Jan 10th
through 12th, 2007 was spent in flight. I again tried to keep track of the hours
but somehow again that escaped me. Next time, I will journal the time spent and
know exactly. My computation put the total time either in the air, in airports,
or between airports at about 33 hours before arriving in Bangkok, Thailand.
I left for the airport early and dropped my car off at the Metrolink. Lynnetta
would pick it up later and store it at her place. She lives just five minutes
from the station. She will drop it off the day that I return and leave the key
so that I can just hop in and drive home. Thanks L for the help. This way saves
lots of driving for all and my car is safe. WELL, MAYBE? It’s an hour ride to
the airport. Then, a short flight from STL to CHI. In CHI boarded a 777 to fly
to Narita Airport in Tokyo. Massive place that requires transferring from one
terminal to another. Confusion seems the rule unless one knows the rules. I just
followed the masses and read the many message boards in my hurry to make the
flight. Our flight from CHI was late. This plane was late too; so no problem. I
fixed any stress with a nice stiff drink after the plane was on its way.
Interesting comparisons of foreign vs. American companies. AA charges for each
alcoholic drink on the way to Tokyo.
They serve from mini bottles. Price is $5. JAL serves free drinks but pours them
from a large bottle. The same with wine. The food in both planes runs from poor
to poor. I slept much of the Bangkok run. Met in the baggage claim an American
of Thai descent, Joe. He has a company that works with US doctor’s offices to do
accounting and patient monitoring. Much of his daily work is sent back and forth
to Bangkok but his headquarters in Kansas City. Nice guy who took me under his
wing and guided me to a fine hotel, the Jasmine, in downtown Bangkok. He has a
suite there. Expensive but for a night or two all is well. The Jasmine is
much like a Hampton or Marriott. I shared a cab and he called ahead for a room
for me. After so long in the flying process, nothing could have been better.
Except maybe a cheaper place!
So why not go on to Myanmar, you ask. The main
reason is that I had no ticket to go to Yangon. I had not gotten it yet. I just
have tickets into Bangkok on 12 Jan and out 19 Feb. I must get to my other
cities, as I need. Luckily, Thailand does not need a visa so going into the
country is easy. I had gotten
my passport with Myanmar Visa the day before I left. That is another story and
one that brings stress just thinking about having a flight out but no passport.
I could not have left on time had it not arrived, and that is part of the story
about not having a ticket into Myanmar.
Jan 13, 2007 In Bangkok. I slept in but tossed and turned all night. The Jasmine had a great breakfast with lots of fresh fruit and excellent omelets. My last good breakfasts before the trip into the hinterland. After breakfast, I went on the hotel computer and found out which companies flew from Bangkok to Yangon. Good old Google! Then, off to a nearby travel agency recommended by Joe to purchase the ticket into Yangon. By the time I picked up the ticket, the day had slipped by. The worst news was that the flight were all full going into Yangon the next day and that I would have an early flight out on the 15th. Ok. I stopped by a street café and had a bowl of Thai Noodle soup, a new beer label and went home for a rest, some reading and TV. Enough for a day!
January 14, 2007 In Bangkok. I wondered up and down Sukemvit Street most of the day. I had intended to walk to the Golden Temple area but never made it even close. The walking along the busy street is difficult and many hawkers are on the street selling a bit of every item one can describe. I visited many stores but this early in the trip did not want to make any purchases. SO, I just looked and took in the busy Thai street life. I cut through one side street that was made up of bars and only bars. Needless to say this street would be much different during the day than the night – now it was quiet. The streets are all packed with cars and busy 24 hours a day. Traffic is a known Bangkok problem. To cross one has to use the overhead crosswalks. I learned good J-walking in Vietnam but was afraid to practice the skill here. And so the day was whiled away. Another bowl of noodles and I was ready for the night and the next weeks in Myanmar.
Jan 15, 2007 From Bangkok, Thailand to Myanmar. The
flight left at 8 AM and one has to be at the airport
about 2-3 hours ahead on an international flight. I
had found a flight on Myanmar Air, the official
airline of Myanmar and one with a horrible flight
record. But not international, I was told. No
international flight had ever crashed, just in
country. Nice news. I was way to early but that is
OK. Got my airport tax paid, and my book out. I read
and waited. Check-in was simple. I passed easily
through immigration and the scanners paid little
interest to my carry-on luggage. A long walk down the
halls of a three-month-old airport was lonely and
quiet. I was the second to arrive. The first was and
elderly Myanmar man who appeared not to have flown
often and was a bit concerned with whether this was
the place or not. A rowdy group of Russians shared a
bottle of Champaign as they drank through a straw.
The area finally filled with passengers during the
last few minutes; I suppose they had straggled in the
duty free area spending a bit more before boarding the
plane.
An interesting commentary on Myanmar business policy.
This spot would be the last time for a while whereanyone could use a Visa or Mastercard. There may be a
few places in Yangon and at the high class tourist
spots in other cities where those credit cards can be
used but, in general, Myanmar is a cash only
environment. AND the cash is in dollars and dollars
only. For a country that distrusts America a great
deal, they love our money and the safety that the
dollar provides. Interesting is it not?
The flight arrived on time, and after immigration and
baggage claim at the new Yangon Airport International
Terminal, I walked out into the street on Myanmar
soil. The weather was hot and just touching on muggy.
