While reading Nicholas Kristof’s opinion piece on Burma (Myanmar) last month I was consumed by a rush of memories – conversations and images from of our month-long visit there last year. My comment on his article shares my views regarding the effectiveness of international sanctions in changing the behaviors of the military government (junta). I also address whether or not travel to Burma helps or hurts ordinary people.

I felt there was more to say about the junta and life for ordinary Burmese. But I looked back at a perspective piece we wrote last year – Myanmar, Where Hope Dies Last? – and realized that we already covered the reality and challenges that Burmese people face on a daily basis. We also explained at length why we are glad to have traveled there.

However, we continue to field questions from readers who are interested in traveling to Burma but remain unsure. We've already discussed what to do, see and eat there.

So here are a few thoughts regarding your decision to visit, what you might encounter while applying for a visa, safety concerns, and how to travel responsibly when you are in-country.

Making the Decision to Visit Burma (2008)

While we are glad we visited Burma, each person needs to make his/her own personal decision whether to travel to a country with an oppressive government. Do your research and read arguments on both sides of the issue. Consider the benefits of your visit, both to the government and to ordinary people.

We believe our visit contributed more to ordinary citizens of Myanmar (including money we spent in private establishments) than to the government (via taxes and fees). Additionally, our understanding of the country – including the difficulties of everyday life for people and the actions of the junta – is now more sophisticated, for it is rooted in actual experience.

It's no surprise that travelers serve as some of the best advocates for Burmese people.

Getting a Visa: Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok (2008)

“Oh, this doesn’t seem so bad.”

Our first impression of the visa application process at the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok wasn't so bad. The employees were exceptionally friendly and courteous, after all. (It might be useful to note that we had recently spent five months in former Soviet Union dealing with frowning bureaucrats)

As we transacted our business at the visa window, we noticed one of the consular officers checking the name and employer of every applicant against two blacklists – one hand-written, another in Microsoft Word – that were heavy with journalistic and human rights organizations.

We were thankful that our company didn’t fit into one of the blacklisted categories and our “consultant” profiles didn't raise any red flags. Word to the wise: when applying for a visa to Burma, make your employment and professional background sound as boring as possible.

Is Burma Safe?

We have been asked this often, including from our concerned parents before our departure. Yes, Burma is safe for ordinary travelers. The military government – in spite of its faults – does not target travelers. Provided that you adhere to some easy guidelines, you will likely find yourself friction-free.

This doesn’t mean you can get away with distributing human rights pamphlets in broad daylight or venturing into areas where a permit (eg, parts of Shan State) is required. And if you are Nicholas Kristof, you may have something to be worried about. But, if you are an average traveler and act responsibly you shouldn't experience any problems. We felt safe throughout Burma — much safer in fact than we do in some places in the United States.

It is also worth noting that we had no problems getting our laptops and camera equipment in and out of Burma. We were never questioned or hassled at the airport in Rangoon (Yangon).

Responsible Travel in Burma

It’s impossible to prevent any money from falling into the hands of the junta, but there are ways to make conscious decisions that reduce the net benefit of your visit to the government while maximizing it with local people.

Here are a few ways to travel responsibly in Burma:

• Do not take a government tour. If you feel more comfortable taking a tour than traveling independently, make sure your tour company is a private company. Lonely Planet and several other publications provide lists of tour agencies in Burma that indicate which are government-owned and which are private. Apply the same principle to restaurants and hotels.
• Travel independently. Although some areas of the country require a special permit for travel, the government has yet to ban independent travel in most parts of the country. Travel independently and you’ll likely enjoy greater access to and more interaction with local people.
• Allow locals to introduce sensitive topics. You will undoubtedly speak with many people during your visit to Burma – it’s one of the joys of traveling there. If a person wishes to talk with you about politics and challenges, they will find a way to do it in an environment that is safe for them. They know the undercover police better than you.
• Spread your money around. Stay at private guesthouses, eat street food, patronize private restaurants, buy water and snacks from street stalls, and collect your souvenirs from different vendors. In other words, buy from ordinary citizens and don’t spend your money all in one place.
• Try to avoid government transport. The government of Myanmar makes it difficult to avoid this completely. However, if you can bear long, uncomfortable trips, buses are the least government-affiliated type of transport. Otherwise, consider the train or a private airline. Myanmar Airways, the government airline, is relatively easy to avoid when booking flights.

For recommendations on private accommodation and restaurants, check out the practical details section at the bottom of each of the following posts:

• Rangoon (Yangon)
• Bagan, Mandalay, Inle Lake
• Top 15 Eats in Burma

The post Visiting Burma: How To Do It Responsibly appeared first on Uncornered Market.

The Golden Kite of Burma (Myanmar): the trail connecting Rangoon (Yangon), Bagan, Mandalay, and Inle Lake. These four locations form a common itinerary for visits to the country. Their golden stupas, fields of ancient Buddhist pagodas, floating villages, and royal palaces tell a story of place caught between its modern-day struggles and an underlying narrative of a bygone era.

