Hsipaw and Pyin Oo Lwin (February 29-March 2, 2012)

We reached the small town of Hsipaw (population 15,000), in Northeastern Myanmar, by a long, bumpy, overnight bus trip. Our seats at the back of the bus were so uncomfortable that Patrick ended up stretching out on the dirty aisle floor just to catch some shuteye. Located in Shan State and surrounded by mountains, it is a popular destination for trekking and visiting small, traditional villages. Unfortunately, February and March are some of the driest and hottest months of the year here, and the time of year when locals use “swidden” (aka slash and burn) farming techniques to ready their fields for next season’s crops. With no rain the air was smoky and dusty, and, as a result, we decided not to do any extended trekking here. Instead, we spent a full day hiking around the town, visiting several traditional villages and an area known as “Little Bagan” because of its many stupa ruins. While the area was very pretty, the friendly locals were the highlight, waving and shouting out a friendly “mingalaba!” greeting as we passed.

From Hsipaw we braved the Burmese rail system, little modernized since the British built it in the late 19^th century, and headed to Pyin Oo Lwin. The train ride was one-of-a kind. Our car rocked heavily from side to side for much of the ride, so much so that our backpacks could not stay on the luggage racks above our head. As we approached the Goteik Viaduct, a bridge largely left untouched since it was completed in 1900, we slowed to a crawl in order not to put too much stress on the old bridge. Though long and slow (it took us 10 hours to travel about 85 miles), the ride was pleasant and interesting. At each stop women would come to the train windows with huge trays of food balanced on their heads offering up everything from grilled chicken to baskets of strawberries. On board, Patrick made friends with a Burmese family by taking photos of the daughters and showing them the digital image as they giggled and signaled that they wanted him to take another. At one of the stops their mother bought two baskets of strawberries from a woman on the platform and gave one to each of us, though we tried to decline, she insisted. It was a very sweet gesture and we were touched.

Pyin Oo Lwin, at 3,500 ft elevation, was nice for its cooler temperatures and old British architecture (it was once the summer capital/”hill station” of British Burma). The city is currently home to two military academies and the streets were filled with Burmese soldiers on their day off. We only spent a morning here before moving on to Mandalay but it was a pretty place to pass some time. The streets are mostly unpaved, and horse-drawn carriages kick up dust as they pass. The architecture is predominately British colonial, though not much has been done to preserve the buildings so they have a decidedly run-down look to them. Before leaving we walked through the city’s bustling market, stocking up on several items made from strawberries, the area’s agricultural claim-to-fame, including wine and jam made from the local berries.

Click on the photo below to view our Hsipaw and Pyin Oo Lwin photo album.

Yangon (February 26-February 28 and March 12-March 14, 2012)

Before deciding to visit Myanmar we did quite a bit of research into the potential impact of a visit to this military dictatorship. Starting in the mid-1990s, anti-government activists both inside and outside of Myanmar called for a tourism boycott of the country. Now, however, as things seem to slowly open up in this isolated country, leaders generally encourage outsiders to visit. Aung San Suu Kyi herself, one of the most fiercely anti-government activists in the country, was once in favor of the boycott, but now supports informed, responsible tourism. With this in mind, we were leaning toward visiting this less-visited country. When we found out Patrick’s friend Brett was living in Yangon, our decision was made, and we booked a flight from Kuala Lumpur.

Yangon (formerly known as Rangoon), a sprawling city of 5 million, was the capital of Myanmar until 2005 when the government decided to build a new capital city further north. We were here twice, capping our three weeks in Myanmar. The city is a little grimy and chaotic, but no more so than many cities we visited on the Indian sub-continent, and we liked the lively international feel of the city. Our first time through we went straight to the guesthouse where Brett was staying. After a little catching up we headed to a fundraiser put on by some of Brett’s students benefiting war-torn Kachin communities in northern Myanmar. Through music, art, and comedy young Burmese were standing up for their countrymen. Though mild by international standards, their protests seemed quite brave in a country with a government that has little tolerance for dissent.

We spent our next day visiting the nearby town of Bago, the former capital of the Mon people of southern Myanmar, and its numerous pagodas and temples with Brett. Shwethalyaung, the long reclining Buddha with jeweled feet and Shwemawdaw Paya, an outstanding golden stupa, were some of our favorites.

On our second time through Yangon we did most of our sightseeing. The highlight of Yangon is Shwedagon Paya, which we visited with an entertaining guide. At the center of the complex is the iconic stupa, covered in gold leaf and partially encrusted in diamonds and other gems. The stupa is impressive up close and adds a beautiful silhouette to Yangon’s skyline. The stupa is surrounded by 82 other temples, shrines, and pagodas with lots of hidden gems we wouldn’t have noticed without our guide, “Mr. Kind.”

While in Yangon we also visited Kandawgyi Lake with some of Brett’s students who happily talked to us about their lives as students. We also visited Sule paya, the gold stupa in the heart of downtown Yangon, and Bogyoke Aung San Market, a market full of Burmese souvenirs and everyday household items dedicated to Aung San Suu Kyi’s father, the leader of the movement that gained Burmese independence from the British Empire in 1948. In the evenings, Brett took us to some of his favorite restaurants where we ate great Burmese and Indian food, and bars where we drank the local beer, appropriately named “Myanmar,” among friendly, if often very-underage, Burmese people. It was really great to see Brett and a relief to have an expert to introduce the country to us, including its sometimes strange customs (for example money-changing, which is traded on a black market, involves dodging swarms of street hustlers, and knowing where you can negotiate the best rate!).

Click on the photo below  for our Yangon photo album.

Kuala Lumpur (February 20-February 22 and February 24-February 26, 2012)

We had already passed through Kuala Lumpur (better known as “KL”) twice, spending a night here when we arrived in Malaysia and spending two more nights on the town with David on our way to Melaka, but we didn’t really explore KL until the end of our Malaysia visit. Our first impressions were just how modern and clean the city felt, especially after three months in Nepal and India, and that the city wasn’t as big as we expected. Pictures of the city featuring the iconic Petronas towers, the Menara KL tower, and other skyscrapers leave the impression that the city is a metropolis, much bigger than the city of one million residents that it actually is.

KL is also cosmopolitan. The extensive and integrated transit system (with light rail, monorail, and trains) is quick and efficient, and most of the buildings are modern (no doubt due to the fact that the city has only come into its own over the last 20 years). The numerous malls, western chain stores, and fast food outlets offer a decent facsimile of many U.S. cities, however, step around the corner and you might find a Chinese street food market, a fruit vendor selling stinky durian, or an Indian trying to lure you into his buffet restaurant. In this, we could really feel the melting pot of Malaysian society, where Indian and Chinese descended Malaysians coexist with the Muslim Malays. It was not uncommon to see an Indian parade blocking the traffic outside a Hindu temple, while only a few blocks away, in a shopping district, modestly dressed Malay women in headscarves are crossing paths with Chinese women in short-shorts and skimpy tops.

While exploring KL, we were underwhelmed by Chinatown, visited Merdeka Square, admired the Petronas Towers and enjoyed the A.C. of the huge mall at their base, and were awed by the views from the observation deck at Menara KL tower. We had a great time with our friends in this city and it made for a nice welcome to Southeast Asia.

Click on the photo below for our Kuala Lumpur photo album.