comments on Myanmar

Hello everyone…
Today is an absolutely beautiful day, April-12th…and we are en route to OMAN, arriving tomorrow. The past week or so has been absolutely amazing…so many wonderful sights, and opportunities to “give thanks” for our great fortune in being American, free and filled with opportunities not available in so many other parts of the world.

Myanmar…such grand temples and despite the” improvement since the communists have taken control’ , per some of the people we have met… we were also told of the control of information …! One can see it on the channels available on TV despite the sattilite dishes which some have managed to afford… this is few as the tax to have them is high. Then, the stations and radio is controlled anyway. Monitoring the “net” is such a problem, although the people with whom we talked were complimentary to the overall conditions and hope for a better future, I do not feel it safe to put much information than this, into this internet document…and will wish to share more with you, in person, when, once, we are together again.

Our first day in Burma, allowed us a visit to the fabulous Swedagon Pagoda…it is 2500 years old and 326 feet high…truly amazing. As we approached, we entered a golden gate and immediately had to take off our shoes AND socks. (unlike in Thailand, only shoes were required). Throughout the temple area, there were many young women using rather primitive brooms, to sweep away any dirt…so that we could walk safely and RELATIVELY cleanly. Of course, our feet needed “disinfecting” once we were again home…but “when in Rome…” and out of respect, we did feel more blended in with so many others who were visiting from ALL around the world coming together …a truly a multicultural group to see this grand complex of tributes to Buddah. The sight was overwhelming to me at moments…somewhat like the experience at the grand Palace in Bankok. Many were praying and some just listening to history, others quietly taking it all in (me). The riches are astounding…especially in the Temples and surrounding the “reclining Buhhah” sites…our next stop Chauk Htat Gyi one of the largest reclining Buddahs in the world.

I kept looking at the people, and found to my surprise that many of the people I met in those areas seemed to have smiles. I imagined that, as they live in such difficult circumstances, this might not be the case. Quite the contrary...whenever I waved to them from the bus...they smiled back and eagerly waved at me. Friendly and aimiable, they seemed proud of their various jobs sweeping to try as they might, to keep the holy sites clean. However, just outside of the temple areas there were many in want…always selling their fans, or jewelry or hats…whatever they could for money. Some just looking ! Those seemed sort of Lost…it was difficult to see. It surely seems to be a start contrast…a country of untold riches, historically, as depicted in their golden temples and yet, so many of the people are literally DIRT poor.

As I have been editing pictures, when I came to a picture which was not in focus, I deleted it. After the second or third one, It struck me that if I deleted anymore, then the faces in those pictures would be simply disappear. It would be so easy to have pretty pictures, yet if I continued, the many blurred faces of those I saw in my poorest pictures would also erase from my memory. I don’t want that to happen! Ironic, isn’t it, that the poorest pictures, were, often, of the poorest people. Even the blurring seem appropriate. I felt that I could not erase them… that…for through the blurring, the thoughts and feelings from their hearts and minds, as shown in their eyes…are captured. I want to remember them !


The second day, we went northeast to the ancient city of BAGO, founded in 825, made capitol of the Mon Kingdom 13th century. We were here for the whole day. The trip was long and very interesting. Unlike the central city, there were long stretches of uninhabited road, dotted along the way with an occasional market stand, or gas station. Often, one would see one or two people working the fields…or lying in a hammock under a tree. Transportation here, unlike Thailand (Honda motor bikes), is bicycles ! There are thousands of them all through Burma…as most people still call it.

The men wear a piece of material wrapped around the lower halfof their bodies…and most often thongs or bare feet. The women wear the same…with covered, veiled upper half…most often very colorful…always conservatively covering their arms and legs. Often their heads. NO MATTER THE TEMPERATURE WAS hot, HOT HOT !!!

En route, we stopped at the war memorial to commenerate the 27,000 Allied soldiers who died in World War !! This was quite impressive and there were several Burmese gardening to help to keep it pristine…Note the pictrure in shutterfly in a few days !
As we traveled, we entrered the town of Htauk Kyant…and a market there…very clean with beautiful things ! Not enough time…probably a GOOD THING!