There it was, a sign in the hands of a young Myanmar
man. It read, Robert Williams. So nice to see. My
ride to the Ocean Pearl Inn was assured. The ride
into Yangon took about 40 minutes in mixed traffic.
Not so bad. The ride was free so that is good.The Ocean Pearl Inn is a small guesthouse just east of
the city center on the busy Anawrahth Street and near
the junction of Botahtaung Pagoda Road that leads tothe pagoda of the same name. It will remain the best
of my hotels in Myanmar. The cost of the rooms is $10
a night. The rooms are simple, with TV, AC, a
refrigerator and shower. All the necessities for a
good stay. The best part of The Ocean Pearl is the
staff. Mr. Phan is manager and a wonderful, helpful,
and happy man who can do everything from getting
airline tickets to finding books to read. They
provide a nice breakfast and have answers to all
problems. This was a good choice! With the humidity,
the walk was awfully sweaty. I sweat a lot those
first few days. Just a bit different than I would
have had I been in Edwardsville.
I spent the afternoon getting acquainted with the city
center. Just walking and stretching the legs was
good. On the corner of Sule Pagoda Road, an older man
who spoke very good English accosted me. I was
walking by and he attached himself to me and began to
direct me on a tour of the city. I told him that I
needed to eat and he took me by the arm and we walked
a block to a local café. I ordered shrimp and ate the
biggest shrimp that I have ever eaten along with
noodles and soup. Very nice! Around $3 for dinner and
a beer. Following that I was directed south to walk
through the Sule Pagoda, a Buddhist temple. Then past
City Hall, Immanuel Baptist Church, the Mahabandoola
Gardens, the High Court. That walk is like a walk
into British History as all the buildings are from
British time before 1947. The British stamp is
evident everywhere. My voluntary guide explained
everything in detail. Soon the Sun was going down and
my guide became nervous. He pointed me in the right
direction for the hotel and asked to be paid. I knew the time would come. So I offered $2. He thought $4
would be better as he had a wife and family to
support. OK, $4 it was. I enjoyed the day. I have
not seen him on the street since but I expect he is
out there trolling for foreigners.
16 Jan 2007 In Yangon, Myanmar. The first thing I
needed here was my Visa to Bangladesh so I arranged
for a taxi to the Embassy. The driver waited for me
and it took an hour to fill out the forms and pay the
$100 visa fee. The driver returned me to the hotel
and I headed up town to visit the Market areas by the
way of the Yangon River and the Post Office. I
dropped off any cards that I would mail from Myanmar
and walked along the Strand Road that parallels the
Yangon River. I found a place to collect sand and
added another task completed. Stopped by the Strand
Hotel to check it out. This hotel has been the
traditional stopping place for generations of British
travelers in Burma. I was going to have tea but
decided to just read the free English language
newspaper. I needed a dose of back home politics.
Nothing has changed.
I walked up the Strand and watched at each of the
Jetties where local passenger catch rides across or up
and down the Yangon. One ship filled with rice was
being unloaded one bag a time, the old-fashioned way
on the back of a person. I stopped for a breather at
a 300 year-old Chinese Temple that marked the
beginning of China Town. As I sat on an empty chair
in the shade of the Temple, a middle aged Chinese
woman joined me and started a conversation. She was a
lawyer in the city. We talked about things for a
while and then I headed out. I decided that Chinatown
would be a good food-stop so I hit the first café up
the Strand. Good noodle dumplings. Then up the Sule
Pagoda Road past the Pagoda to the heart of shopping
in Yangon, the Bogyoke Aung San or Scott Market.
The market is housed in a 4-story building and
contains every imaginable item needing to be sold. I
looked at lacquer ware, clothing, jewelry, jewels
(Myanmar is the place for rubies), antiques, plastic
junk, foods, medicines, and you name it. I did not
want to purchase much as I would have to carry
everything by hand that I bought. Will go back and
see what the pearls look like when I return. Pearls I
can pack along. I took most of the rest of the day and
ended with a bowl of noodles at a local food court. I
did purchase two hand-beaded purses made by Chan
people from the north. Very nice and colorful!
Going into the food court is another cultural
experience. Every booth sends a representative to lure
you back to their area. Each shouts why you should
come to eat with them. No one speaks English so their
words are not a help. You just look at the ladies and
they look at you with pleading eyes and pursed mouths
and a choice has to be made. The food was good a
spicy, hot chicken that was downed with cold Myanmar
Beer. I walked home a different way.
Walking back, I stopped by the Sakura Tower where
Thai Airlines has an office. I needed tickets to
Bangladesh. Thai Airlines was expensive and I said
so. They told me to go up to the third floor and one
of the travel companies would help find cheaper
tickets. The second one that I talked with found me
tickets back to Bangkok, from there to Dhaka,
Bangladesh and finally to Kolkota, India. No plane
flies from Yangon to Dhaka so one pays the extra leg.
Bangladesh Airlines used to but quite a few months
ago. I was told that they maybe would start again.
Maybe. Cost me an extra hundred dollars this way.
All roads in SE Asia lead through Bangkok. I paid, in
dollars, no credit card. While the tickets were being
picked up, I hit a nearby Internet spot for a bit of
conversation with the folks back home. Everything
moves slowly but firmly ahead here. All is greased by
the dollar but it moves. Just slowly? Now I have my
tickets to India but will have to procure the Indian
visa while in Dhaka. NO Problem.
