All you need is a truck blaring loud dance music, people in neon colored jackets, peple dancing, people clapping, and people bowing.
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Shwedagon Pagoda
Words won’t do the pagoda enough so pictures will have to suffice. Information on Shwedagon can be found on the Wikipedia website.
Myanmar: All Aboard The Trains
In my last article about Myanmar, T and I missed our train and were waiting for our train to arrive. A train was approaching the station, showing no sign of stopping at the platform. People were grabbing their wares and bags and heading towards the boarding platform. I can’t put into words what I witnessed but thankfully technology gave me the ability to show you. Watch the video below.
Yes, that did actually happen. After this, T and I went back to waiting around for our train, still having no real idea when it would arrive. Our train did eventually come and we were finally on the way again. The further we got away from Yangon, the poorer the surroundings became. There were piles of burning garbage right against the tracks, paddies filled with plants unknown, wild dogs sniffing for scrape of food, and small shanties in the fore and background.
The train would chug along and make stops at stations that were either little more than slabs of broken concrete or stop at a bustling market that set up between the two train lines. We came up on a market set up between both tracks that quickly wound up being being packed into the train. The train only remained at this station for a few minutes, giving the market vendors little time to load all their wares and themselves aboard the train. T and I soon found ourselves surrounded by huge bags of cabbage and other vegetables in only a few minutes time with little room to move around.
The train would hear further away from Yangon for nearly another half hour to forty five minutes before slowly heading back towards Yangon. The pile of vegetables and those selling them began to thin out as people got off the train as it got closer to Yangon, giving T and I room to move again. The train eventually reached Yangon Station and our adventure on the trains came to an end. T had to head to work and I had to head to my next destination, Shwedagon Pagoda. Stay tuned for the next entry.
Raison’s Cigarette Packaging
When you look at this box, what do you assume is inside? My first guess was candy. Nope. This youthful looking package contains only cigarettes. Raison, a Korean cigarette manufacturer, has changed the packaging of their cigarettes to look more “cool and hip” in an attempt to get more younger people smoking their product. This packaging on the Raison cigarettes reminded me of the cigarette ads on tv and other media formats that our parents grew up seeing that also appealed to them to light up a smoke.
The Trains of Yangon
I love riding trains. They’re comfortable, steady, scenic, affordable, and enjoyable to me. I always take the train whenever time affords me an opportunity for a ride. The KTX in South Korea and the Bullet Train in France are both absolutely amazing to ride on. I luckily had an opportunity to go on the trains of Myanmar on my third day in the country and the experience transformed into something I hope in all my future years of existence I’ll never ever forget about.
The day started off with another amazing breakfast of cheese, jackfruit, and coffee before heading off to down town Yangon. V had to go to work early so it was just me and T that would be riding the trains today. Me, V, and T all got dropped off at the Traders Hotel and we went our separate ways. T and I picked up some meat pies from the hotel before walking towards the Yangon Train Station. We wandered through the streets of Yangon, avoiding potholes, wild dogs, and street vendors selling all types of food and trinkets before reaching the station. The station itself is pretty old and looks well used to say the least. If the station looks old and well used, the train and train cars looked it even more so.
T thought that me taking the train would be an amazing experience for me to have and wanted to take me on the round train that goes outside of Yangon and into the countryside before making its way back into Yangon to show me the stark contrast of city and rural life in Myanmar. We made our way through the station to get to the proper track we wanted to be on. To get our ticket, we had to show our passports to the officials and pay one American Dollar. We had time to kill before our train arrived so we just sat around, watching everything happening around us. People go to the stations and set up small shops, selling everything from water, food, and cheroots to people waiting for their trains while wild dogs lay nearby, hoping for a scrap of food to go their way.
The train did eventually come into the station, pulling behind it cars that looked a good fifty to sixty years old. The cars have no windows or doors, only metal shutters that can be pulled down (if enough strength is used). Seating within the train car is nothing but a wooden bench on each side, rigid and pretty damn uncomfortable. In a few minutes, the train chugged and lurched ahead and we were on our way.
