A Golden Experience

My last post on Myanmar....

A trip to Yangon is not complete without seeing Myanmar's chief landmark, the Shwedagon Pagoda. To prepare for the visit, Lara Stone and I wore longyi, the tube garment practically worn by everyone in Myanmar. Finally I had a good reason to wear a skirt!

The pagoda was walking distance from our guest house, we even had a view of it from our bedroom window. Because it was a Sunday, many people were heading there as well. Using the east entrance, the road leading to it is lined with food stalls and at the foot of the hill on which the pagoda stands is a market selling Buddha statues, other religious items, and some souvenirs.

As soon as we stepped on the stairs leading to the pagoda, we had to remove our slippers. The stairs are steep and it was certainly a long climb for us.

Because the shops along the way are a good distraction I was not prepared when we finally reached the summit.

My heart stopped the moment I laid my eyes on the pagoda. I swear my mouth dried and I felt my heart beat fast. I'm far from being a spiritual person, but the pagoda's sheer size had such a visceral impact on me. I did not expect it to be that HUGE! It helped that the place was in blinding gold (considering it was an overcast day), so I was practically on the brink of a transcendental experience.

The main pagoda is surrounded by dozens and dozens of pavilions, each as intricate and gold-laden as the other. The spires of the pavilions made me feel like I was in a forest with towering golden trees.

The pavilions were filled with worshippers, most of them facing the direction of the pagoda, while others were offering incense, bathing Buddha statues, chanting, or circumambulating around the pagoda.

We went back to the pagoda that evening. The atmosphere was a lot calmer by then because there were less people. Still, the place was very otherwordly as the pagoda was washed with light.

A monk showed me certain spots at the base of the pagoda where one can see the changing color of the diamond at the apex of the spire. At one time it is icy blue, and then you move a few inches and it suddenly turns either fiery red, orange, yellow, white, or green.

Prior to visiting the Shwedagon Pagoda, I deliberately did not read up on it. I wanted to see it with fresh eyes and somehow the plan worked because I was just filled with awe when I finally made it there.

That could be said as well of experiencing Myanmar finally, a trip I wanted to do since as far back as I could remember. There I saw inspiring beauty and felt the sincerity of the people I met. I know for sure I'm going back.

Architecture Porn in Yangon

It was late in the afternoon when we arrived in Yangon, and dark, heavy clouds cast a gray pallor to the city. From the cab, though, I had a quick glimpse of numerous old buildings in the downtown area. I was also surprised by the many trees lining the city's avenues. I knew right then I was in for a treat. Lara Stone and I ventured into the streets near our guest house in the evening of our arrival, but I could only see faint traces of the grand buildings wrapped in darkness (Yangon hardly has streetlights to speak of). So the next day, I woke up early to walk around the wet streets of the city; it was monsoon season after all. I've never before been so captivated by so many colonial buildings as Yangon (Hanoi comes close). It was definitely a dream city for architecture lovers because there's always an interesting building nearby. Some of them even prominently display their date of completion, and I saw a good number of buildings constructed in the early years of the 20th century.

Many of the buildings are government offices, most likely the same halls occupied by the British colonial government. There are also buildings used by trading companies, as well as a big share apartments blocks. The apartment blocks are a sight to behold. Occupying blocks and blocks of the downtown area, they are mostly sitting side by side in narrow, straight streets. The first floor is usually a business enterprise, and then very steep and dark staircases lead to the upper floors, some as high as eight stories. The details of the windows are doors are very enchanting. My neck was strained from looking up the multi-colored balconies flanking the streets. Hanging from the balconies are dozens of long strings with clips attached to the end at street level. Because most of the apartment buildings - including the very tall ones - don't have elevators, one cannot go up and down them as much as you like. So when there's a food delivery, for instance, the plastic bag is attached to the string and someone pulls it up.

Charming apartment blocks aside, there are also many imposing colonial buildings in the port area. Some of the roofs of the Bogyoke Aung San Market also has beautiful lines. The Yangon train station is worth visiting, as well as the art deco style cinema houses on Bogyoke Street. There are also numerous mosques dotting the downtown area.

Unfortunately, most of the buildings have not been well-maintained. While it's very romantic to see them stained by time, the moss would eventually affect the structure's stability and it also eats the details of the adornments. I'm particularly worried about the apartment blocks that have been installed with unsightly air-conditioners and plastic or metal awnings that do not go with the buildings' original style. There are also many huge buildings that seemed abandoned. They are practically crumbling, such as one building with a beautiful dome that has caved in.

The most serious threat to Yangon's colonial architecture though is the number of newer buildings popping in the downtown area. Every time I see a new building I think of the old structure that used to stand on the site. They new buildings are made of concrete, glass, and steel that in no way try to blend with the surrounding old styles. I wonder how soon enough before these new buildings obliterate the old ones, thus the loss of Yangon's charm and heritage.

The Shores of Ngwe Saung

I just came back from a nine-day holiday in Myanmar with Lara Stone. I spent 4 1/2 days in Yangon and 4 1/2 days in Ngwe Saung. I have a lot of things to say about Yangon so let's set that aside for the moment, shall we? For now I'd tell you about Ngwe Saung, a beach town east of Yangon.

The five-hour trip took us through the Ayeyarwady Delta. The scene along the way was of endless plains of rice fields and the occasional village made of thatch houses. The delta was devastated by Cyclone Nargis a few years back but I didn't see any trace of the destruction.

We reached a town called Pathein, 29 kilometers away from Ngwe Sau. So we hopped on motorbikes for an hour's trip through winding roads over hills. Several times I thought I was about to die, thankfully we arrived safe in a guest house by the beach facing the Bay of Bengal.

As it was the low season, we had the resort pretty much to ourselves. The moment we arrived at the beach, Lara and I explored it while the tide was low. We walked towards a tiny rocky island that sits a few meters away from the resort. It was a bit cloudy, being monsoon season; and the waves were humongous.

The sound of the waves crashing on the shore easily put me on relax mode. I spent most of the time there sleeping, sipping coconuts or drinking beer, and then going back to sleep. It rained occasionally, and along with the soft breeze, the weather was just perfect for sleeping and nothing much else.

One morning, Lara Stone and I played in the waves. And then we rented motorbikes to explore the small village behind the row of expensive resorts occupying the village's beach front. I was surprised to see such swanky resorts there, it looked like Thailand instead of what I thought were unspoiled beaches of Myanmar.

At low tide, we rode our motorbikes on the shore, heading towards the fishing village. It was just the most exhilarating part of our time on the beach. We sped on the moist sand that reflected the cloudy sky. It felt like we were gliding over a sheet of glass, the salty air sweeping our faces.

After crossing a couple of small streams, which required our motorbikes to be loaded on wooden boats that brought us to the other side, we stumbled upon a couple of fishing villages. Fishermen were unloading nets from boats surrounded by a frenzy of ladies grabbing fish and piling them on small pails that they put on their heads as they walked towards the village. Some ladies were crouched on the beach, untangling shrimps from nets. We bought some of those shrimps and had them for dinner.

The rainy weather, the huge waves, the towering palm trees, and the scrumptious sea food in Ngwe Saung all reminded me of Siargao Island where I spent my childhood summer holidays at my grandmother's house.

Lara Stone and I were also very fortunate to stumble on Shwe Hin Tha Resort where we stayed for four nights. The people there were very accommodating and charming, they completely made us feel at home. The food is good overall, and they were even willing to bring our meals over to our hut. It helps a lot as well that they have the perfect spot on the beach with beautiful views and sunsets.