I decided, today, to stop by the Total Learning
Academy that I had been walking by each day. I walked
in the door and told the young ladies that I was a
Retired Professor from America and that I worked with
early childhood science teaching. I said that I
wanted to know what their school was about. Shortly,
Ms. Zarnia joined me in the lobby and explained that
this was a private school that used a curriculum
developed in Singapore. Teachers were trained in that
model. I asked a few more questions and posed that I
would like to come to the school and work with the
children to conduct my decision (Democracy) rock
activity. I explained the activity and told Zarnia
that I would provide all the materials and that
included the rock and the paint. She said that she
would consult the manager and principal and that I
should check back tomorrow. Thank you and see you
tomorrow. I left with a few brochures and hopes.
17 Jan 2007 In Yangon, Myanmar. Breakfast at the
Hotel is always a time for meeting the new arrivals.
This time two Americans joined the meal. Dave and
Bill had been college classmates from way back when in
CA. Both in their early 60s. Dave was a traveler
with no permanent home anywhere. Bill owns a papaya
and mango farm on Molokai, HI. He also has a lady
friend in Thailand where he spends every other month.
IS a nice way for him as he speaks reasonable Thai and
the farm makes enough money for him to travel? Bill
says that he has the finest mangoes and papaya on
Earth and that we all are invited to come see and eat
a few. I will eventually take him up on that.
In any case, Bill wanted to catch the circle train
near the city center and take the 3.5 hour trip up and
around the airport to visit rural and developing parts
of the city. The train is a smaller gauge than
overland trains and moves slowly through 30- or so
stops. Locals get on and off. People who speak
English share stories with you as you watch the
landscape pass through wide-open windows and doors.
The fare is an American dollar. I took lots of
pictures of the landscapes and the people. Back in the
city center, we crossed one of the sky-crosswalks
across a busier section of the city and ran head on
into one of the Beer Bars that dot the city. We were
hot and hungry so the choice to stop was easy. Lunch
became bowls of Thai noodle soup and a pitcher (here a
Jar) of Myanmar Beer did not last long before we
walked home.
Bill took off on our return and we would meet later
for dinner. I went up to email and pick up some items
from the local store. Email in Myanmar is a different
creature. Yahoo and Hotmail are officially banned
from use in the country. One cannot just go to a
computer and sign on to either. The computer
operators in Yangon are a bit more sophisticated so
they know to go to a legal out-of-country site and
from there to Yahoo. They also use a bit of software
called Your Freedom to manipulate the outgoing emails. Mozilla is also used as the country’s censors have
not found a way to manipulate that server. I would
find that out of Yangon, using Yahoo would be very
difficult and in Bagan impossible. One is reminded
each day of the political situation in the country.
I stopped by the Total Learning Academy and checked
with Zarnia about working with the children. She said
no problem and that I should check in when I returned
from the north on the 25th. I gave her my card and
web sites and was elated. Teaching in Myanmar. Such
a deal?
I waited until after 7 PM for Bill to return and we
walked down the street a block to a local Café. Not a
good choice as I ended the day with food poisoning. I
spent a miserable night. Finally, about 3 AM, I
vomited up all of the food from the day before and
seemed immediately to improve. I did spend much of
the night hitting the commode. And would
occasionally for the next week. I do not think that I
will ever be able to eat sweet and sour chicken again.
18 Jan 2007 From Yangon to Mandalay, Myanmar. As
morning came, I wondered if I could poop any more. I
picked up a couple of liters of water and drank most.
I grabbed a few bananas and head out for the taxi to
the airport. Mr. Phan had ordered a ticket on Yangon
Air that would depart at 8:40 AM. Every plane seems
to depart either early morning or in late afternoon.
I wanted to go at noon but no such luck. The hotel to
airport taxi was 5000 K ($5) and the ride took a bit
over 40 minutes. I was first in line. NO surprise!
Checked the baggage and finally wandered in though
security. They hand checked carry-on items and not
too well. Terrorist problems must be small. I
carried through a half-liter of water and an open Coke
in one bag. No problems. The flight was uneventful.
The plane was the turboprop and I was assigned a seat.
UP FRONT. I was the last one off. The snack was a
cheese sandwich and a piece of chocolate cake with hot
tea. That was a good snack for my poor stomach. I did
notice that the crew ate the same snack. I was lucky
with the front seat because the configuration offered
a bit more legroom. Myanmar airplanes are not
designed for big, long-legged, fat Americans. The
toilet was in the far back, but I had nothing inside.
No Problem, the flight is only an hour and ten minutes
long and they do not dawdle on the runway. Here I am,
on the air road to Mandalay. But pooped out. My kid
dreams are a reality. YES. I will manage the joy but
not with excessive enthusiasm.
Mandalay airport is located 50 kilometers south of
the city. That makes the trip three times more
expensive to taxi into the city than Yangon. I found
a couple of Danes who were heading to a hotel near
mine. We share the $15 cost for the Taxi. Fellow
travelers are always ready to share trip expenses.
I arrive after an hour’s drive at the ET Hotel,
located near the Mandalay Palace at the city center.
It is small and was recommended by Mr. Phan with a
similar cost of $10 per night. No refrigerator but
the AC and TV worked well. TV is always a problem as
most channels were not in English. I did look at the
sub-titles. Stock market up! YES! Bush talking?
OH, NO! Democrats reacting! OH, YES? Some things
just never change.
I was so worn out from the night’s activity that I
immediately went to bed for a nap. In fact, that day
I did little but rest and drink water. I walked
across the street for a bowl of hot noodle soup. Thai
Noodle with shrimp. Boiled, hot and safe noodle soup.
