Myanmar

Best of Myanmar

April 10, 2013 /

Thanks to the recent changes in visa requirements for tourists, we were fortunate to add Myanmar to our itinerary and enjoyed Yangon, Mandalay, and Bagan for nine days.

This country has been under military control since 1962. During this time, the United Nations and several other organizations have reported consistent and systematic human rights violations in the country, including genocide, the use of child soldiers, systematic rape, child labor, slavery, human trafficking and a lack of freedom of speech.

Since the military began relinquishing more of its control over the government, however – coupled with its release in 2011 of Myanmar’s most prominent human rights activist, Aung San Suu Kyi – the country’s foreign relationships have improved rapidly, especially with major powers such as the European Union, Japan, and the United States. Trade and other sanctions imposed on Myanmar by the European Union and the United States, have now been eased.

During our short visit to Myanmar, the warmth of their people was a constant invitation to stay. We have never felt as welcome by locals anywhere else and we fell in love with their friendly culture. It is amazing that a population where so much suffering has occurred still has the heart to genuinely care and trust strangers. We left Myanmar with many questions about what the future holds for this quickly changing country, hoping that western influence does not change the carrying demeanor of this community and left happy after having experience the nation at this stage of their history.

Below are other great things we enjoyed about Myanmar:

Food and Drinks

  • Myanmar Beer

  • Rice with Beef Curry

  • Fermented Mango

  • Green Mango

  • Lemon Soda

  • Fried Vermicelli Pork

  • Chicken Fried Rice

  • Garlic Ginger Soup

  • Sugar Cane Juice

  • Myanmar Tea

  • Grilled Fish with Ginger Seasoning

  • Lemon-Ginger Juice

  • Pumpkin Soup

Favorite Sights and Activities

  • Walking on U Bein’s Bridge at Sunset

  • Riding the Yangon Train with Commuters

  • Cycling in Mandalay and the Bagan Temples

People

  • Carlos, Laura, Django: Carlos is Gisela’s friend from Colombia and they are the reason we found out that Myanmar was easily accessible. They opened their home to us and were able to spend some great times together.

  • Andy and Fran: friends we met in Australia and saw in the airport and were on the same flight

  • Than-than and Mariel: work at Carlos and Laura’s house

  • Hlatoo: Yangon local we met on the train

  • Yeyint, Zanaka, Alphakhant: Mandalay locals we met on our walk up to Mandalay Hill, Zanaka is a monk

  • Maylay: a Yangon local we met on the bus from Bagan and shared a taxi ride

Native Words

  • Mingguhlaba = Hello

  • Thank you = Jayzu Dingbade

  • Ta-ta = Goodbye

  • Nahme = Name

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