinner almost every day.

Also good, a rice noodle soup

Since it seemed just about everything was fried in a wok with lots of vegetable oil, I quickly learned to order only a soup for lunch.
My choices were also compromised by my determination to follow the CDC's recommendation to avoid "raw foods". After a week or so I did eat some fruit with only moderate consequences.

On the second day we again drove around the city to see more. We stopped at the school where Joko teaches, but of course they were closed for the holidays.  We also checked out some of the government buildings and some of the old structures from the colonial days when the British ruled over what was then called Burma.

The traffic was terrible, and there just was no parking anywhere, so our sightseeing was limited to drive-bys. I must say, Joko was a great driver. There is no sense of lanes, stop signs, turn signals, or for that matter staying on a particular side of the street in busy Asian cities. Changing lanes, U-turns in mid block, and lots of horn beeping are all standard. It was a bit scary for an old lady like me, and Joko laughed at my spontaneous gasps and squeals. (Not much different from when I'm in the passenger seat of the Alfa in city traffic.)

Then, he wanted to show us the Armenian Apostolic Church of Yangon. 

We looked for a parking space, and the only one open was filled with birds! Since it was under a tree, and a man was feeding them, there was little question why no one was parked there. 

But we did, and Joko had the car washed at the end of the day.

The church was quite beautiful. It is the oldest church in Yangon and dates back over 100 years. They still hold services here. 

Next it was on to the Bogyoke Aung San Market, formerly called Scott Market.

from Web

Merikay and Joko exploring the market

Built in 1926, it contains booths and small shops of every kind imaginable. Somewhat like a cleaner more permanent version of all the street vendors.

from web

Everything was very colorful! Because we live in a motorhome with limited space, I do not buy souvenirs, but I was really tempted here.

This image was taken from a second story walkway that connects the old market building to the second building that opened in the 1990's.  

Notice there are no motorbikes. (We will see plenty later in the trip.) In '03 the government restricted motorcycles on the streets of Yangon. 

"There are a number of rumors about why motorcycles were banned in Yangon in 2003, as well as mumblings that change is on the horizon. One version about the ban is that a person on a motorbike made a threatening gesture to a military general; another is that a motorbike rider distributed pro-democracy leaflets, and the third is that a general’s son was killed while riding a motorbike." Myanmar Times

As it is, motorbikes are the most popular modes of transportation in Southeast Asia, and many are found in the suburban and outlying areas of the city. Although cars are very expensive, a city resident has to provide proof that they have a parking space before they are allowed to purchase one.

Buddhist monks and nuns are seen everywhere in Myanmar. I learned that it was not necessarily a life long commitment, and people could become a monk or nun for a limited period of time. 

These small girls streamed through the aisles of the market chanting and holding out their silver bowls to collect money. 
Nicki corrected me when I said they were "begging'.  The correct way to think of it is  asking for "donations". 

All monks seem to  carry a donation bowl wherever they go.

Perhaps Buddhist parents send the children to become temporary nuns or monks the way Christian parents send the kids to summer bible school.


That evening we had a delightful dinner at the hotel with one of Joko's fellow teachers.  It was nice to learn more about his life so  far from home.

We slept well., and were ready for more.

Next: #6 Naypyidaw

#4 Sunset at Shwedagon Pagoda

Was this really just our first day of the trip? 

In spite of being very tired, the visit to Shewedagon Pagoda at sunset was a spectacular sight. It stands on a hill overlooking Yangon, and the late afternoon sun causes the many gold covered  and gold painted structures to glow. 

I'm really not sure about my use of the terms "Pagoda" and "Stupa" and "Shrine".  The best definition I can find is this: 
"The origin of the pagoda can be traced to the stupa (3rd century BCE). The stupa, a dome shaped monument, was used as a commemorative monument associated with storing sacred relics. ... These buildings (pagoda, stupa) became prominent as Buddhist monuments used for enshrining sacred relics." Wikipedia

Unfortunately the main stupa of the pagoda was under wraps, as it is being repaired and restored.

image from web

This image from the web shows how it looked before the restoration began.

The restoration of the gold on these two bells at its base reflected the sunshine. 

The top of the left most shrine is being restored

Ninety percent of the Burmese people are Buddhist, and many come from across the country and the world, to pray at this holy site. The gold used for the restorations is donated by the faithful.

Sheets of donated gold leaf are sent to the top in a ceremony that involves this "flying" cart. I would have loved to see it in action.

The red parts of this shrine roof  will be covered in gold in the future. 

This was taken as the light was starting to fade. The amount of detail on the roof edges was amazing. In the background is a white bell with gold trim. Many designs are repeated over and over, and some are unique.

Inside each shrine there are one or more Buddha statues. Hundreds of Buddhas in all sizes. These are just a few.

But the Buddha are not alone. Four of these fearsome creatures, each on its own tiled pillar, surrounded one Buddha statue in a mirror covered shrine.

The decorative detail of the ceiling was amazing.