I also began today with some antibiotics and stomach
medicine. That helped. So ends the first day in
Mandalay. Poor baby?
19 Jan 2007 In Mandalay, Myanmar. I would spend my
first day here looking at the markets. Three
different markets are located very near each other.
The Blazon Market has escalators and fine shops with
expensive clothing, jewelry and goods that would rival
the Galleria in STL. The Produce Market provides just
that produce such as rice, vegetables, fish, betel nut
+ accessories, fruit and agriculture products. The
Produce Markets surrounds the Zieygo Market buildings
that house every other piece of produce sold in
Myanmar. Cloth, nuts, bolts, electrical, jewels,
lacquer ware, crafts. Items are grouped on various
floors and are stacked from floor to ceiling in small
cubicle stalls. People will bargain and will try to
sell you anything. It is fun to go to the market. I
bought only some stomach candy and was give a betel
nut by one of the stall gentleman.
Betel nut is the Asian addiction. They take the betel
nut’s green leaf, paint it with a white paste,
sprinkle on diced betel nut, and finally add some
other dried spice. The white paste is a base, maybe
calcium hydroxide. It reacts with the good stuff in
the betel nut and releases the narcotic. The eventual
affect is to dissolve the teeth. When the nut is
chewed it turns red and stains the teeth. Betel nut
users are marked by the redness of their mouth. The
streets, too, are marked by the red stains. I tried
it once and never again. It is sweet but nasty. YUK!
But I can show you a betel nut that I will bring back
and have pictures of the process. One chews the entire
package of leaf, nut pieces and accoutrements.
That night I had tickets to take in the Mandalay
Marionette Cultural Show. That was at 8:30 PM. The
show lasted an hour with a lively variety of puppets
being used that are all culturally based. Music was
performed live and they would lift the curtain to show
the people manipulating the puppets. I bought two at
the shop outside. I road in the trishaw to and from
hotel to the show. A trishaw is a three-wheeled
bicycle that offers seating for the driver and two
other people – small ones. I put the driver to a task
even though the streets of Mandalay are very flat.
20 Jan 2007 In Mandalay, Myanmar. During the day
before, I met a couple of young fellows in the hotel:
Robert, a German: Sergi, a Spaniard; Sam, an Aussie;
and Ander, a Dane. And I had arranged with my taxi
driver from the airport to take a local three-city
tour. The cost was $25 and would take all day. They
all agreed to share the cost and go with me. Because I
was the oldest and had arranged the affair, they gave
me the front seat. Three sat in the back and the
fourth in the luggage space in back. They traded
around at each stop. It was a fun day. We drove
across the Ayeyarwady River to the towns of Sagaing,
Amarapura, and Inwa.
Sagaing is an ancient town filled with fine and
sometimes huge pagodas. Sagaing is located in the
hilly side of the Ayeyarwady River and each hilltop is
mounted with the golden spire of a Pagoda. Yes,
golden. A fine sheet of gold covers each and shines
brightly in the clear Sun. It is really beautiful. I
have pictures but one cannot capture the intensity of
the white, gold, green and blue with just a picture.
We visited one Pagoda that was constructed completely
from teak timbers and wood. For over three hundred
years it has stood undisturbed except for the bare
feet of the worshipers and the rain of the centuries.
Weathered it stands but as we walked through, groups
of children were being taught as they were from the
beginning days. Some of the planks were held in place
by nails but wooden pegs secured many. Others like it
have been erected on these hills but fire has a nasty
way of creeping into wooden dwelling. This one has
been lucky.
Another stop was to Inwa Island, accessible only by
ferry. We boarded a horse drawn taxi for a visit to
the important locations on the Island. Inwa was once
the capitol of this part of Burma but is now a tourist
day-destination and limited to agricultural
production. I have sand from here.
Finally Amarapura and the U Bein’s Bridge. This is
the longest teak bridge in the world. It crosses and
connects two villages on a shallow end of a larger
lake. One can rent a boat to film the sunset or take
pictures on the lake or one can walk across the
bridge. Monks move across the bridge twice each day
to work or beg in the surrounding villages. Tourists
come in flocks.
I walked out on the bridge, found a spot, and sat down
to wait for the fellows to return from the walk.
Across the bridge sat U Win Myint, astrologer and
teacher. For $2 he would tell my fortune and
interpret my numbers. He spoke very good English and
told me how wonderful I am and how good my health
would be if I exercise and eat right. Very
interesting. It was worth the time and funds. The
monk and his friend joined in to share some ideas
about my future.
We headed back to Mandalay. I would meet Robert and
Serji later in Bagan. A long and interesting day
ended. My stomach was getting back on course but not
perfect.
21 Jan 2007 In Mandalay, Myanmar. I arranged with
the ET Hotel manager to purchase my boat ticket for
the ride down the Ayeyarwady River to Bagan. He also
encouraged me to purchase my airline ticket from Bagan
back to Yangon. I said yes to both so the tickets
would be ready in the afternoon.
Since arriving in Mandalay, I had been planning to
get to the Mandalay Brewery to ask for beer labels. I
had not felt like going and that was a mistake. When
I trishawed out there today, everything was closed. I
forgot that Sunday is a non-work day in Myanmar. NO
labels. I begged the manager of the ET Hotel to
pursue the quest for me after I left. He said that he
would and mail them to me in Yangon. We shall see.