The train sped up and we were on our way out of down town Yangon. As we got further and further into the outer parts of town, it got poorer and poorer, with piles of trash everywhere as clusters of shacks and shanties built right up against the track. The trains would make scheduled stops along the way, allowing commuters and vendors to hop on and off at leisure. Children would hop on and off the train, offering cups or bottles of water to sale to whoever wanted some. T and I brought our own bottles with us to avoid having to chance Myanmar tap water. Looking out from the train car window at Yangon, new and large houses were being built beside old run down buildings and shacks were a common sight. Myanmar is a country full of contrasts.
Once outside of Yangon, the train made a stop, a stop where everyone suddenly got up and off the train and were on their way to wherever they needed to be, leaving T and I very confused about what was happening. A soldier came onto the train and gestured toward us to get off the train, leaving us stuck at a run down train station for the next little while. T and I watched as the engine disconnected from the passenger cars and departed. There was nothing left to do but wait around for our train to arrive.
The train station consisted of some run down shops and restaurants, vendors selling frozen snacks, children playing games and wearing Styrofoam as armour, people sitting around, and chickens and dogs loitering nearby. The weather was blazing hot and there was little in the way of shade. All we could do was hide under a half dead tree on the waiting platform and snap pictures of everything happening around us.
Another engine arrived a while later, attached itself to the passenger cars left behind by the previous engine, and began to head back to Yangon. Our train was still nowhere to be found. We later found out from some locals that the trains were running two hours behind schedule and that this is a pretty common occurrence here. About forty five minutes later, a train horn blew on the horizon and a train could be heard approaching the station. Whether this train would be ours to board or not remained to be seen.
The train was making a constant clanking noise, coming closer with every clank and rattle it made. The train now came into sight and was moving along at a pretty quick pace looked like it had no intention of slowing down at the station while people waiting for their train started to get up and grab their bags and belongings and move towards the platform’s end.
The train was in sight and showed no real signs of slowing down. As the train got close to the platform, it slowed down somewhat but was still going at a good pace. It is here where I will end this entry and finish the day in Myanmar in the next blog that I’ll write. I think this one is getting a bit too long. Stay tuned for the next part.
Day Two Part Two
T wandered off to work, leaving with several hours to fill before he and V were finish working. He mentioned to me that he never tried to get to the waterside docks that were near his work and that I should try and find my way there. I had time to kill and decided to give it a shot. The first challenge was trying to make it across the street in one piece. Traffic is pretty chaotic in Yangon and many people cross the street by darting across when there is a lull in the traffic. I can’t even begin to fathom how many people die trying to cross the street. There were a group of Burmese ahead of me, waiting to cross the street, and decided it would be safest to cross with them when they cross. After several minutes of waiting, there was a gap in the traffic, and the group of us passed. I was now safely on the side I wanted to be on.
The waterside was underside construction with side walks were either torn up, non-existent, or being repaired. There were also large plots of land were flattened, had power lines being lain, and foundations constructed as well. Beside this there was a small market that had vendors selling a large assortment of fruits and vegetables. The smells were indescribable. The smells were coming from the vendors and their varieties of food as well as the large pile of garbage that was nearby. So much was happening here all at once. There were people chatting, bartering over prices, wild dogs either laying down or running around, and kids kicking around a soccer ball. There was something about all the commotion that made me feel great. It was comforting and felt so welcoming.
Beyond the market and all the commotion was the waterside T told me about.The waterside was a place full of commotion. There were vendors selling goods, chatting people, people going to and from the waterside, wild dogs running around, and the constant drone of engines. The boats at the waterside operate daily and move people from here to the other side of the river for a fee of 1000 Kyat (roughly one Dollar). I hung out around here to watch what was happening around me. The boat driver would fill the boat with as many people as it could safely hold before trying to make it across the river. The boats looked ancient and not safe at all. I wonder how many accidents happen with these boats a year.
