Burmese phrases and 28 April 2015

28 April

First things first - we need to learn a few phrases of Burmese:

"Mingalar-bar" - hello
"Jee-zoo-bar"; "Jee zoo de mar te" - thank you.  

 

"Jammar bar zee" - good health or CHEERS!

 

Myanmar is known by three names, "Union of Myanmar", " The Golden Land", and most famously, "Land of Pagodas" - when you close your eyes and point with your finger, there will be a pagoda.  

Cars are made for Australian roads - the steering wheel is on right hand side but they drive on right hand side of the road!  Imagine it - to overtake cars in front - as the driver you're on the furthest side of the car, not being able to see what's coming towards you, you've got a long way to 'slide out' into the road to have a peek - so dangerous.

 

And you won't see a motor bike in Yangon - about 30 years ago a young person on a motor bike tried to shoot a VIP in a car on his way from the airport - banned then and still to this day.  

At various properties along the roadsides, clay pots and occasionally a cup sit on ledges or tables. Water is "donated" by locals for thirsty travellers, in order they may gain merit. The better you are here on earth the more merit you gain and you'll come back as something better than an animal in the next life. 

Mandalay used to be called the city of (push) bikes. 

'Honoured guests' at a wedding

Some facts about Yangon:

 

5,000,000 pop Yangon 

$USD100 per month = avg monthly wage 

1,000 kyat = $USD1

300-500 kyat 1 litre water (on the street).  Supermarket 200 kyat

After freshen up at Hotel 51, Shwegadon Pagoda in all its golden glory awaited. It is every Burmese wish to visit this pagoda at least once in their lifetime. If they do, they can't then die happy.  

 

The stupa has a crowning diamond - 76 carats atop a Diamond Bud of 1,800 diamonds for a total of 800 carats. This was followed by a welcome dinner from our tour company, Myanmar Travel, that also included the obligatory cultural show, both of which we would have been happy to miss. You can't really beat a simple meal at a local restaurant - one where the locals eat. 

Thai monks wear saffron coloured robes. The monks here wear what I would describe as "crimson" robes, but we're told they are actually "dark brown". When commercial dyes were not available natural dyes were used and the tree bark colours the robes of Burmese monks. 

John, the "white man", was in demand for photos. 

 

Women and children have their faces painted with a paste made from the thankha tree and water to protect them from the harsh sun and to, "make their skin soft and beautiful". The men wear it too but at night, at home!

The number plates are coloured red for taxis, buses; blue - tourist; black - private; yellow - religious; white - diplomat. 

I listened to 3LO overnight - bliss! Although the line kept dropping out it was great to hear Tony and Trevor. I couldn't get Red this morning for very long but I got Jon for about half an hour. 

 

28 April - Yangon - Mawlamyine

We've been on the road to Mandalay for just on two hours having left Hotel 51 after brekky and a cup of refreshing Twinings lemon and ginger tea at 7.30 am. I was aroused from a deep sleep by a man calling out, over and over again.  He was clearly on the move, as his voice was loud, under our hotel window then became more and more faint as he moved on.  After similar callings in Tibet, I was sure he was on a pilgrimage prostrating along the ground to the monastery - but no, after listening to my video our guide tells me he was selling "steaming beans".  Not nearly so romantic.

Toot, toot, toot is our constant companion as cars, trucks, and buses push in, merge, cut off our driver.  At home the horns would be blasted, here the drivers just toot, toot to let you know they're cutting in.  Toot, toot, I'm passing. Toot toot, move over please. My hands cover my eyes at various stages but although it seems quite manic, it works. There are five million people in Yangon, and so many of them are moving about selling produce or cooked food or trying to get to work early in the morning.  People are absolutely crammed onto the local buses; they jump on and off as they start to take off, hanging precariously onto the hand rails with feet barely touching the running boards.

Here in Burma, as in Thailand, the billboards large and small - in fact most advertising - shows the locals with nearly white complexions. The darker your skin the lower down the caste ladder you're considered to be. There is even one milk wash that will, "make your skin white".  Advertising!
 

 

There's not a lot of infrastructure here and certainly no rubbish collection: garbage litters the roadsides and people drop litter without any thought it seems.

As we drive along, we can see that the soil looks to be quite rich and fertile with green fields and rice paddies, and buffalo help the farmers plough the soil. Stupas are dotted throughout the land, hidden by rubber plantations, tall and smaller palm trees and eucalypts. Smoke tendrils waft up from burning litter or burning fields. Bamboo is a well used commodity; used for scaffolds, huts and as a means to carry goods.  It drags along behind the back of a motorbike, too long for the pillion to hold it - it drags along on the ground sending up clouds of dirty brown dust.

There are lots of corrugated tin huts along the roadsides, some with newer tin, although much of it is rusted.

 

We headed 40 kms towards Mandalay before turning south off the main road towards Mawlamyine (Moulmein).  Lunch was at a tourist bus destination - large covered buildings with row after row of aluminium tables and chairs and we were the only "white people" there.  Political correctness in the way people are described hasn't come here - you're described exactly how you are - white people - "white man", "white woman". And people are so keen to have their picture taken with the white man, or white woman!

 

Young girls at the street market keen to talk with us and have their photos taken with us!

Young girls learning English were very keen to talk with the 'white man and woman'

What's on offer for lunch?  Local river catfish, fried chicken, rice, Myanmar curry veggie and peanut soup, "chicken insides" ie liver and gizzards, catfish, and Myanmar beer! 

 

The bill for lunch 12,500 kyat ~ $12.50 (without "chicken insides"!)  And yes our wallets are HUGE - if only the kyat had the equivalent value to the AUD or USD!