Now was the time to climb. Mandalay Hill. The trishaw
driver dropped me off at the bottom and I spent much
of the rest of the day trudging up the cement steps
leading, winding to the top. Every step along the way
is part of a shrine. And every step along the way has
people selling. For water I was thankful. And I
bought a bagful of sandalwood beads. At another stop,
I visited with an elder artist and purchased three
paintings. And I did sweat a bit, as it was a good
climb. The view from the top is very good as the Hill
is the only high place (700 feet above) in the
Mandalay Plain so a panoramic view is achieved. The
walk back down took far less time but I did get lost
at one spot and had to retrace my steps. The path
really winds. Also the entire walk must be done
barefooted as this area is entirely part of a Buddhist
Shrine and Pagoda. NO SHOES at any of the temples. I
carried mine because I did not trust leaving them but
people just do not take shoes. I worry needlessly
over loosing my Birkenstocks. Besides they are so big.
Upon arrival, I hopped in another trishaw and made my
way to the Royal Palace. I had an hour before
closing. They wanted to charge me $10 for my time in
the Palace. I told them that I had only an hour and
that I was leaving by boat in the morning. NO, $10 or
nothing! I chose nothing and walked home around the
outside. The Palace is located in the center of a
huge Fort, 2 miles long on a side with accompanying
moat. Quite a place, it dominates the city center.
Most of it is off limits and used by the Military. I
will never know the insides but I have pictures of the
wall and outside buildings.
I had planned to go to the Moustache Brothers show
that night but decided that I was done. I had walked
a good bit and was ready to rest. The Brothers show
is a combination of vaudeville acts and political
discussion. The Brothers became very popular locally
and were banned by the government from doing local
shows. Now they can only perform for foreigners and
those shows are all watched. They do not charge but
take up a donation. Supporting them is an act of
defiance to the governments so they are well attended.
So, like the Palace, the Brothers will have to be a
next time event.
22 Jan 2007 On the Boat From Mandalay to Bagan,
Myanmar. What can you say about a 13-hour boat ride
down the Ayeyarwady on a boat that looks very much
like a steamer that Mark Twain would have road. The
River, this time of year, is very shallow. Above
Mandalay, it is shallower and often the boats run
aground. We were supposed to depart from a Jetty in
the north of Mandalay but instead were bussed south of
the city to a jetty in Sagaing. The boat was supposed
to leave at 7 AM. The bus left at 7:30 and we arrived
in Sagaing an hour later. The boat came down river
unencumbered with passengers or cargo and was grounded
twice on sandbars. We left a bit before ten.
The trip was pretty uneventful. I slept a bit as the
seats were assigned and reclined. My carry-ons were
safely in front of me and I knew where my luggage was
stored. A good morning name is refreshing!
I read and finished a book. Then wandered the sunny
deck looking for pictures to take. 12 hours on a boat
offers lots of picture opportunities. The river does
not. Much of the bank slides by in sameness. Agriculture dominates as the flat plains that border
the river offer great farming land. No big towns are
found because the river empties its banks each monsoon
and the topography is very flat and low lying.
We passed only one town and made only two stops along
the way. We did pass people fishing and carrying
things along the river. The Ayeyarwady is the main
mode of transportation in this part of the world.
The dining area of the boat provided a place to rest
and eat. I had a bowl of noodle soup and a beer
during the day and stopped for tea in the afternoon.
The boat coiled along the river like a water snake.
It moved softly and slowly from one side of the river
to another following the deep channel of the river.
That channel in America would have been marked clearly
with red and green buoys. Here bamboo poles extended
from the edges of the channel. At one point the
captain had two crewmen on the bow of the boat with
measuring poles that gave the depth of the river as we
moved across channels. Slowly we moved down the river
to arrive in the dark in the Bagan area but more
specifically at the port town of Myaung U.
The last hour of the trip was interesting as that the
lights of the boat attracted recently immerged aquatic
Caddisflies by the millions. They covered the outer
surface of the boat and came in to hover around any
light. The crawled on everything. OK. Time for Dr.
Bob and a science lesson on aquatic benthic
macroinvertebrates. Of course with an opportunity
like this, how could one go wrong. I explained to the
filled cabin the importance and idiosyncrasies of this
simple water-loving animal. All is well and they
killed few.
I walked ashore and found a horse-drawn cart to carry
me to the May Kha Lar Guest House. First, one must
stop at the Archeological Zone Collection Office to
obtain the $10 Permit to visit sites in the area.
The hotel was just a short drive away. I checked in
and accepted the room. A young staff member brought my
luggage up and started the AC. I had locked the door
earlier to use the toilet and had some problem opening
it again so I asked the young fellow to check it. He
said that it was a bit tight but should offer no
problem. OK, I said. “Then open it!” It would not
open. He juggled and pulled and twisted and I helped.
No success. He finally called out the window to the
alley below and finally someone answered. They
climbed up through the window and brought parts and
tools to replace the lock. An hour later, and another
lock, I determined that nothing was not going to be
working that night. I went down and asked for a
different room. Only a $12 room left and did I want
to update. That did not make me happy so the night
manager called the owner to get permission for me to
move for the next three nights into a $12 room for
only $10. Some times things just work out.