As I looked at this last image of the Pagoda shrines, at first I though something was on my camera's lens filter. But then I realized it was just a couple of crows coming in for the night.

First arrivals

As we walked back to our car, we noticed more and more flocking in.

By the time we left, the scaffolds we could see were covered with perching black crows.

Perhaps Buddha gives them a safe haven for the night.


 


Shwedagon Pagoda was the first we visited. There are thousands of Pagodas in Southeast Asia. They are not "churches" but people do come to pray at them. Some are large complexes like this and others are a single stupa on a hill in the countryside.

They have fairly strict dress codes, no shoes or socks allowed, but anyone is welcome to go in.

By the time we visited, I was quite tired and don't think I could really appreciate what I was seeing, except that this spectacular place was alive and is a significant part of the culture of this part of the world. Most Westerners do not fully understand or appreciate the religions of so many others. 

As we traveled I did learn a few more things about Buddhist practices, but cannot seem to put them together enough to understand them.

But then, I wouldn't expect someone from Myanmar to understand Rome either. 

Next Post:
#5  Food and more things we saw in Yangon.

#3 - Learning a little about the culture and history of Myanmar

The best way to understand the modern culture of a country is to learn a bit about their history. 

Royal Regalia (image from web)

After our drive through the city, we went to the National Museum of Myanmar.

We were not allowed to take our camera into the museum, so I am using this image from the web. 

These are royal wedding regalia. They were extensively embroidered with gold and silver threads and had many precious gems attached. They must have been very heavy.

The story behind them was that the sister of the bride stole the wedding dress and was married to the king in her sister's place, thereby becoming queen.

We  wandered the exhibit halls for an hour or so getting a feel for the past, before going to lunch and on to our next venue: The National Races Village. "If you visit the village, you will not only enjoy a fresh breeze blowing across the Bago River, but also get the sense of Union Spirit from the villages of our national brethren: Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Chin, Bamar, Mon, Rakhine and Shan. You can see buildings with significant symbols denoting various national races residing in the country."

The park was quite large and the day was getting hotter. 

Image from web

Joko had suggested we rent bicycles, but on second thought we opted for a shuttle ride to the farthest house and a walk back.

Nicki, Joko and Merikay feeding the ducks

Nicki, a Burmese friend of Joko's, came with us for the first few days of the trip. Having an interpreter was so helpful. Nicki's English was impeccable. 

Image from Web

Almost all of the  "village" houses were on raised platforms with room underneath for family activities, storage and or the keeping of livestock. 
We were required to remove our shoes before entering each house. This was a bother. I was wearing walking shoes and they are not easily slipped on and off. Some of the stairs to the upper levels did not have a railing, and at these I did not go upstairs with the others.

This one was not on stilts. It had a variety of colorful fabrics and clothing items on display, a big garden, and a flower bedecked bullock cart.

This guy was at the entrance to the path leading to one of the houses. I'm not really sure which, but we thought he was fun.




















Some of the houses were empty, but others displayed a wide variety of everyday household items.

I think this sand-covered table was a cooking surface, based on the placement of the sticks and the brick-like pot and kettle holder.

Pottery on display was simple but functional.

Notice the woven wall, and the open spaces in the floor and walls. Air circulation must be very important in the hot humid climate. All of the peoples made extensive use of local materials to weave baskets and other containers. This was all pre-plastic, but they had everything they needed.

In contrast, I noticed the extensive use of plastic at this modern Burmese family picnic outside one of the houses.

In most of the houses there was a large open room, used for all daily activities, and where the entire family slept on the floor mats that were rolled up each morning.

We saw this bed in a separate area of one house. I don't recall the story, but noticed the "mattress" is just a woven mat on a wood slat base. 

Some of the houses had separate sleeping areas for the unmarried women of the family, called "virgin rooms".

At the time, I had a hard time really seeing the differences between one village house and another, but later in our drive around the countryside I began to recognize differences from place to place. In the countryside people still live in these kinds of homes. They have no indoor plumbing, and the walls are mostly woven or wood slats.

Our walk back to the entrance was long, but leisurely. It was late afternoon but Joko and Nicki had one more magnificent thing to show us. 

The next post will be #4, Sunset at Shwedagon Pagoda

Look for my next post to read more about it and see some really stunning images!

#2-Sghts in the streets of Yangon, Myanmar

This is the second post about our Southeast Asia trip, if you want to know why we went where we did, start at the beginning: #1 -Why 

You just don't want to remember some parts of a trip. The flight   from San Diego to Yangon was long but uneventful. We left home on the morning of December 25th and arrived in Yangon after 10 PM, on the 26th. Intellectually I knew we had crossed the dateline, but it still felt strange to think that it was today in Yangon but  yesterday in San Diego. 

Our son Joko had rented a car and was our driver. On the 27th, after we had a good night's rest, he picked us up and we went for a drive around some of the older parts of the city. 

One of the first things that I noticed were all of the wires.