I spent some more time watching the boats and people come and go before heading back to meet up with V and T. I made my way back through the market, taking in all the sights, sound, and smells that were around me. I eventually made it back to V and T’s work and waited around for them to finish what they needed to. We were heading to a temple for Lunar New Years, then go for some food and drink.
They finished and we hopped in a rickety taxi to make it to the temple. The taxi had holes in the floor, black smoke pouring out the muffler, and shook violently whenever the driver turned the steering wheel. The ride was short thankfully.
We reached the temple, a large temple lit up with neon and Christmas lights. Pretty tacky. In front of the building was a large courtyard that had a large dumpster like box that people were throwing money into to burn for good fortunes in the future. People on the inside were praying as well as preparing the yellow paper money to burn.
We stayed for another 15-20 minutes before walking to a nearby restaurant for some late dinner. We settled on an Indian restaurant that was outdoor seating only. Of the 15 tables that were set up outside, very few were empty. A good sign indeed. We eventually got a seat and decided to order goat curry, chicken, and lots of Myanmar beer. The people running the restaurant were absolutely amazing. They were constantly running, jumping, grabbing full and empty dishes, chatting, and cleaning tables, all at breakneck speed. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life! The goat curry was amazing. I never tried goat before despite having goat on the farm as a child. The meat reminded me of mutton, a similar texture and flavor. The chicken was good but full of tiny bones. I stuck to goat and beer. It was so good I never thought of taking a picture of it until after it was all gone.
We stuffed our faces, left, and decided to go to Chinatown for one more beer. The walk there took us part fruit markets selling all sorts of amazing looking fruit. We bought some jackfruit and snowfruit for breakfast the next day before proceeding on our way to the final beer of the night. The tastes of the fruit, the noises, the smells, and all the commotions of the busy street were an amazing overload.
We sat down at an outside bar for one final beer before calling it a night. T and I were going to be taking the train from Yangon to the countryside the next morning and wanted to get some decent rest. The next entries will be about the train ride and everything that happened.
Day Two in Myanmar Part One
Day Two In Myanmar – Sakura Tower, Markets, and Yangon
The first morning in Myanmar that I would have started with a breakfast of coffee, cheese, eggs, and fruit. What amazed about Myanmar was how many Western things existed in the country. Walking into a City Mart later in my visit showed me that things such as Skittles, Twix Bars, and other American goods can be bought. I would have to assume that these items come via black market into the country.
Mr. Tin Tin, V and T’s driver, picked us all up and we made our way into downtown Yangon so I could exchange my money into local currency, eat, shop, and explore the area. The official currency of Myanmar is the Kyat (pronounced chat) but in order to get Kyat, you must bring into the country fresh new American dollars to be exchanged. I did this in Korea beforehand.
We were dropped off at a local market (Bu Juk Market????) where my friends go to exchange their money. The person they use to exchange currency is a kind older man who works at a jeweler. He exchanged my money into a large pile of Kyat. The Kyat I was given was pretty new and in good shape. This was not the case for most of the money I received in change afterwards. Most money I received after was heavily used, stained from heavy use, taped together, and torn all to hell. This is what most Burmese people use in everyday transactions. Money in good shape can be hard to come by.
We quickly decided to wander around the market to show me what was being sold there. The market was full of vendors selling wood carvings, jewelry, trinkets, antiques, souvenirs, art, snacks, tattoos and piercings, and clothes. I bought a Kyat wallet to ensure my money would remain crisp and unbent as well as a longyi. We browsed around some more then decided to make our way to Sakura Tower for some lunch.
Sakura Tower is an office building in the heart of Yangon (Rangoon) that is known for for the Sky Bistro, a restaurant on the 20th floor of the tower. The restaurant was filled with business people speaking all sorts of different languages. Despite Myanmar being ruled by a military Junta, there are business opportunities here it seems for those who look for them.
I ordered a beef dish with an amazing soup and my friends ordered chicken and fish dishes. Everyone was pretty satisfied with what they had. The most amazing part about the restaurant was the view of Yangon. You could see all of Yangon from the 20th floor of the restaurant. 
