Experiences in Myanmar

When I got on the airplane to Myanmar, I was traveling solo. By the time I left the airport, I knew six people including two Belgian's with whom I traveled with during most of my time in Myanmar.

I landed in Yangon previously known as Rangoon which people think is the capital of Myanmar but it is not anymore. (The government has moved the capital to a more secure city). One of the first things that you come across in the airport is the government run money exchange which is exchanging 450 Kyat per $1. Um, the current exchange rate is 1300 Kyat for $1. It is a nice first impression.

My friends and I stayed stayed in Yangon for two days. Yangon is a bustling city where you see everything from pick-up truck taxis packed with people, modern hotels catering to package group tourists and monks receiving their alms early in the morning. While we were in Yangon, we visited a small paya or temple called Sule Paya and the grandaddy of the temples in Myanmar, Swedagon Paya. The Sule Paya sits in the center of Myanmar and it was walking distance from our guesthouse. When we visited the Sule Paya, we met some young monks and they practiced their english with us. The Shwedagon Paya is a magnificent and colossal temple. The main stupa is 98 meters tall and is believed to be over 2,500 years old. It is estimated that there is well over 53 metric tons of gold leafs and over 5,000 precious stones decorating the paya. Suffice to say, the temple left a lasting impression on me.

After Yangon, we traveled to Bago, a highway city just north of Yangon. We Visited a cigar factory, a giant reclining buddha and the Shwemawdaw Paya, a smaller version of the Shwedagon Paya. The city of Bago was a dusty, loud, and hot place. The most time that you should stay there is one day days, oh well.

From Bago, we went to Kyaiktiyo where we visited the Golden Rock which is located at the top Mt. Myaikto. The ride to the base of Mt. Myaikto is in the back of a dump truck. Imagine around 40 people sandwiched together, a steep, winding road and a driver who has a lead foot. It was a very adventurous ride. The walk from the base to the top of Mt. Myaikto took us about 45 minutes. The top of Mt. Myaikto gave us a panoramic view of the lush, green surrounding mountains and a close up view of the Golden Rock. Unfortunately, only men were allowed to actually touch the rock, so I was the only one in our group who could do so. The rock is a massive, gold-leafed covered boulder which sits precariously on the edge of a cliff and it is believed to be balanced due to a precisely placed Buddha hair. I refrained from pushing the rock because I did not want to accidently push it down the mountain. (I am not saying that I could do it, but knowing my luck it is best not to try).