Skip ahead to what interests you most:

• Bagan
• Mandalay
• Inle Lake
• Rangoon
• Google Map of Burma's Golden Kite
• Practical Details: Accommodation, Food, Transport and Internet

Bagan

Bagan, Burma's little Angkor Wat. While Cambodia's Angkor temples are arguably more magnificent, the pagodas of Bagan impress because of the way their sheer numbers seem to fill the horizon.

We chose to explore Bagan by bicycle. Horse-cart is another alternative. Although we carried a map marked with all the major pagodas, we detoured frequently when we sensed something new down another dusty road. We surveyed locals on their favorite pagoda for sunset. Each evening, we enjoyed a new position from which to appreciate the effect of the sun's descent over the red brick-dotted Burmese plain.

To avoid pagoda fatigue, head into Nyaung-U and wander around the vegetable market and back streets. Perhaps, like us, you’ll go looking to fix the zipper on your bag and end up spending your afternoon chatting with a tailor and his daughter.

Maybe he will unleash his Burmese ingenuity – one that values the creative repair of things over their disposal – and wield his tweezers, super glue, and sewing machine on your abused little knock-off Kipling bag from Beijing.

View more photos of Bagan

Mandalay

Mandalay, a city of commerce and religion. Bustling markets and traders share the streets with Buddhist monasteries and monks.

During our visit, we hired a bicycle trishaw to get our fill. Not only did this allow us flexibility to see more, but we also had a grand time watching life on the streets unfold around us.

We began with the bustle of the Mann Thida fresh market followed by the tranquility of the Teak Monastery. Maha Muni Pagoda, the most famous and holy of pagodas in Mandalay, features a statue covered in gold leaf that is tenderly washed by monks each morning at 4:30AM. No, we didn’t wake up early enough to confirm, but we met our own monk who – with a broad brush – painted for us the history of Buddhism in Burma.

A gold leaf production factory followed (Gold Rose at 108 36th Street). We were hesitant, certain it was a tourist scam, but our driver insisted it would be interesting. He was right. Slender but tough Burmese men pounded bits of gold into thin strips with giant hammers. Women with delicate hands took over and separated the pounded gold from protective paper and deftly sliced it into different sizes of gold leaf squares.

The women blessed us with a touch of gold leaf on our foreheads. Unpressured, we made our way to watch the sun set at Mandalay Hill.

A boat to Mingun and an adventure on public transport to U Bein Teak Bridge rounded out our stay in Mandalay.

View more photos of Mandalay

Inle Lake

We arrived at Inle Lake after three days of trekking from Kalaw through the hills of Shan State. Our entry to the lake, from its southern edge, took us past floating gardens which swayed as a testament to the will and ingenuity of the local villagers.

They tended their plants with agility and balance from the pits of dug out canoes. And every so often, a stray tomato separated from its garden would float by.

Inle Lake is best taken in by hiring a boat and driver for the day. We did, and watched the sun rise over the lake as fishermen in canoes paddled with their legs and cast with hand-woven fishing baskets.

The day was just beginning in the world of the stilt villages. Children waved on their way to school and mothers cleaned up after breakfast. It was a village scene like anywhere else, only the sidewalks and roads were made of water.

The five-day rotating market that day: Nam Pan on the western side of the lake. A few souvenir vendors were perched on the edge, but just a little ways in and we were swamped in the authentic buzz and diversity of the place, as vendors and buyers descended from the surrounding hills. We quickly lost ourselves in the flow, observing trade in stacks of rice cakes, piles of greens and fresh herbs, and natural remedies to cure even the most mysterious of ailments.

We closed out our day with a visit to the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, Jumping Cat Pagoda (named as such because cats are trained to jump through hoops, literally) and a lotus flower thread and silk weaving factory. Although a bit touristy, the lotus flower weaving and patterned silk thread weaving seemed to appeal to the meticulous nature of a people who have a deep appreciation for the passage of time.

If you tire of the lake, rent a bicycle and head to the hills and villages near Nyaung Shwe or get a Burmese massage at Win Nyunt, a family massage place off of Myawaddy Road. Their circulation massage is possibly one of the best massages to be had in Southeast Asia (and at $8 for 90 minutes, one of the cheapest too).

View photos of Inle Lake

Rangoon

Rangoon (Yangon), Burma’s capital city – the entry point for most. Arrival at its vaguely exotic airport quickly adjusts one to seeing men dressed in lyongi (a piece of cloth tied at the waist) and women and children decorated with thanaka (a yellow make-up derived from tree bark).

Our first walk into town, past beautiful – yet crumbling – buildings contrasted with bustling street activity and the vitality of the people. It’s all enough to snap the over-traveled out of their travel fatigue and the cubicle-weary into a new frame of mind.

The circular train around Rangoon, likely the slowest train you’ll ever take, may also be one of the most fascinating. The train itself was a veritable market on wheels. Women hop on and off, selling snacks, drinks and paan; and balancing heavy loads on their heads – all while singing, laughing and dancing. Each time the train approached a market, large bundles of fruit and vegetables would crowd the floor as vendors boarded with their wares.

Schwedagon Pagoda glistening at night.
Shwedagon Pagoda, the most popular tourist sight in Rangoon, is also its most sacred. While it boasts a staggering 60-ton-o-gold-covered stupa and a crowning 76-carat diamond on top, the people and their rituals serve as the main event.

