Two countries left in SE Asia to visit…Myanmar and Laos. Chinese New Years affords me 4 days so off I go to Myanmar. My flight early Saturday morning brings me to the country’s largest city, Yangon (formerly known as Rangoon), where I hope to visit the sites, spend the night and then jet to Bagan bright and early Sunday morning.

Myanmar was Burma until the name change in 1989…the USA still doesn’t “recognize” the new name. From 1962 until 2011, Myanmar was under Military Rule, perhaps not the best for the citizens but it kept the country from getting commercialized like so many of its neighbors. To date there are no McDonald’s or Starbucks, no KFC’s or Burger Kings within its borders….how nice is that!!!! But Myanmar is on the cusp of change and before long this amazing country will be known to the world.

Foreigners are not allowed to drive in Myanmar (cars or motorcycles), but for the locals who do drive, well, it is quite an experience. You see, up until 1948 Myanmar was a British colony, and like all British colonies traffic ran on the left hand side of the road. But in 1970 all traffic was moved to the right side of the road. The reason? No one is quite sure, but two common theories exist. The General in charge, Ne Win, had a dream that the country should switch directions. Another is that Ne Win’s wife’s astrologer shared with her that the country would be better off driving on the right hand side of the road. Whatever the reason behind it, the General made the decisions and overnight the change took place. What didn’t change was the position of the steering wheel. All cars had the driver sitting on the right hand side of the car. That makes sense when you drive on the left. Now picture driving on the right hand side of the road with the driver sitting on the right hand side of the car….now try to pass a car on the highway!!!! Bizarre to be sure. Slowly, very slowly, cars are being brought in with the driver side on the left.

The currency in Myanmar is the Kyat. Right now it trades at 1200 Kyat to one US dollar. I exchanged $200.00 and the stack of 1000 Kyat bills I received was way too thick to put in a wallet!!! But most places also take US currency…..but not just any US currency. The bills must be CRISP…now tears, no wrinkles, no bends. I tried buying something with a twenty dollar bill that had a dog-eared corner and a healthy crease along the middle. NOPE, no sale. The banks won’t accept the money so the people won’t accept it. Bring only crisp money to Myanmar.

Wherever you go in Myanmar, the women, and some men, wear a creamy paste called Thanaka on their faces and sometimes on their arms and legs. This cream has been used by the women of Myanmar for over 2000 years. For those that can afford it, you can purchase jars of the cream already made up. But most buy or harvest small logs of Thanaka tree and grind the bark with a small amount water on a circular stone slab called a kyauk pyin. The paste that is created is then applied to the face and other areas of the body. It has a fragrant Sandalwood scent and it said to help control acne and promote smooth skin. It also serves as a protection from the sun and is a sign of beauty.

While the women love the Thanaka, men are addicted to Betel Nut. Everywhere you will see red blotches of spittle on sidewalks for most males constantly have a betel nut between their gums and cheek. Teeth stained red, the nut provides a little buzz, is suppose to be an appetite suppressor, and is said to expel parasites. I love trying things when visiting a new country but I passed on betel.

betel…mixture of betel nuts with some white lime paste with cloves, aniseed, and cardamom, all placed in a betel vine leaf.

Yangon is a city of around 6 million people. it is much like Phnom Penh in that there are very few tall buildings, but that will change in the coming years. There are still many historical buildings from the colonial period…it is really quite a lovely city.

Here are some of the sites I visited:

Nga Htat Gyi Pagoda
This pagoda is home to the “FIVE STORY BUDDHA”, a 45 foot tall sitting Buddha. I arrived early in the morning and the sun was shining in through windows high above. This Pagoda is tucked away in a residential area and not very crowded but most impressive.

The “Five Story Buddha”

Scott’s Market
An all day market built for locals and tourist alike.

Chauk Htat Gyi Buddha
Very close in proximity to the Five Story Buddha is Chauk Htat Gyi Buddha, one of the largest reclining Buddhas in the world. It is so large it was hard to fit it into the rangefinder of the camera.

The Shwedagon Pagoda
I have toured many pagodas in my time in SE Asia, but none compare in beauty to the Shwedagon Pagoda…absolutely stunning. Towering 325 feet tall, you can see the Pagoda for miles around. At night it is all lit up and breathtakingly beautiful. They say the Buddha here is over 2600 years old. Only monks are allowed on the upper tiers of the temple, but the public can walk all around the base. I chose to visit at sunset as everything was cooler. In all temples in Myanmar you are asked to remove your shoes and this temple at noon can be a scorcher. Definitely worth the trip to Yangon just to see this pagoda.

Tomorrow morning I travel to Bagan, beautiful, beautiful Bagan.