23 Jan 2007 In Bagan, Myanmar. I had arranged with
the night manager for a horse cart to carry me out to
visit the Pagodas and monuments of the plains of Bagan. I would use the same horse and cart for the
next two days. We left at 8:30 AM and returned after
sunset at about 7 PM. What a glorious place is the
dry and dusty plains of Bagan. It is filled with
pagoda after pagoda. Some you can climb, some you
cannot. Some have gold domes; others have only brick.
Some domes end in golden parasols or intricate metal
workings; some end in brick. Some are filled with
worshippers, others stand alone and unused. They are
everywhere that one can see. Some are 50 meters or
more tall and extend stories high out into the plains
sky, others only fill one story. Some are a thousand
or more years old; some were built in the last decade.
The skyline is filled in every direction with an
etching of Pagodas that goes on forever.
Some of the Pagoda you can enter, others you cannot.
Some have painting that are intricate in design and
were drawn a thousand years earlier by some young had
seeking religious rewards for his diligent work. Such
a place! I could only compare it to what I had seen
in Ankor Wat in Cambodia. It was not the same but it
was magnificent. It was awesome. It was
unbelievable. It is what human hands can do in the
name of belief.
Sunset was beautiful. I climbed monument 936 and sat
between an Austrian and an Israeli couple. Travel to
such places allows one to share the special moments
with such new and varied friends.
Back at the hotel, I dropped my camera in the room
and headed down to try to email. As I walked down the
street, I heard ROBERT, where are you going? It was
Robert and Sergi at a café with a new friend a Swiss
lady friend. I had dinner with them and revisited our
trip in Mandalay. We parted and I went to email. All
that effort ended up wasted because as I arrived at
the Internet Center, the power went off and the phones
went down and I walked home to the hum of electric
generators. A long but memorable day.
24 Jan 2007 In Bagan, Myanmar. Another day in the horse cart. Today I would cover all the rest of the major ruins and pagoda in the Bagan Complex. As you may have already guessed, Bagan was once the center of the Burmese or Myanmar culture. Not only does one find the temples but one can see the old courts and buildings of the old rulers. Once it was the Big Cheese of the country, now it is the best place to see ruins and old things. I did buy some sand paintings and a couple of wood carvings and a few gems. I also picked up a set of cups made from horsehair, bamboo and lacquer. They are neat and intricately embossed with designs. I now have one carry-on filled half way with purchases. I will share them with you when I return. Lunch that day, I pulled up in front of the most frequently used tourist café, Sarabhu I. Bet you cannot guess who was there. Oh yes, Robert and Sergi. They both wondered if I had made any purchases. We talked a bit and wandered off to explore. They had rented bicycles and were still seeing the same things as me. I ended the day at the banks of the Ayeyarwady where I took pictures and collected sand. Sunset on the river was just as fine as the day before on top the Pagoda. Another wonderful day.
25 Jan 2007 From Bagan to Yangon, Myanmar. I shared a
taxi with a couple from Italy and a Japanese. At
first, I was told that I would go with a Japanese
fellow. He was late getting up. Then the Italian
couple came downstairs. I had met them on the trip up
to Mandalay. Nice couple. We decided that one taxi
was enough. 2000 K each down 500 K from 5000 for the
two. The taxi driver was happy. He made $3 more but
we each saved 50 cents. What a deal. Arrived at the
airport early. I must like early. While waiting sat
with a German fellow. He was traveling with a younger
friend. He ended up being 5 days younger that me.
Interesting man. A workingman with much the same
demeanor as many of the old German farmers that I grew
up around in Montana. Will see if I hear from him.
Many friends made in traveling and few become firm
friends.
The plane left without incident – A turboprop with
four seats across and just about 100 people on board.
I had two seats to myself. Snack was a cheese
sandwich and chocolate cake washed down with hot tea.
The plane parked out on the side of the runway and we
were transported to the terminal with busses. The old
terminal is used for domestic flights into Yangon. I
presume that all will move to the new terminal soon as
there is not an organized baggage claim. They just
bring the bags in by hand and drop them on the floor.
You find yours and they check tickets at the door.
I had hoped for an Ocean Pearl pickup but not this
time. I walked out into the hot Sun again. Yangon is
noticeably warmer than either Bagan or Mandalay. Now
for a taxi into town. Two Britishers were in line too
so I asked if they wanted to share a taxi. Yes, but
they were going in and coming right back. They had to
drive in to a travel agency, pick up two tickets to
Bangkok, and head right back to catch the flight out.
No problem, I knew the building where they had to pick
up tickets. I had purchased my tickets at an agency
next door to the one they were using. The transport
people wanted to sell us two taxis as the locations
were far apart. I knew better and told the couple as
much. We finally persisted and were put in a single
cab. $9 in and back. I chipped in $4. We had a nice
chat and the young lady went in for tickets while her
partner road to the hotel to drop me off. We beat the
Myanmar system a bit. Makes one feel just a bit
better after a day of travel. And for a dollar.
Arrived at the Ocean Pearl Inn and checked in. The
staff all greeted me like a long lost child. My room
is on the second floor this time. I walked up town to
find an Internet location, as I had not been able to
get on during my entire visit to Bagan. Had to let
people know that I was alive and kicking and not sick
and/or dead.
Next, I set off to make arrangements for teaching the
children. Walked around the corner to the Total Learn
Academy. Asked for Zarnia. She was expecting me.
OK. We planned to work with the children the next day
at noon. My part was to find the rock and to collect
paint. Zarnia would find kids, brushes, and other
painting materials. First question. How does one find
a rock in a delta area of a river? Not easily. I
went into the hotel and asked the owner, Mr. ______.