They pour water over statues that represent the day of the week they were born and then pray, light incense and make offerings. Try not to miss the broom brigade and their in-formation sweeping rounds of the complex.

Our last recommendation: walk and get lost amidst street markets, food carts and hidden Hindu and Buddhist temples. The people will light your way.

Read more about Rangoon, including practical details on accommodation, food and transport at Rangoon Reflections.

View more photos of Rangoon

Google Map of the Golden Kite

Burma Travel Information: Accommodation, Food, Transport and Internet in Burma

Bagan Travel Information

• Where to stay in Bagan: We stayed just outside of Nyaung-U at New Park Hotel. Peaceful, clean, friendly and just a couple of blocks away from Bagan’s restaurant row. You can compare prices at other hotels in Bagan here.
• Where to eat: We enjoyed a few meals at Moon Vegetarian Restaurant right near Ananda Temple, including a delicious roasted eggplant salad and guacamole. Most restaurants along the main strip were empty each night, so we sampled a different one each evening to spread our money around.
• How to get there: We arrived in Bagan via a rump-busting bus ride from Meikthila (after a train from Toungoo). The more common route: by plane from Rangoon or by train or boat from Mandalay.
• Staying Connected: The only ADSL connection in town (at that point) was at A Little Bit of Bagan, on the main restaurant strip. You’ll find other internet cafes in town, but it’s all dial-up and glacially slow.

Mandalay Travel Information

• Where to stay in Mandalay: Royal Guest House at #41 25th Street (between 82nd and 83rd Streets) offers double rooms with a private bath for $12-$15, including breakfast. Compare prices at other hotels in Mandalay here.
• Where to eat: Chapati stand at 82nd and 27th Streets, Nepalese Restaurant at 81st Street between 26th/27th. Local joint down the street from the Teak Monastery. Check out our piece on Burmese Cuisine for details.
• How to get there: We arrived by train from Bagan ($10). Other options include a flight from Rangoon, the overnight train from Rangoon, or a boat from Bagan.
• Staying Connected: The internet café just down the street from Royal Guest House was fantastic, given the constraints they continually battled (power outages and fierce government censorship of the internet). They worked around the clock to stay one step ahead of the government censors and employed universal power sources and generators to limit disappearing emails.

Inle Lake Travel Information

• Renting a Boat: There is certainly no shortage of boats and drivers at Inle Lake, but landing the right itinerary might be a little harder. Boat drivers earn commission by taking tourists to craft and souvenir shops. It's in their interest to spend the whole day going from shop to shop (as happened to other travelers). We booked our boat at a new agency next to Moon Star restaurant (past Golden Kite) on Yone Gyi Road (main street). The owner was great; we agreed to four craft/shops that we were assured were interesting in their own right (half were). Cost=12,000-15,000 Kyat ($12-$15) for the whole boat for the day.
• Where to Stay at Inle Lake: We stayed first at Queen Inn with our own bungalow right on the water. Very friendly, great food and a nice atmosphere, but make sure you have ear plugs. The long-tail boats start early on the water. We then moved to Teak Wood Hotel, which was closer to the market and restaurants in Nyaung Shwe. Compare prices of hotels at Inle Lake here.
• Where to Eat: For refined Burmese food, try Unique Superb Restaurant. If you’re on a long tour and craving Western fare, try Star Flower Restaurant for excellent pizza and pasta.
• How to Get There: We trekked for three days from Kalaw, but you can also take the bus from Kalaw, Mandalay, or Rangoon (24+ hours). A more painless option: fly into Heho (35 km away).
• Staying Connected: It’s best to forget about internet. Although you'll see signs, ignore them if you wish to preserve your sanity. The combination of glacially slow shared dial-up and constant power cuts makes checking your email a grueling experience. To their credit, the internet cafes really do try. But they are battling tough odds.

Recommended Books for Burma (Myanmar)

Pre-trip reading can help you better understand a place — its culture, history, cuisine, and popular stories. The following recommended books are either about Burma or written by Burmese authors. We hope that they make your visit even more enriching.

• Burmese Days: George Orwell uses his own experience working in Burma as a young man to show a glimpse of life in British colonial Burma in all of its craziness and spirit. The stories that left perhaps the strongest impression on me were those from the teak forest of the elephants working in the there and the relationship they had with their mahout (master), including their abilities to mourn and remember. A quick read.
• The Glass Palace: I actually read this after we had left Burma, and wish that I had read it beforehand. Amitav Ghosh's takes the reader through an incredible story that begins on the cusp of British rule in Burma (1885) and continues through to World War II and into the present. So much historical, cultural and economic context in this historical novel.
• The Art of Hearing Heartbeats: In Jan-Philipp Sendker's novel the urban, American daughter goes to Burma to look for her father who has disappeared. Along the way she learns about his family, childhood growing up in rural Burma, and realizes she really knew so little about her father. I read this book several years after visiting Burma and feel that the description of Burmese culture and people to be well done.
• Lonely Planet Myanmar (Burma): Although things in Myanmar (Burma) are changing quickly we still appreciated having an actual paper guidebook with us. Even if restaurants and hotels change hands, the guidebook maps are still really helpful new cities and areas. Pick up a Burmese language phrasebook if you want to learn a few local words and sayings.

