Hong Kong Towncrier Magazine

November 2002

Burmese Daze, p. 40

Burma has got to be one of the most complicated and perplexing countries anywhere. Even the name, Myanmar or Burma, is loaded politically. What do you call it? Burma? The familiar name lent by the former colonial occupiers is a representative of only one of the many incredibly diverse ethnic groups, and distinctly politically incorrect from many angles. Or do you plonk for Myanmar, a name perhaps more historically accurate but assigned by the present ruling bad boys, the democracy-crushing military junta?

It sounds like a cliché from a naff brochure, but honestly, there really is nowhere quite like Burma. International business does not touch it with a very long barge pole and the unintentional result is unspoilt land that has fallen well behind the progress of the world. Awash with colour and charm, the nation certainly has its issues, many of which you'll come across on a visit. Much of this country is shut off to foreigners and is lawless, carved up between bickering warlords. There are rebel insurgencies, vast poppy fields and a huge smuggling network that the government would rather tourists didn't stumble upon, plus other shadowy secrets like the AIDS ridden junkie workers of the grim jade mines of the north, drawing their wages in heroin.

Infrastructure hasn't had any major investment for generations, with the exception of the white elephant of the flashy but marooned Mandalay 'International' Airport, which in true government-run fashion, has only ever received one international chartered flight. With ground transport erratic and cumbersome, most visitors are realistically limited to four fairly central destinations separated by little more than an hour's flight. A quadrangle has emerged in recent years - Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake.

The capital Yangon is very likable, although most people say that it is only really recommended for its unbelievable gold-tiled temple, the Schwedagon Pagoda. Tonnes of metric gold lumped in one place is a sight to behold, and one literally has to slip a pair of sunglasses on to shield your eyes from the blinding dazzle of the midday sun off the solid gold. Scott Market is certainly worth exploring as it has got to be one of the best markets in Asia, filled to the brim with unique arts and crafts rather than the usual tacky rubbish. Yangon is the only place in Burma that can be considered international, at least in terms of food, and certainly communications and banking which are archaic if you can find them at all.

This is also the only place to sort out your money before a jaunt upcountry, although anywhere outside the capital feels like something of a safari. I had huge problems in Yangon, but that was nothing compared to the rest of the sleepy land, and often you can only rely on hard cash. On arrival you have to change 200USD into the government FECs, a monopoly currency for tourists. Changing further foreign currency through banks is absurd as the rate offered was literally a per cent or two of the black market rate. You can forget ATMs, and travellers cheques are hit and miss in Yangon, and worthless outside it. Hotels seem to offer rates quite close to the black market rate for some unexplained reason, but if you weren't staying with them then you'd have to track down the under-the-table operators, usually the local jewellers. Exchange is handled professionally and openly, not the clandestine drug deal scenario you might expect. VISA is the foreign only credit card and very reluctantly accepted since it takes an unfathomable 8 months to be processed. Not surprisingly hefty commission rates are slapped on top. Be warned!

Bagan is by far Burma's most spectacular site and one of the most important archeological sites in Asia with thousands of ancient redbrick temples strewn across the dusty plains. Trotting around with a pony and cart is a great way to soak it up, and the sunset is quite unmatched anywhere in the world. When the sun goes down, there's little else to do than go to bed. Not far from Bagan is Mt Popa, the mystical home to the spirits, overlooking a quiet monastery sitting atop an ejected volcanic plug.

Burma's second city is a surprisingly gritty and simple place and certainly not a scaled down version of Yangon. There's not a huge amount to see in Mandalay itself but it could easily absorb three or four days if you get out to the interesting surrounding areas like the quirky hill station Maymyo. The mellow riverboat ride to the islet of Mingun is a pleasure in itself, and Mingun some absorbing earthquake-ravaged ruins.

The fourth point on the quadrangle is the idyllic serenity of lush Inle Lake. Here a quiet rural community lives on stilts and ekes a living from fishing and farming rice. Highlights, if you can drag yourself away from just gazing into the distance, include the Nga Phe Monastery, famed for its jumping cats. The simple cottage industries like cheroot making are a window on a way of life forgotten in the developed world.

If you can get past the thorny issue of whether you should go in the first place, and survive Burma's hilarious hurdles, you might just come away with the feeling that you have witnessed one of the last exotic frontiers of a rapidly changing world.

Useful Hotels

Yangon - The Strand
Sofitel Plaza
Sedona Yangon

Mandalay - Sedona Mandalay
Mandalay Swan

Bagan - Bagan Golf Resort
Bagan Hotel

Inle Lake - Inle Princess