After explaining what the “Rock” was for he said that
he knew where to find some such things. He suggested
that I go to a place that made small concrete
construction objects. I said the best thing was to
go now, as I needed it in the morning. He brought out
a taxi and we drove across the Yangon to the concrete
yard. The only thing there that might work was an
obelisk like piece that is used in bamboo houses as a
foundation. It has for equal sides and an iron strap
coming from the top-center. It must weigh close to a
hundred pounds. We loaded it into the trunk and
dropped it by the school. One thing done!
Now to look for paint? One of the hotel lads took me
by several paint shops. The only paint was turpentine
base. Not good for kids to paint. Too much for
tonight. I quit and tomorrow would set of in search
of water-based paint. I needed five colors –red,
yellow, blue, black and white. The kids could make
any other colors.
I spent the evening looking at and reading the
instruction book for my new video camera. I had never
used it and needed to charge the battery and read. I
did get a good start. At least with the battery
charging.
26 Jan 2007 In Yangon, Myanmar. Today, I needed to
find paint, fix my battery charger, and be back to
work with the kids at noon. What a beginning. The
hotel is on 52nd Street of Anawrahta St. and the
street of paint is 26th. Long walk and not sure of
anything that I will find. Directions and knowledge
of the streets vary from person to person. I stopped
at several stores and finally found one with
water-based paint about 4 blocks done 26th St. So
thirty blocks back I come carrying five quarts of
paint, my fixed charger and the coffee pot cord.
Everything is done and collected and I had 30 minutes
to wipe the sweat off, gather the video, and move to
the Total Learning Academy. I met Zarnia who
introduced me to Zaw who was their technology person.
He knew the camera and would take the pictures.
Before beginning he took me through the camera and
placed a DVD into the proper spot. I lucked out
again. He will also download the film into a computer
and give me a big DVD with all the film.
We took a taxi to the school that was located 20
minutes away. It is their primary teaching location
in an affluent suburb of Yangon. We set up the table
and arranged thing for the beginning of Democracy Rock
– the planning stage. Soon I was introduced to the 13
five year olds – 9 boys and 4 girls. I explained in
English what the project was, as the vice principal
thought they had a good enough command of English. I
hoped so and set out the rules. Filming went on and
the children were divided into four groups that would
develop a plan for painting one of the four sides of
the rock. Three other children would complete
painting the rock after I left.
The four groups worked and worked and came up with
four plans. The teacher and principal would work with
the children on voting and decision making on Monday
morning and I would come the afternoon and we would
complete the painting plan with hopes of painting some
on Monday and finishing up on Tuesday. I will depart
for Bangladesh on Wed. Monday morning I will meet
with Zaw to download the first film footage and plan
for the afternoon work. Zaw found me a cab and I came
back to the hotel alone. I sweat a bunch. I know
that it was hot and stuffy under the shelter of the
school, but I was also nervous. Nothing like making a
film on creating democracy in a totalitarian state.
Here is to the folly of the Dr. Bob, Democracy Rock
Project beginning. The kids did well in this first
part. We had two boys that found it impossible to
stay on task very long. When we finished, the vice
principal did acknowledge that this group had several
special children. Even in Myanmar, boys will be boys.
And by the way, the all girl group completed a very
fine design with minimal problems and were first done.
Kids are like kids the world over.
It was a tiring day but fulfilling. I was walking up
town and met Maria and Skip from New Orleans. They
had a special café where they ate nightly, the 50th
Street Bar and Grill. They asked me to join them and
I did. It ended up being excellent but was the most
expensive meal in the trip so far. $6 for a spicy
Singapore noodle dish and a rum and coke. One can
splurge occasionally.
Jan 27, 2007 at Net Station One off Anawrahth Street in Yangon. Today is the day to work on my Journal for the first stage of the trip. In the first days of visiting Yangon, I just put it off. Then when I went to Mandalay and Bagan the hassle of getting and using a computer just prevented me. Also did not feel good in much of Mandalay so that prevented real work. Now is the time to catch up. I will work a while and then go for coffee up the street. I have haggled the price per hour down to 500 K. About 40 cents an hour for computer use. Spent over 6 hours today writing this log.
Jan 28 2007 at Net Station One off Anawrahth Street in
Yangon. I was up early but moved slowly. I was
surprised to find some old friends in the breakfast
area. Rolf and Sabina are from Munich. He is a
policeman and she a social worker. During the initial
stay at Yangon we had spent one evening talking and
drinking Myanmar Rum. I enjoyed their company a great
deal. They had returned to Yangon from the north at
midnight and were leaving in the afternoon for the
beach.
Also met a couple from Sydney, Australia. Such a
tangle of people from other countries come together to
share travel -- Myanmar. I have not really heard a
bad word said about the people or the sights to this
point. A few have had stomach problems but the ones
that I have talked to have enjoyed country. The one
issue that always sneaks into any talks is the
repressiveness of the rulers. This is not a country
with the ability of the people to freely express
themselves. You will see people looking over their
shoulders and constantly checking the crowd as you
talk. They act nervous. They do not speak outright
about any issue but skirt the edges. Sometimes they
ask to talk at another time. Most do not show up to
talk. Most are outright in their fear of the police.
We are so lucky. But I think that things are
beginning to move in a more open direction. It will
be interesting to see what changes occur in the next
years. The government of Myanmar does not like the
pressure that the US is placing on it in the UN; but
the people are happy that we are being strong and
continuing the pressure. They say that.