The post Burma’s Golden Kite appeared first on Uncornered Market.

What is Burmese food? Which Burmese dishes should you seek out and what sort of flavors and spices might you find when you visit Burma (Myanmar)? This Burmese Food Guide provides shares our favorite Burmese dishes, street food, snacks, and curries that you'll find in Burma (Myanmar).

During our month-long visit to Burma (Myanmar), we explored Burmese food to the fullest — frequenting street food stands, eating in restaurants, even enjoying a few home-cooked meals at local homes. We quickly appreciated Burmese cuisine for the beauty of what it is: an Asian cuisine fused from Southeast Asian, Chinese and Indian influences.

Armed with that perspective, we found Burmese food a pleasure. Street food was varied, accessible and inexpensive. Restaurants were similarly enjoyable. And we were even fortunate to be invited into homes in towns and villages for a few home-cooked meals.

This Burmese Food Guide shares our favorite dishes and eating experiences from our travels around Burma (Myanmar).

Note: In case you're wondering, we never got sick eating Burmese food (here are some tips on how to eat local and stay healthy). Although we ate food on trains, in street stalls and in markets, we almost always ate vegetarian. In these environments, eating meat can be dicey. We avoid it if we have any doubts.

Top 15 Burmese Dishes

1. Mohinga (or mohinka)

The unofficial national dish of rice vermicelli in a fish-based broth of onions, garlic, ginger, and lemon grass – all topped with sliced banana blossom, boiled eggs and fritters (akyaw). Sounds like a strange choice for breakfast, doesn't it? But after almost a month of fried egg breakfasts, this soup provided a welcome change.

The best: at the family-run roadside stand in Meikthila near the bus stop to Bagan.

2. Chapatis and Curry in Mandalay

This chapati stand needs no name; everyone in Mandalay knows it. It’s difficult to decide which facet of the chapati production line impresses the most: the women rolling the dough or the guys tossing and frying the chapatis. And the taste is no slouch either.

To give your chapati some company, opt for a dose of meat or veg curry from giant cauldrons. The veg curry and daal were both tasty – and bottomless. Between dips, scoops and swabs, enjoy life as it swirls on the street and tables around you.

Location: Mandalay, 82nd and 27th Streets.

3. Barbecue Street in Rangoon (Yangon)

Although barbecue usually implies meat, we went all vegetarian. Herbivores and carnivores alike will find an endless choice. Opt for food that looks fresh and select your desired atmosphere. The grilled okra, broccoli, mushrooms, and tofu all rocked, particularly when washed down with a cold draft beer.

Location: Rangoon's Chinatown between Mahabandoola and Anawrahta Streets.

4. Samosas

Anywhere on the street, particularly in Rangoon / Yangon. Sample them on the street corner, on the train platform, in the circle train. Try 'em, try 'em often. Some even feature hints of cinnamon and star anise.

Try also the samosa soups (samusa thouk), where samosas are scissored into a light broth and topped with fresh herbs, onions and greens.

5. Burmese thali.

Bus journeys in Burma often take twice as long as they should. As a consolation, your bus will usually stop along the way at a roadside restaurant or two dishing out vast multi-course thalis (rice, soup, vegetables, curry, chutneys) that run $1.00-2.00 for all you can eat. Quality varies.

We enjoyed our best experience on the way from Meikthila to Bagan.

Roadside Restaurant Rule of Thumb: if the food looks fresh, go for it. If the food looks tired, give it a pass.

READ MORE: Visiting Burma: How To Do It Responsibly

6. Flan and coffee near Sule Pagoda (Rangoon)

Wake up, walk down the street, and smell the coffee. Literally. We followed a strong coffee smell down the street to Let Ywe Sin, a hole-in-the-wall place that offers a lively local crowd, delicious coffee and flan. Audrey, not normally a fan of flan, is now a convert. Even better, a dish of flan and two coffees runs $0.80.

Location: 128 Sule Paya Road (a few doors down from Aroma Cafe and Castle Internet Café) in Rangoon (Yangon).

7. Fish with green chili curry

Does the thought of green chili make your belly boil? If so, give this dish a try. It was surprisingly light – a fish filet high on taste and low on heat. And the best refined fish we tasted during our travels in Burma. Price was reasonable, too. For a companion dish, try the pumpkin curry.

Location: Unique Superb Restaurant at Nyaungshwe (Inle Lake).

8. Kausuetho (khow suey)

Burmese yellow rice noodles turned with an Indian-slanted spice masala, herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice (or vinegar). As our vendor prepared the dish with her bare hands, we wondered whether our stomachs would abide it. The taste: terrific. Toilet emergency factor (TEF): none. Location: Bago. From the main street hotel strip, cross the bridge and turn left into the local market. Look for the piles of the bright yellow noodles near the entrance.

9. Burmese curries for lunch near Teak Monastery (Mandalay)

The food was decent, but the women who work here made the experience.They start out shy, giggling and skeptical. Then they end up like this.