We finished our meals then made our way back to the streets. V had to head to work so it left T and myself to wander around Yangon for 4-5 hours until he had to head into work as well.
Sakura Tower is nearby the Traders Hotel
Yangon is photographic gold! It’s a mixture of old colonial buildings, old temples, and run down looking buildings. Just amazing! We even walked by the building that Aung San, father of Aung San Suu Kyi, was assassinated in. The sidewalks in Yangon are in pretty bad shape with the side walks being non-existent at times though work is being done to repair some we noticed.
The old colonial buildings are a different story. All of them are fenced off from the public and are in various states of disrepair. People are squatting in them though despite barriers being put up to prevent people from doing so.
We wandered around for a couple more hours and came across a pagoda that was built in the middle of a major road. As a result, the pagoda is now also a roundabout with shops in the lower sections.
We decided to take a break from the heat and walking by resting at a side walk tea shop. There are plastic tables and chairs set up on the side walk and on each table is a kettle of tea and two cups. The tea is free but food and other drinks do cost money (not very much at all). We rested here for 45 minutes or so before T had to make his way to work. We went our separate ways from here. I had a few hours to kill in Yangon by myself now. My next entry will talk about my solo adventure.
Day One in Myanmar
The next few blogs that I will be writing will be devoted to my travels to Myanmar . I wanted to go to Myanmar to see V and T, dear friends of mine who were teaching in Korea the same time as I was. Korea. They moved to I was in the country from the second of February to the sixth of the same month. My journey to the country began the day before with me flying from Incheon airport to Kuala Lumpur. The eleven hour layover was brutal but time did pass and I was soon on my connecting flight into Yangon International Airport. The flight landed just after seven in the evening and The airport itself was small and bland with little to look at or see. The immigration line for foreigners at the airport was very slow moving and tedious, with two employees at each station, checking to make sure all your documents were completely in check. I’d hate to have anything wrong with my papers. My turn eventually came and several long minutes and document checks later, I was allowed to enter the country.
An older Burmese man was waiting at the doors, yellow piece of paper in hand with my name it, was waiting at the door for me. This man is Mr. Win Tin, taxi driver and friends of V and T. He is a sweet man who enjoys driving foreigners. This is so because he always wanted to be a tour guide but never had the opportunity to. For him, driving foreigners and showing them sights of Burma/Myanmar is the next best thing for him. He took my luggage and put it in the trunk of his car. His car being a very used mid-eighties Toyota Corolla.
Vehicles in Myanmar range from old to new to should be crushed and junked. Many of the cars I believe were cast offs from Japan. There were many ancient Mazdas and Toyotas on the road that in any other country would have been turned into fridges long ago. The black fumes these cars, trucks, and buses put off were sickening to say the least. The buses were imported from Japan, Korea, and China and were all in very rough condition. Buses go to Myanmar to die.
Driving through Yangon at night showed me that the country was a hodge podge mixture of old and new buildings. I saw new apartments and other office buildings under construction and many houses and buildings beside them that should have been torn down long ago. Mr. Win Tin took me by the famous Shwedagon Pagoda on the way to see V and T. While the streets may have been dimly lit, the Pagoda was shining brightly for all passers by to see.
The drive lasted for ten more minutes before I reached V and T’s place of work. T was outside and quickly caught up. V was done work shortly later and we went for some amazing Nepalese food at the place they called the Cockroach Cafe. My friends took someone here to eat and while eating, a cockroach fell onto their arm.
Restaurants aren’t the cleanest in Myanmar. Seeing rats and mice in the establish are a common sight. But the food is amazing and I did not get sick at all. Yay for me.
We finished our meal and went to drop off my bags at V and T’s place. Mr. Win Tin went to his home for the night while V and T and I caught up over some beer and some cheroots. Myanmar beer is simply called Myanmar Beer and is pretty good. I’d compare it to some of the cheaper Canadian beers such as Lucky Lager in terms of taste. Cheap too. We continued to drink until two in the morning when we decided to call it a night.
Day two would include visiting a large market, exchanging money, eating amazing food, and wandering around Yangon.