Deciding to finish this document for the past days or
forget what I saw and experienced. Another 5 hours of
thinking and typing. I did stop for lunch of hot and
sour soup with rice. And a Myanmar beer. I am just
about well again. Only an occasional bit of a rumble
like something is lurking down there. The soup was
quite spicy so maybe that is the reason.
Jan 29, 2007 in Yangon, Myanmar. This day is the
second day for working with the children on the
Democracy Rock project. I dropped by the school
office around ten to meet with the Technology
Director, Wunna. He is a trained lawyer but likes to
work in technology so has become the head of Marketing
for the company turning out fancy brochures and ads.
I was in good hands as he quickly downloaded the first
DVDs that we shot on day one. We would return in the
afternoon with another film that he would later
combine with the other three into a complete and ready
video. I will still have to edit it and add captions
but my work will be easier and thus happier for me.
The second day of Democracy Rock involved voting for
the winning design, and placing the first coat of
white paint on the rock. Voting is not something that
the children have done before so the teacher, Angela,
did some practice with them in the morning. When they
arrived, I gave each child a counter that was used to
vote. The first vote was a mess. I told them to vote
for the one they thought was the best. They did vote
but some grabbed a token and moved it from one to
another print. Others voted twice or three times by
picking up the marker. OK! Try it again.
I then asked each of the four groups of artists to
tell the other members of the class why they should
vote for their picture. Like any five year olds, they
did not and have not expressed themselves in this way
before. The comments approved and the idea that they
were trying to win classmates over to their drawing
might have registered but I am not sure. I placed the
kids in the circle that I love to use and the 4
pictures in the middle. Then I gave each a token and
Angela selected the children one at a time to vote.
They understood and the voting went smoothly. One
picture out? Reality TV relived. Then another vote
and a picture eliminated. I asked the two finalists
to make a pitch for their picture. They did and a
better pitch. Now the final ballot, vote number 4,
the first in their lives.
The next procedure was to paint the rock white with a
base coat. Many had never painted so this was a messy
occasion. I am glad not to face the parents. As
usual the girls were quite prim. The boys, well that
could be seen for itself. Such fun to paint. I
finished the day by reviewing what we were to do the
next day and gave them a cookie snack and sent them
back to class. While they waited to go back inside,
the group stopped at the water area running through
part of the classroom and found several dead fish.
The sat down beside them and picked up the fishes with
my hands. They were horrified and none would touch
the fish except with a leaf. I went over the external
parts of the fish and they were happy with seeing me
hold the dead stinking fish. Kids are kids. We caught
a ride back to the school center and downloaded the
video. I found a café for a bowl of Thai Soup and
read the evening away.
I had found a very old copy of the Deerslayer by
Cooper. I decided that this was a book that I should
read and am glad that I did. His descriptions of the
natural world at that time are wonderful. Travel is a
wonderful way to force one to read in the unknown. A
reader has to read and so I read new things. James
Cooper is a wonderful writer and Hawkeye is my hero.
Tonight was the final day of 100--year celebration
for the Hindu Temple that was located a block from the
hotel. They have been preparing for a week. The
Temple has been painted and cleaned and special events
scheduled. Last night was the finale. I grabbed my
camera, slipped off my shoes and spent a couple hours
observing the various activities in the temple. I was
able to take pictures in all but one spot. The people
were receptive to me and would stop to explain what
was occurring or what it meant or wanted just to talk.
Most of the people were of Indian origin. The day
ended with my photographing cows in costumes in the
alley. I have some great cow pictures. Big cows they
were too.
Jan 30, 2007 in Yangon, Myanmar. This is my last full
day in Myanmar. And my last day with the kids. Today
is paint day. Wunna had gone to the school to prepare
the materials. He sketched the design on the rock and
prepared the 11 paints that we needed. He also drew
the three losing designs on tag board so that the
entire group could be painting. The rock itself would
allow only two at a time to paint so I decided other
work was needed. Angela brought the children to the
painting area and the winning choose the color that
they would paint. Each child chose a color and
received a brush. The three winner began the rock
painting and others were cycled in. Everyone painted
the rock. Choosing the color to paint is one of those
interesting problems that I would like to make more
democratic. There seems always to be an uneven number
of painters to colors. The painting was completed and
for a group of five year-olds done quite well. Zaw,
who was videoing today, and I did a final touch-up of
the painting. A couple of other teachers stopped by
to see the product and add their help. Another
teacher is going to paint a side of the rock with her
class and came by for a review. Two other classes
will add their art and the sides of the rock will
reflect that ages from 4-8 or nine. Should be
interesting. They will send me pictures of the rock
with all four sides painted.
I bid goodbye and thanks to all involved. Mr. Mohan,
the company president was quite pleased with all and I
will send him my finished video along with others that
I might collect. In case you wondered how I could
talk in Myanmarese, I cannot. This is an English
School. Angela might do a bit of reinforcement in
Myanmar, but all of the instruction was in English.
The children speak and understand English quite well.
I would say that the three days went quite well. The
kids worked very hard. In most cases stayed on task.
Even T, the most hyperactive boy, calmed down as the
days progressed. It would have been fun to return
each day for an hour to teach science. They all were
active learners. My biggest difficulty would have
been in learning the names. Most of them did not have
English names and my Myanmar pronunciation is not that
good yet. Another good adventure.
Some special memories of Myanmar.