Oh, and you get an all-you-can-eat (they will be shoveling you full) Burmese thali featuring mung beans, green beans and various vegetarian stews sided with hot sauce. We forgot to ask what the dishes were named because we enjoyed the company too much. Location and cost: Down the street from Teak Monastery in Mandalay, 700 kyats (less than $1).

READ MORE: Burma’s Golden Kite: Bagan, Mandalay, Inle Lake, Rangoon

10. Nepalese food and chutneys

Burma’s diversity also translates into a variety of available ethnic restaurants. No matter what you order – stuffed paratha (stuffed flat bread), curry, or rice, be sure to feast your eyes and mouth all over the accompanying chutneys.

Location: The Everest Café in Kalaw takes the prize for variety and quality of chutneys: radish, hot pepper, cabbage, mango pickle and tomato salsa. Also try the appropriately named Nepalese Restaurant in Mandalay (on 81st Street between 26th/27th) – great methi paratha (potato and fenugreek stuffed flat bread) and lassi.

11. Lahpet thouk (Tea Leaf Salad)

A salad of pickled tea leaves served with various crunchy bits and sauces (fried peas, peanuts and garlic; toasted sesame, fresh garlic, tomato, green chili, crushed dried shrimps, preserved ginger) and dressed with peanut oil, fish sauce and lime. Unique and delicious.

Location: Green Elephant Restaurant in Mandalay (27th and 6th Streets).

12. Trekking food

Trek from Kalaw to Inle Lake with Sam’s treks, get a guide (ours was named Alex) and enjoy home made food three times a day. Dishes might include pumpkin and ginger soup, tomato slaw with lime juice and peanuts, pumpkin curry, and braised okra with sesame. Bonus treats include spicy salsa from the local village.

13. Guacamole and “Special Eggplant”

Guacamole in Burma? You better believe it. An American tourist taught the cooks at a local vegetarian restaurant how to churn out delicious guac with baked pappadums (paper-thin bread).

For a bit more local authentic go for the candi mi po tho, a dish featuring roasted eggplant stir fried with spring onions, peanuts, garlic, sesame seeds and a dash of hot pepper. We returned and enjoyed a private lesson on how to make this flavorful dish.

Location: Moon Vegetarian Restaurant just inside the gates of Old Bagan, north of Ananda temple.

14. Hinto (or, Hnyin htoe)

A hearty favorite in the Burmese countryside. One night in the Burmese hills of Shan State, just after we brushed our teeth (a non-trivial production) and settled into bed, our host family delivered late night parcels of onion, leek, rice, and cabbage steamed in a banana leaf. Hnyin htoe tastes even better after the flavors have settled overnight and are fried up in the morning with turmeric and chili.

15. Gyin thouk

Grated ginger salad with sesame seeds. Our best experience came at the hands of the wife of a Burmese man who invited us to his house in New Bagan.

READ MORE: Rangoon Reflections

More Burmese Food Recommendations

Best Breakfast

It’s almost worth getting off the bus in Toungoo and staying overnight at Myanmar Beauty Guesthouse just to experience the world's most abundant breakfast. Vast, varied, and delicious, it may include fresh fruit from the garden, fried chapati (crispy, blistered, and topped with boiled lentils/peas), eggs, samosas, fresh locally-grown coffee…and just about anything else you might desire.

Most Interesting Street Snack

Bat Skewers – roasted, toasted, crispy, crunchy, meat on the bone. Full disclosure: we never tried them. The woman selling them claimed they were very tasty, but they didn't look particularly meaty or enticing.

Best Beer

Stick with Mandalay Red (choose it over Mandalay Blue). You’ll learn early that not all beers are created equal. Myanmar Beer is OK too, particularly on draft.

Best Western Meal

Pizza and Tagliatelle Bolognese at Star Flower Restaurant in Nyaungshwe (Inle Lake). An Italian tourist from Bologna supposedly taught a couple of Burmese brothers how to cook Italian food. The results are impressive and remarkably authentic, especially considering you're in Burma and some of the ingredients can be difficult to come by.

The post Burmese Food: A Culinary Travel Guide appeared first on Uncornered Market.

Rangoon, Burma. The name conjures the tropical blues of a steamy colonial outpost.

We wondered: would the current reality still match?

Streets of Rangoon

Aesthetically, Rangoon (aka Yangon) appears a sultry and poetic melancholy mash of faded glory. Aged sidewalks stand upended by the twisted roots of banyan trees. Crows with supremacy over sky and street peck amongst strewn garbage, fallen leaves and the ashes of long extinguished night fires. Grand colonial buildings, unsuccessfully defying the force of tropical deterioration and a lifetime of monsoon-to-dry season cycles, evince a certain beauty in their decrepitude.

A Delightful Intersection

Burma (aka Myanmar) sits at the intersection of Southeast Asia and South Asia; nowhere is this more apparent than in the capital, Rangoon. Streets unfold into a spirited cultural mosaic of ethnic Burmese, Indians, and Bangladeshis.

Buddhist temples, Hindu temples, Muslim mosques, and Christian churches – all illustrative of Burma’s surprising religious tolerance and history – share physical and spiritual space.