Then, it was on to another pagoda, Shwendagon…the highest pagoda in Myanmar…over 1,000 years old, and another reclining Buddah at Shwethalyaung . After a wonderful lunch, we went to Kyakhatwine Monastery, Southern Myanmar’s largest one, and quite an experience. As we entered, the Monks were all lined up, awaiting entry for their one big meal of the day…rice and one vetable. The monestary was VERY sparce and dirty. We were allowed to explore the outer rooms and when we did, in one very distant and dirty room, I found three women sitting in a corner, peeling potatoes and root vegatables. It was so dark and dirty, that, at first, I didn’t even see them. Once I did, they were all smiles and even offered to pose for me with pots on their heads as if they were carrying them. I couldn’t help but wonder about them! Were they taught how to do this for sightseers…? Were they just glad to see me…someone from “the outside”…who were they? I had sooooo many questions which will be unanswered, yet the experience left an indelible mark on me…!

Before we were scheduled to leave Bago…we did two things. The first was to walk among a typical Bago village and witness the weaving of cloth. Amazing to me that in such a small place…a hut really, dirt floors and such, a large weaving machine run completely by hand could be found in several homes. The weaving was being done by teenagers as well as one older man. The Children could work, either weaving or rolling cigarettes for sale, because it was too hot and they were on school vacation ! (some vacation…eh?)Again, lighting was poor, yet the people were all smiles and Oh! So welcoming to us…I couldn’t resist buying a couple of pieces of cloth, when I met the older lady who was selling it.

Walking around this area, were, also, many villagers selling their wares…and I met up with several girls. They couldn’t’ have been more than about 14 or 15 years old. They giggled lots of the time, when I joked with them…and, of course, we HAD to get a picture. I showed them the picture…and that made them giggle even more. Yes…! I did buy some hats & fans from them!

There was soooo much poverty here, it was amazing ! yet…the people seemed happy while we were there. I wondered…how, why? Perhaps they know nothing else...perhaps simplicity in their lives is all right and 'enough"...?

Our last stop was at Kyeikpon to see the four soaring Buddah images. By the time we arrived there…I confess, I decided that I had seen my LAST Buddah…and, instead, would walk around to meet more of the people. That I did. I didn’t go far, as this was not the place to do so, however it didn’t take long to meet a 13 year old girl…selling her wares. She had been a ¾ of our sites and I asked, while laughing>..HOW could she manage that, being everywhere we were…she said that she”… LIVED here”…and knew the short cuts to get from place to place in order to be able to spend more time with us…to make more sales. She asked about me, how old I was and I told her that I was 13 once. She said plainly…”No! really, how old are you…I want to get to know you” (how could one resist a pretty young girl who speaks her mind and is so creatively selling and making her way in life?) I told her…and she shouted “no!”. I asked if that was bad…she said no, but that she had never met anyone that old…then giggled. I asked why? She said that people don’t usually live THAT long. She said that she wanted to though because she had a little daughter; while she told me all about her little girl…she, eagerly, dug into her straw bag of the hats she had brought to sell, to find her picture to show me. (note the picture of the little girl, holding the picture of HER little girl in the shutterfly pictures.

I told her about our grandchildren and the three little ones on the way…and that made her happy (that I would share with her). All this time, she sacrificed time selling, to talk with me. Finally Pat found us, and after a picture, we had to leave. She hugged me and I can’t help but feel that both of us got more out of our time, than either her selling, or, my looking at even one more Buddah after the many wonderful sites I had already seen!

We finished the day having refreshments at the royal barge…the cap of a lovely, interesting and poignant day. At our last stop, we were approached by two older women who were selling sparrows. It seems that it is ‘good luck’ to honor something by releasing the sparrows at the same time (ie our white doves). Here, however, somehow, they manage to catch them again, and sell them over and over. Creative, eh? NO! we didn’t buy any .

The 2+ hours ride back to the ship offered time for reflection and for giving thanks for all we have in our lives whether big or small…perhaps just for living longer than 13!

Well………this is all for now…as I will try to get more pics ready for uploading. There will be a lot so enjoy them…I just couldn’t leave many out, this time…my weakness !
(just finished day one...day two is coming tonight, or SOON!)

I just found out that they DOUBLED the internet rates, despite the connection speeds being so slow,and so, I may have to just imbed a few pictures into my journal from now on, and to do the uploading once home…we’ll see.
Each stop has with it grandeur, priceless treasures and history…but I continue to feel, the more I see, that people are really just the same !

Be well…………
Safe and know that we care deeply about each of you.
Nancy