Yangon, Myanmar- More Observations

Reclining Buddha

Reclining Buddha with guide for scale

Fisherman and tourist boats

Fresh fish at open markets

Big market in Yangon

Fresh vegetables sold by lady with cosmetics

Street vendors

Heavy loads without automation

Yangon is a bustling city with so much to see and do. Chaukhtatgyi Paya or Reclining Buddha is a serene visiting spot. Almost all the people are Buddhists. Many people shop for food every day. Fresh vegetables and fish are available at open markets that farmer's families maintain. usually women are sitting around on the ground with their produce out in rows and rows. Then there are rows and rows of fish and other things as well. Everything is fresh, organic and not expensive.

The huge marketplace is filled with many stalls selling fabrics to make their traditional clothing. The “Longyi or Hta-mein” is one of the traditional dresses of Myanmar women. This skirt cloth or lower body wrapper was worn by women during the Konbaung Dynasty (1752–1855) as a wrap-around skirt, or sometimes as folded clothing material placed “tightly across the abdomen slightly left center of the waist”. In comparison, a Myanmar men wear the “Longyi or Pa Soe” around the hips; the men tie a knot in the front and women fold it and fix on the one side (right or left).

The woman pictured above who is selling the lettuce is wearing cosmetics which the Burmese find attractive. It is made from bark which is sold in an open market and boiled to make a paste which is put on the face to lighten the skin. It looks beige and is applied in circles on the cheeks, not blended in. It's a look! Beauty is definitely a cultural thing, right?

Watching the port and how things are done showed us how behind the times Myanmar really is. Unloading materials from a boat was all done by many men lining up and carrying heavy bags of materials. There is no automation available in any part of the process. Labor is cheap and the men work for a pittance.

Life is different here in many ways yet people are the same. We buy our food, looking for fresh, wholesome food. We wear cosmetics, trying to look our best. The details are refreshingly different.

Myanmar- Yangon, full of surprises and my hero

Aung San Suu Kyi's house

Aung San Suu Kyi's house

Shwedagon Pagoda

Shwedagone Pagoda

Yangon National Park

Textiles made here 

Dominant in the landscape is the huge Shwedagone Pagoda. It is the perfect symbol of a country where Buddhism pervades every aspect of life. The physical presence of the golden stupa dominates Yangon and its spiritual magnetism in turn dominates Myanmar, attracting tens of thousands of pilgrims each year. The pagoda dates back 2500 years and was build to house 8 sacred hairs of the Buddha.

Aung San Suu Kyi is a hero of mine. She returned to Burma in 1988 to tend to her ailing mother, after years of living and studying abroad, only to find widespread slaughter of protesters rallying against the brutal rule of dictator U Ne Win. She spoke out against him and initiated a nonviolent movement toward achieving democracy and human rights. In 1989, the government placed her under house arrest. She spent 15 of the next 21 years in custody. In 1991, her ongoing efforts won her the Nobel Prize for Peace. She was finally released from house arrest in November 2010. We rode by her house and took pictures. I was hoping to see her. She is brave and courageous like her father who was killed at the age of 31 fighting for independence of his country. The people love her and, if there are free elections there, I predict she will one day be president.

The Bogyoke (Scott) Market is filled with many handicrafts and gorgeous things to buy. I especially loved the wide range of textiles available in so many colors and textures. Traditionally worn by men and women, the  “Longyi” and the “Hta Mein” dress with a shirt or blouse looks so special in every situation.

Yangon National Park  provides a magnificent oasis the the city for people to enjoy at no expense. Beautifully landscaped to be peaceful and sere, the park has a lake, pagodas, walkways and park areas for strolling, sitting and meditating as well as playing. Away from the hustle, bustle, noise and grime of the city, the park was a true departure. Many people come to eat their lunch or dinner there.

It has been cut off from the world, yet it is worldly. It is modern, yet it is archaic. It is a dictatorship, yet has a fantastic democratic hero!! It is not what I expected. Yes, Yangon is a city of surprises!!