A Culinary Surprise

The food, too, delights. Like kids in a candy store, we reveled in colorful and tasty street food, stopping on almost every street corner to try something new for only a few cents. Bowls of crushed samosa soup, rice noodles with Burmese curry, and spiced cold noodles all convey cultural influences from across Asia.

Burmese Spirit

And the people. There’s a message and lesson in all those beautiful faces: they have little, their lives are difficult, and their government is oppressive – but so many of them find the excuse to frequently crack genuine smiles.

We found the people of Burma to be resilient, resourceful, humbling, and inspiring. Some of the kindest people we’ve come across in all our travels.

For now, enjoy our photos from Rangoon.

Rangoon / Yangon Travel Information

What to Do:

• Take the Circular Train from the main train station ($1) for a very slow but wonderful journey around Rangoon. Enjoy market women balancing trays on their heads and dancing as the train trundles through the countryside.
• Visit Shwedagon Paya, Burma's most holy Buddhist temple, in the late afternoon. Join in with the locals and light incense or pour water over holy statues to reinforce your good fortune. Make sure you catch the broom brigade circling around the marble floors; remain until sunset to enjoy the waning light bouncing off the gilded stupa (over 53 tons of gold leaf!).
• Stroll through the fruit and vegetable piles of Theingyi Zei market (perpendicular to Anawrahta Road, across from Sri Kali Temple) in the early morning or late afternoon. We stumbled upon this market street on our first day in Rangoon and were overwhelmed by the the people, their smiles and the beauty of their vegetables. This market became a regular late afternoon stop for us.

How to Get There:

We flew Air Asia from Bangkok, Thailand to Rangoon, Burma. Uncertain about the length of our stay, we booked a one-way ticket and later purchased a one-way return ticket. We often use Skyscanner to compare prices and book flights.

Where to Stay:

Ocean Pearl Inn or Mother Land Inn (2) are similar in price. Mother Pearl is a bit smaller, more family run and closer to the center.

Where to Eat:

We ate on the street (mainly vegetarian) – samosas, soups, pancakes – with reckless abandon and never got sick. Head to Nila Biryani Shop (or one of its neighbors) on Anawrahta Road for cheap and filling biryani and dosai. In the evening, stop by the barbecue street (between Mahabandoola and Anawrahta Streets) for an endless array of grilled meat and vegetable skewers. Wash it all down with freshly pulled Myanmar beer.

For a mid-afternoon snack, follow the smell of freshly ground coffee at 128 Sule Paya (Pagoda) Road to Let Ywe Sin hole-in-the-wall cafe (a few doors down from Aroma cafe and Castle Internet Cafe). Two strong milk coffees and a beautifully light flan will run you a grand total of $0.80.

Exchanging Money in Myanmar:

ATM machines are now available so there is no longer the need to bring in cash (USD) and exchange money. Credit cards are accepted in some places.

Visa

The Embassy of Myanmar in Bangkok does a brisk business in tourist visas. Apply from 8 AM to noon and bring two passport photos, a photocopy of your passport and 880 BHT (around $25). Return three working days later in the afternoon to pick up your 4-week tourist visa. Be sure not to list any journalistic or humanitarian organizations in your application. The government of Myanmar maintains a hard copy and Microsoft Word “black list” of organizations they consider unwelcome or suspect.

The post Rangoon Reflections appeared first on Uncornered Market.

News stories take on increased significance when we’ve actually visited the place being covered. For example, we've recently been reading more about the effects of a harsh winter on the lives of ordinary people in both Tajikistan and China. As we read these stories, images of the people we’ve met become superimposed on a piece of news that we might otherwise regard with detachment.

We now follow Myanmar (Burma) more closely, as well. Just a few days ago, the junta (military government) there made news by announcing another “road map to democracy” and elections in 2010.

We’d like to be optimistic. Unfortunately, our recent experience in Myanmar tells us that the skeptics may have a more accurate read of the situation.

To See for Ourselves

We had been interested in visiting Myanmar for a while. Our interest was piqued further by the recent Buddhist monk-led protests (so-called Saffron Uprising) there in August-September 2007.

When the news first broke, we were concerned. That concern slowly yielded to hope as we watched scenes of defiant monks and locals protesting price increases and standing up for their freedom. We witnessed what looked like a sustainable movement, but the protests eventually subsided and the situation began to settle down.

A few months later, we made the decision to visit Myanmar. Friends questioned our decision, “Are you sure you want to go there? Is it safe?”

Based on our research, we believed it would be safe for travelers. So last month, we carried our hope with us to Myanmar. During our visit, our safety never seemed in question, but the condition of Myanmar’s road to democracy did.

Are You Spies?

We never initiated discussions about politics or the junta. The people in Myanmar were eager to do that for us. So long as they felt comfortable in their surroundings and were certain that no undercover police were around, they spoke openly with us. They shared stories about how military police would surreptitiously snap photos of demonstrators during the day in order to take them away from their homes at night. Police presence was minimal. That is, if you only happen to be counting those in uniform.

In the face of all this, the people of Myanmar are resilient, resourceful, and creative. Locals know how to go about their regular business without attracting attention. They obtain information through word of mouth, by listening to shortwave radio (BBC, VOA, RFA) and by reading correspondence from relatives living abroad. If our experience with the internet was any measure, all of these information sources are heavily monitored and censored.