This was not the heaviest concentration of wires on one pole that we saw, just one that I caught while we were stopped in traffic. This was typical of the power line structure.

In many places large bundles of wires sagged against the walls. No one uses land-line phones, so perhaps many of them are dead.

I can't imagine how this guy knows which wire is which, or which are "hot." Craig said they don't repair the wires, they just string new ones! I think I see he has some sort of safety belt attached to the pole, but

 is he barefoot, or wearing some sort of rubber sandal? 

Hundreds of wires sagged across this side street.

Vendors line both sides of the streets, selling everything imaginable. Behind them there are also small shops selling, among othere things, clothes, pharmaceuticals, electronics, plants, flowers, vegetables, rice, used and new auto parts, plastic furniture, rugs, and blankets.  I have other pictures of street sellers to share, but for now this is just a quick look.

Food of all kinds is also sold on the streets.

This lady was selling fresh fish from pans on the ground. No refrigeration or ice. Mixed among the vendors were many people cooking and selling things to eat on the go. 

We did not sample any of the street foods because I was a bit paranoid about the warnings from the CDC. My theory is that the people build up an immunity to some of the things that sicken a visitor. After a week or so, I did eat a few fresh fruits and vegetables at a hotel restaurant, without serious consequences. 

I may be wrong, but it is my impression that millions of people in the city areas buy their food daily and either eat their meals at little stalls on the street, or cook it quickly in their apartments. Joko has told us that power outages in the hot or rainy months are frequent and many people do not have refrigerators. 

image from the web

Two other things I saw a lot of as we drove around, were plastic waste and street dogs.

Wherever there was a space between buildings, or the edge of a street that was not occupied by a vendor, there were piles of plastic waste. I also noticed this when we drove through the countryside later in the week. I can't help remembering our own country's movement to clean up the litter along our roads in the past. Perhaps someday Myanmar will do the same. They do seem to collect and recycle plastic water bottles, but that is because they get paid for them. 

image from web

The dogs are every where. But they don't belong to anyone. 

They are not pampered house pets and have a life of their own on the streets.

They don't seem to beg, but I saw people feeding them scraps. 

Since most Burmese are Buddhists they let the dogs be.  After all, they may come back as one in their next life if they are not good.

The dogs are all about the same size, but vary in color,  and are generally short-haired with a curling tail. 

Such a different, vibrant place. This was just our first few hours.

Much more to come!

#1 Why did we go to Myanmar and Vietnam

I decided to wait until we returned from our trip to Myanmar, Vietnam and Hawaii before I blogged about it. 

I knew I couldn’t do the trip justice if I tried to post day-by-day as we went along. I will be putting up posts about it every few days for a while. I will try to keep each post reasonably short so as to not burn out on writing them (nor burn you out reading them 🙂).  Hopefully this also encourages you readers to come back for more. I hope you will enjoy following along and sharing the adventure.

Of all the places in the world to travel to for a winter vacation, why did we choose these three? Craig and I love living full time in an RV, because although we enjoy travel to new places, we don't enjoy 

• flying on airplanes, 
• living out of suitcases, 
• eating every meal in restaurants, or 
• checking into and out of hotels. 

So why did we leave our Alfa parked while we went off to Southeast Asia?

Because we wanted to visit our son, Gil, who has been teaching English in Yangon, Myanmar for the last five years. 

My son the poster boy

Merikay and Gil in front of another poster advertising the school he works for.

During our first few years of full time RVing, we didn’t want to put the Alfa in storage and had no real alternative as to where to park her. When we found Jojoba Hills, we knew it was a perfect place to leave her for a month or more without worry. 

I wanted to add Thailand to our itinerary, but Gil has been there many times and suggested we all go to Vietnam for a week instead. So we did.

One of the great things about being retired is that you don't have to go home to go back to work. If you want to travel for one week, two weeks, a month, it doesn’t matter. You have no time clock to punch, and the only limit is your own endurance and budget. Both of which we stretched to the limit on this trip!

Then, when thinking about the return flights to San Diego from Hanoi, I decided this was the perfect opportunity to visit the last state on our RV travel map - Hawaii.

   

Many RVers have these maps and have different personal rules for earning a state sticker. Some say they have to actually camp in a state; we may have counted one or two that we have just driven through. Hawaii is a special case. The Alfa doesn’t float, so she had to stay at Jojoba Hills, but we count this trip as our 50th state anyway. 

Joko and Craig

Our son was named Gil after my father. When he was in high school, he went to Indonesia as an exchange student. His Indonesian family and friends had a hard time with the "G" in his name, so he took "Joko" as his nickname.

He now goes by Joko MacKenna to his friends in Southeast Asia, and as I continue this story I will call him by that name too. 

Coming Soon:
# 2-Sights in the streets of Yangon, Myanmar 

Myanmar, Vietnam, and Hawaii

We are currently on a 30 day trip to Myanmar, Vietnam, and Hawaii.  

The Alfa had to stay home at Jojoba Hills because it does not float!

I will blog about the trip in February.