Myanmar (Burma)

Balloons Over Bagan

written by Katie

Bagan – pronounced bay-gone – is the most visited spot in all of Myanmar and for good reason. It was the former capital of the Pagan Kingdom (the first kingdom to unify the regions that would later become Myanmar) and during its height between the 11th and 13th centuries, over 10,000 Buddhist temples and pagodas were constructed. Today more than 2,200 of those remain. While some restoration efforts have happened and currently take place, these temples fall into the “ruins” category so there is a cool authenticity to them.

The main “to do” in Bagan is to explore the temples which are pretty spread out around the area. We kept reading how everyone rents “e-bikes” as the main way to get around and see everything. I had seen electric bicycles all over Rio de Janeiro and it looked like so much fun to try! Perfect for lazy bikers like myself. Peddling is basically for vanity. Except upon arriving we realized they actually meant electric SCOOTERS, not bikes. Dream crushed. So we rented scooters and started with the Dumb and Dumber references which after three days, we still found hilarious.

Each morning we would wake up at 5:30am while still dark out and scooter to a different temple to take in the sunrise. Climbing up the ruins barefoot (removing shoes is proper temple etiquette) in the dark was an experience. But the sunrises from the top were pretty incredible. Also, each morning after the sun crossed the horizon a bunch of hot air balloons would lower into the valley making the scene that much better. We wanted to do the hot air balloon ride, but the $400 per person price tag didn’t really fit into the budget. We followed a similar routine for sunset but most evenings while there it was a bust and didn’t compare to sunrises.

One of the coolest parts about the temples is there are SO many. Some of the more epic ones are crawling with tour buses and people, but many of them you’ll find without a soul in sight. We had a blast going off the beaten path and getting lost exploring and finding new ones. Some of the surrounding trails were sand which didn’t bode well with our crappy little scooters not made for off-roading. We had a few close calls, but don’t worry mom we were wearing our helmets!

We also took a group tour that covered local life along the Ayeyarwady River. There are large flood planes along the river where people from rural Myanmar come to live in tents while growing crops (mostly beans) for a few months of the year. Once the season is done and the river rises again, they return home to their villages. A sad reality of the river is the growing trend of “electro-fishing” in which car batteries attached to poles are used to send a shock into the water and kill the fish. This method is severely depleting the fish stock in the river and also killing some of the local dolphins. Unfortunately we saw a few boats with batteries in them. On a brighter note, later in the tour we met a salty, 81-year-old guy who helped dock our boat. He was a character. He had a cigar hanging out of his mouth and held a homemade slingshot/bowand arrow contraption at all times to shoot birds getting into his plants.

April 23, 2017 0 comment

Myanmar (Burma)

Floating Villages of Inle Lake

written by Katie

Our stops in Myanmar weren’t too far apart in distance and typically we would train or bus. But we ended up flying due to convenience and reliability. Myanmar’s infrastructure just isn’t set up with reliable schedules and methods for travelers like other countries. There were some buses/trains running, but after research and hearing horror stories, it just wasn’t worth it. But we had no qualms with this issue as frankly, a lack of infrastructure is what excited us about visiting the country.

We flew into the one room Heho airport then took an hour taxi into Inle Lake that we shared with two friendly British girls to split the cost (because #ballinonabudget). The area is famous for its local fisherman who have a unique fishing style in which they use one foot to row an oar and the other on a net. The nets they use are cone-shaped and the fisherman place them into the water then stab a long spear up and down into the net to also try and trap the fish. We did a boat trip around the lake one day and it was very cool to see this up close in action.

The lake itself is really shallow, only a few meters deep in most places. It feels more like a large, flooded marsh than a true lake with distinct shores around it. The area has 70,000 inhabitants, most of which live in the numerous floating villages on the water. Here you can find all the buildings on stilts including homes, stores and even schools. Then everyone takes wooden boats for transportation everywhere. There’s even floating gardens we saw growing tomatoes and other vegetables. Water from the lake is used for all their needs – washing dishes, laundry, bathing, etc. Women wear a sarong around them for privacy since they’re bathing with a bucket right outside their home which is a main waterway for people and boats.

Our guesthouse was in a town just off the water and had free bikes so we enjoyed biking around to nearby fields and out to meals. We realized at this point into our Myanmar travel that the food isn’t that amazing. There were a few decent restaurants there, one of which was an Indian spot where we chatted with the owner/head cook. He was so excited we were from the US because Detroit is there and he’s OBSESSED with Eminem. Even in the tiny hut of a restaurant there was a framed picture of Eminem on the wall as the only decor. So hilarious and random. We never know what we’ll encounter on this trip!

April 23, 2017 0 comment

Myanmar (Burma)

Venturing Into Myanmar – First Stop Yangon

written by Katie

Visiting Myanmar (formerly Burma) has been high on our trip bucket list since the beginning. Given the country borders haven’t been open that many years to tourists, we wanted the opportunity to see and experience it before it becomes more touristed and exposed to western influences. Some parts of the country are even still closed to visitors, so we stuck to safer options starting in Yangon, then traveling to Inle Lake and Bagan.

Roaming the streets of Yangon for a few days was an interesting experience considering we were the only tourists around once we would depart from our hotel. We received lots of gawking and stares as obvious outsiders, but found locals to be pretty friendly. Nearly all the women we saw wore streaks of thanaka on their face which is a natural tree bark used for sunscreen and as makeup. The men wear longhis instead of pants, a long piece of fabric tied around their waist and into a big knot. Trav even sported one so his knees were covered while at the Shwedagon Pagoda, a beautiful group of temples (so much gold and jewels!) set in the middle of the city. You usually found a place like this full of tourists, but instead the scene was monks and local Burmese families. Around the big stupa in the middle you can find a shrine devoted to each day of the week – people pray at each depending on which day of the week they were born.

We love exploring street markets and they were everywhere around Yangon selling everything from typical food to one market had nothing but party supplies. Vendors ranged from big stalls to those with just a simple sheet topped with a few fruits or veggies. Vendors lined the left and right side of the streets, plus had sheets laid down the middle of the road, which we later realized was for cars driving through. The cars just drive right over and the vendor doesn’t have to move their items. Clever or potential for fruit tasting of car fumes? You decide. As is usual in SE Asia, many locals eat their meals from street food vendors. For dining they would eat around tiny plastic table and chairs that back home we would use for small kids. But there it’s just the norm for adults to huddle around these tables with their knees crammed in just enjoying their lunch. Overall Yangon was interesting simply as our first stop into Myanmar and local life, but the city doesn’t really offer much and we looked forward to moving on.