What’s Behind the Blackouts?

Our own communication challenges were not only limited to circumventing blocked internet, but also navigating frequent power cuts. The purpose of internet controls is straightforward: to prevent the flow of information.

Blackouts are a bit more difficult to understand. In Myanmar, electricity would run rather sporadically for most of the day and usually shut off around dusk. This meant that any home, guest house or business wishing to operate during the evening would need to use a generator.

Compared to every other resource-starved region we’ve been in, this is an odd approach. Because light and heat are more available during the day, electricity is often wisely conserved in favor of darker and colder evenings.

Cynics we spoke to explained that Myanmar's electricity distribution strategy was connected to the business interests of high-ranking officials with connections to the petroleum industry. They suggested a simple dynamic: turn off the electricity (lights and heat) at night and people will be forced to run diesel-powered generators to supply their needs.

Does Poverty Equal a Poor Country?

“Myanmar is not a poor country. I’m not saying that there isn’t poverty. There is, but it doesn’t have to be that way,” one man offered.

The point that he was getting at is that Myanmar has resources: vast tracts of fertile land, teak forests, gems, and veins of gold and natural gas. Unofficially, the country supposedly even does a lively opium trade with China and Thailand.

The fact that many people in Myanmar remain desperately poor doesn't seem to be due to endemic laziness or lack of resources. Across Myanmar's diverse ethnic groups, people appeared relatively hard-working and resourceful. The issue seems to be more a matter of what government chooses to do with the resources at its disposal and how it “manages” the economy than with the failure of its people or its land.

Locals are quick to tell us that the junta and their friends control all business deals. As a result, average citizens don’t benefit from the country's natural resources. They see supplies drop as the government exports them; prices rise and purchasing power is diminished. Ultimately, increased petrol prices prompted the demonstrations in August and September. This was the tip of an iceberg of frustration. While resources were being extracted, deteriorating infrastructure and diminishing services (electricity, health care and other) were offered in exchange.

The government also appears to enjoy squandering their resources on boondoggles like re-locating the capital of Yangon (Rangoon) to Naypyitaw, a Pleasantville-style planned village of suburban dreams, subdivisions and empty well-lit streets. We passed by it on the train; it was surreal. Large tracts of land and freshly laid wide boulevards in the middle of the plain remain empty but ready for the elite while the rest of the country struggles with rolling blackouts and failing infrastructure.

Whose Future?

When we heard that the junta announced elections in 2010 as part of Myanmar's democratic road map, we weren't particularly hopeful.

Skeptics say that the government's “free elections” may not be so free. We too have a hard time believing that the military would voluntarily cede political power and the economic power that comes with it. After all, wouldn’t opening the internet, allowing journalists back into the country and freeing a few prominent political prisoners offer some steps on the real road to democracy?

Hope for Real Change?

There is one country that we believe can influence Myanmar towards real change given both its economic influence on and its proximity to Myanmar. Unfortunately, we can’t tell you which country that is until after we visit China for the second time this spring.

Oops, I think we just gave away the answer.

Reflecting on Our Decision to Visit

Given all this, we are glad we visited Myanmar when we did. We wanted to see what life was like for real people. In doing that and spending our money consciously and wisely, we are confident that we did more good for ordinary people than we did for the government.

We're looking forward to sharing more impressions of Myanmar – its diverse people, food and culture – through our writing and our photography.

The post Myanmar, Where Hope Dies Last? appeared first on Uncornered Market.

Don't worry, we're not feeling lonely. The title refers to the current reality here in Myanmar where once bustling tourist sights and streets have been transformed into ghost towns. Strings of flashing lights still hang from restaurants advertising the best Burmese, Indian, Nepalese – and even Tibetan – food in town, but the sobering and obvious fact is that most of these restaurants have only a few customers per day…and that's on a good day. There are simply very few tourists here.

While we normally enjoy places that are off the beaten tourist path and offer a healthy dose of solitude, we're witnessing a dearth of tourists in small towns – particularly those whose economies revolve around tourism – that borders on the surreal.

We are currently in Mandalay, the country’s second largest city and where the dip in tourist traffic is less noticeable because of the volume of people and relative diversity of industry. However, in Bagan – our home for the previous four days and home to a plain scattered with 1000s of Myanmar’s beautiful red brick temples – the devastation to the local tourist trade was obvious.

The area of Bagan in which we stayed usually plays hosts to a sea of travelers around this favored time of year (the dry and cool season). Both locals and repeat visitors that we’ve spoken to estimate the drop in visitors at 80-90% compared to last year. The situation is so dire that the number of guest houses and restaurants appeared to outnumber tourists by at least four to one.

Small business and restaurant owners remain remarkably and genuinely friendly, but they remind us – less out of guilt-tripping than reporting of fact – that if this continues much longer, they’ll be going out of business. When you consider all the other suppliers who make a living from selling services and souvenirs to tourists, the situation begins to appear rather grim.

One thing we heard repeatedly from vendors was, “Please, lucky money.” Lucky money is money from the first sale of the day. We heard this many times close to sunset, meaning yet another day had gone by without any sales.

