There are not many countries which require Singaporeans to obtain a visa prior to arrival. Myanmar is one of them. As such, I made it a point to get my feet on Myanmar soil and cross off another "country less travelled".
There has been lots of negative publicity about Myanmar in recent years, mainly due to the military junta that governs the country. Stories of human rights oppression are innumerable, which I still have not bothered to read up on. What I did do, however, was to try to adhere to the Lonely Planet's advice of supporting private individuals and establishments where/whenever I could.
Spies in Myanmar?
There are stories in the LP about spies lurking all over the country, and how people seem to be following your movements. I never felt that way, though on at least 3 occassions locals in Yangon would come up to me for a chat when I was walking around or having a cup of sugar cane. They asked the standard questions of where I came from, what I was doing in Myanmar, where I stayed, and my plans in the country. At least 2 of them mentioned that they had visited Singapore and shared with me their experiences of my home country - very nice, clean efficient etc. They all appeared sincere folks, as not once did they ask me to buy something or take a look at their wares (1 did mention he had a shop down the street but walked off not expecting me to follow him). I did ask them why they returned to Myanmar, and the response I got was that they wanted to be at home, and they were happy living in Myanmar.
One thing I was careful about though, was never to ask what they thought of their government. I did manage to see, on the Yangon Circular trainride, barb-wired walls surrounding a compound longer than the train. I have been also told that there are thousands of citizens locked up in local prisons (for whatever violations of government regulations).
Ottma the monk
I was catching the sunset at the Shwedagon Paya, snapping pictures and minding my own business, when Ottma (spelling could be wrong), a monk, approached me for a chat. The usual questions about my background followed.
There has been lots of negative publicity about Myanmar in recent years, mainly due to the military junta that governs the country. Stories of human rights oppression are innumerable, which I still have not bothered to read up on. What I did do, however, was to try to adhere to the Lonely Planet's advice of supporting private individuals and establishments where/whenever I could.
Spies in Myanmar?
There are stories in the LP about spies lurking all over the country, and how people seem to be following your movements. I never felt that way, though on at least 3 occassions locals in Yangon would come up to me for a chat when I was walking around or having a cup of sugar cane. They asked the standard questions of where I came from, what I was doing in Myanmar, where I stayed, and my plans in the country. At least 2 of them mentioned that they had visited Singapore and shared with me their experiences of my home country - very nice, clean efficient etc. They all appeared sincere folks, as not once did they ask me to buy something or take a look at their wares (1 did mention he had a shop down the street but walked off not expecting me to follow him). I did ask them why they returned to Myanmar, and the response I got was that they wanted to be at home, and they were happy living in Myanmar.
One thing I was careful about though, was never to ask what they thought of their government. I did manage to see, on the Yangon Circular trainride, barb-wired walls surrounding a compound longer than the train. I have been also told that there are thousands of citizens locked up in local prisons (for whatever violations of government regulations).
Ottma the monk
I was catching the sunset at the Shwedagon Paya, snapping pictures and minding my own business, when Ottma (spelling could be wrong), a monk, approached me for a chat. The usual questions about my background followed.
Ottma was about 28 years old, and a monk for most of his life, and happy to be so. He spoke decent English, telling me that he had come to Yangon to study English for a couple of months at a local school. He also expressed an interest in photography, showing me places to take pictures of the immense pagoda, as well as specific locations where I could see the different colors of the 76 carat (!!) diamond at the top of the pagoda.I had taken a good hour of his time talking about our lives and taking pictures, and I was getting apprehensive about what he really wanted from me. Based on my travel and life experiences, there have been few instances whereby people came up to you without wanting anything in return. A few thoughts ran through my head:
- Is he really a monk, or a spy/fraudster in disguise (there have been instances of fake monks begging for alms in Singapore and Hong Kong)?
- Should I offer him a tip/donation? How much would be appropriate?
- How should I tell him I want to leave the pagoda and head downtown for dinner? Will he follow me?
Eventually, he walked me to a taxi waiting area, and out of gratitude, I offered him a measly MMK 100 bill for his time. He glared at me, asked me,"What is this for?", and walked off, leaving me puzzled, and slightly embarrassed.
- Did I offend him?
- Was the amount too small?
- Should I have offered more?
Well, I really won't know the truth, but I think I'll keep my money to myself till people ask me for it next time.
The Shwedagon Paya, Yangon
Laura and Nuria
I'm updating this post in August 2011, as I have to add these 2 Spanish ladies as a significant part of my Myanmar adventure. I had met them on the bus from Yangon to Bagan, and we developed a deep friendshop over the next 48hrs, and I had the pleasure of catching up with them again in July 2011 in Amed, Bali, where they were living for a couple of months. Look up my posts on Amed, Bali for more info about them!
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| With Laura (L) and Nuria (R) |
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be nice!