Glad We Made It

Myanmar is a confusing, if not controversial, country to travel to. The media goes on about the "military regime" with their dictatorship and tight control, about Aung San Suu Kyi's heroic struggle for democracy that earned her the Nobel Peace Prize, about human rights abuses, and endless corruption. Discussion boards on the Internet and analysis in brand-name guidebooks are full of pros and cons regarding "should you visit Myanmar or not?" Our stance on this is, "We don't know. But we'd like to find out for ourselves with our own eyes, so that we can construct our own opinion on it." So here we are, gaining our own first hand impressions.

The entry into Myanmar at the Yangon International Airport was smooth enough; immigration officers checked our visas then gladly stamped our passports. The customs officers didn't even open our luggage; instead they smiled and welcomed us into their country. Friends had warned us not to bring our computer, but this advice was out of date, as the ban on computers, video cameras and other electronics had been lifted some time ago.

The biggest hassle right off the bat was dealing with money. The local currency, called Kyat (pronounced "chat") and US dollars are both accepted, which causes some confusion about which is better to use when. Exchange rates from dollar into kyat vary widely from those offered by the banks and on the free market. The official rate at the banks is currently around 450 kyat to one US dollar; while on the free market it's more than double – 900 kyat to the dollar. Once exchanged, it's quite difficult to have kyat converted back to dollar, as the currency is basically worthless outside of Myanmar. To make matters more complicated, crisp new $100 bills command the top exchange rate, with $50 bills getting a slightly lower rate. Twenties, tens, fives and ones bring still lower exchange rates than the larger denomination bills. On top of that, if the bill is not perfect in all respects, it will be flat out rejected. They should be newly issued (as an older style bill will bring a lower exchange rate than a new style bill), without ANY fading, rips, tears or disfigurations of any kind. We had bills rejected because Washington's face was slightly faded!

Hotels, upscale restaurants and tourist shops all list their prices in USD. While most hotels and shops will translate the dollar price into kyats (at an unfavorable exchange rate, of course) airlines and bus companies only accept USD. As a result, we find ourselves in a silly and somewhat frustrating game of currency exchange, worrying about how much to change, and not wanting to be stuck with too many kyats in our pocket upon departure.

Despite this crazy game, we have found Yangon, the nation's capitol, charming, with its rich mix of traditional values, diverse culture, colonial architecture, and modern, sophisticated elements, blended together to make a pleasant city with an easygoing feel about it. The atmosphere is exotic; women wear yellow sandalwood-like thanakha paste painted in large ovals upon their cheeks, purple and orange orchids blooming from the trunks of banyan trees, men in checked patterned sarongs, called longyi, chew betel nut or smoke thin long cigars called cheroots.

In the height of the afternoon the sun is fierce and casts its glittering yellow reflection from golden domed zedis (monuments that contain Buddha's relics) that rise high into the cloudless blue sky from squat, square foundations. The Shwedagon Paya, the largest and most sacred of these mystical stupas is visible from many angles around town, standing impressive, contemplative, and enchanting. At dusk, the last fading rays in the soft orange sky outline its bell shaped silhouette. The majority of Burmese are devoted Buddhists, and to my surprise we encountered several mosques within the city. The call to prayer echoed melodically through the nearby streets, though not nearly at the volume heard in India. We also found Hindu temples and Christian churches scattered throughout the different neighborhoods.

Teashops are on every street corner, and people stop by at all hours of the day and night. Some are morning shops, while others remain open late into the evening. Customers come to socialize or for a quick bite, sitting at low wooden or plastic tables, sipping tea from chipped ceramic cups and eating an assortment of snacks that range from Chinese buns, to spring rolls, jam sandwiches, noodles, sticky coconut rice wrapped in banana leaf and so on. The Burmese enjoy strong black tea (and some coffee) sweetened with condensed milk. Weak Chinese tea is served free from large thermos jugs that sit on every table. For less than 50 cents (USD) we easily enjoyed two cups of tea plus a few snacks, and we left with our bellies full.

There are several modern, tall buildings in the center of Yangon, with business offices, high-end hotels, boutiques selling brand name items and trendy cafès filling their multi-storied floors. These gleaming high-rises sit along side potholed sidewalks where we must always watch our step for fear of falling into a gaping whole. The streets are dusty in the dry season, however, after India, it's refreshing to observe that they are mostly free of trash and are relatively clean. The majority of vehicles on the streets are imported Japanese used cars, trucks and buses, which for me, personally, hold a certain comical, yet, nostalgic charm. Tiny Mazda's that had been new when I was growing up are still rolling on the streets of Yangon. Because they don't repaint these old, imported vehicles, I can see what they had been used for in their previous life in Japan. To my surprise, several of the busses plying the city streets had their beginnings in my hometown of Kyoto!

We feel quite safe in Myanmar, so much so that we don't have our defenses up while walking around Yangon. On a visible level, we don't see any violence, or, even heated arguments on the streets like we have witnessed in other countries. We feel that in general, the city exhibits certain peacefulness among its residents. The government encourages the locals to treat foreigners kindly in an effort to keep their international image up. Needless to say, they want to do everything possible to keep the all mighty tourist dollars (and I do mean dollars $) flowing. Yet the sense of sweetness that they express isn't just because of what their government might have set up for its benefit. Their smiles exude from within, not just skin deep, have not yet been tainted by tourism money, but are of their nature.

Like many foreign travelers here, we are aware of Myanmar's deep and troubled history – through the colonial period, Japanese invasion during World War II, post-war internal turmoil and unrest, and well-documented denial of the movement toward democracy. We are also aware of the country's horrible human rights record, widespread corruption, and poor and struggling population. Life in Myanmar is difficult; yet, the people have a surprisingly upbeat attitude. In just a few short days of walking around and observing life from the streets, we feel comfortable and welcomed. While we have expected the general atmosphere to be rigid and hard, we are finding soft smiles and innocent laughter instead. Feeling the eyes of the international community upon its shoulders, Myanmar is opening to the world at its own slow pace. We hope that our small contribution to the individuals we do business with will help to bring them a greater level of economic independence, which in tern can become a stepping stone to greater political independence. We think we made the right choice in visiting this unique land of contradiction.