Looking Back, Looking Ahead

We've been in Myanmar for ten days now, traveling overland by bus and train. Hard wooden benches on trains and middle aisle plastic chairs on long-haul buses may not qualify as the most comfortable means of travel, but we have found them to be tickets to a fascinating, genuine, and interesting way to see the country and meet its people.

Myanmar is a complex place, but people here express their thoughts in simple yet surprisingly sophisticated ways. Given recent events here in Myanmar, we feel more comfortable opening up and sharing all of our stories once we are out of the country.

One quick note for anyone considering travel to Myanmar: if our experience is any measure, this country is very safe, not to mention that Burmese people have been living up to their reputation as some of the kindest people on the planet. Of course, that's not to say that we haven’t had to bargain occasionally to get a fair price or that we haven’t met a swindler or two. Overall, however, we have been amazed by the generosity and kindness of spirit here.

We have approximately two weeks left to explore Mandalay, get in some trekking around Kalaw, and relax near Inle Lake. Then it's a long bus ride (like 16-20 hours, if the bus doesn’t break down) back to Yangon before flying out. We had hoped to return overland to Thailand, but the special permits required are expensive and the application process time-consuming. Scores of international flights have also been dropped from airline schedules recently, because – you guessed it – there are no tourists.

We managed to find a place with regular electricity, a non-dial-up internet connection, and sophisticated proxy software to allow us the freedom to access our website and email. It's nice to be connected again to the world, for a short time at least.

The post Lonely Myanmar appeared first on Uncornered Market.

Myanmar (Burma) is a country noted for its oppressive government and lauded for the kindness of its people. This September, though, the political situation heated up again under protests and a corresponding government crackdown.

We’re back in the neighborhood of Southeast Asia again and we have the opportunity to visit. Do we go this time or give it another pass?

We debated this question a few days ago. We also faced a similar choice earlier in the year when we decided to visit Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, two countries known for their less-than-pleasant regimes.

Two Views on Travel to Myanmar

The issue of safety aside, there are two distinct camps of thought regarding whether or not travelers should pay visits to countries being run by oppressive regimes.

One camp advocates a travel ban. After all, a portion of tourist expenditures ends up in the hands of the government through taxes and payments to state-controlled tourist agencies. Some go so far as to suggest that tourism to these countries constitutes tacit support for their governments.

The other camp suggests that travelers should continue to visit these countries in order to meet local people and to support their local tourist industries and economies. Although oppressive governments may arguably deserve to be shut off, the victims of these regimes – ordinary everyday people – do not. Furthermore, there’s an argument to be made for greasing the wheels of dialogue and tourist diplomacy.

Earlier in the year, we chose to travel to Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan and we are glad we did. Our visits to those countries equipped us with a broader perspective and a greater understanding of what life is like – good and bad – for people living there.

Our Decision to Go to Myanmar

Earlier in the year, we passed up the opportunity to visit Myanmar. After hearing stories from other travelers regarding how incredibly kind the Burmese people are, we figured we’d seize the opportunity to visit this time around.

Though it’s unrealistic to prevent any of the money we spend there from ending up in the hands of the government, it is possible to take steps to reduce their take. We’ll stay in private guest houses and buy directly from street vendors. We’ll take non-government transport when possible. Our goal is to spread around whatever money we spend in a manner that benefits as many ordinary people as possible.

Myanmar – The Visa Application in Bangkok

Given the recent crackdowns in Myanmar earlier this year, obtaining a visa seems relatively straightforward. Although the application form asks for an employer and an address in Myanmar, it does not ask the applicant to specify a sponsor or an exact route through the country, as many Central Asian visa applications often do. We did, however, sign away our right to interfere with Myanmar's internal affairs.

If you aren't a “normal” tourist, the Myanmar visa application process becomes more complicated. For example, we overheard the visa officer question the man next to us about his wife's employment for an international organization in Bangkok. The Embassy of Myanmar required a letter from her employer stating that the visit would be for tourist purposes only and not be related to work. In explaining all this, the visa officer was remarkably polite, however. He apologized for the inconvenience and explained that the new regulations from Yangon (Myanmar's capital) required this additional check.

We also noticed that the woman behind the counter processing passports had a hard copy blacklist binder full of individual and company names. She checked each application and passport against the list. She followed that up with a check against an electronic blacklist, her Microsoft Word Find function open and poised to screen each name for a second time.

We were grateful for our “consultant-traveler” backgrounds. Apparently, we did not appear on any blacklist. We happily collected our visas three days later.

Reporting from Myanmar

While we are curious to speak to people in Myanmar about their lives and their feelings regarding the current social and political situation, we understand that we need to be careful not to put anyone at risk. The reality in visiting oppressive regimes is this: the threat to our safety is often dwarfed by the threat to the safety of talkative locals who draw the ire of authorities by spending too much time with visitors.

Other than that, we don't really know what to expect in Myanmar. We’ve been in this situation before, however, and are open and curious to learn. We’ll be sure to share what we find, although it will likely be after we exit the country. We expect some serious internet controls in Myanmar when we visit.

The post Myanmar: Go or No Go? appeared first on Uncornered Market.