The people of Myanmar

Burma, Myanmar, is shrouded in controversy, it is run by a military dictatorship that has banned motorcycles form the city, put an end to plastic bags and discourages smoking by banning cigarette advertising. According to the people one meets, and there are many of them, the government of Myanmar is something of a joke. An unpleasant joke, but a joke all the same. It does rather take you back as people joke about the excessive spending, the abject lack of care for the people and it’s dire human rights abuses. During my travels many people talked about the government, and trust me I didn’t ask them about it. I was in Burma to realize a long held dream; I had no political agenda and was not waving any flags..I just wanted to see this place before the elections of this year, which could bring Myanmar to another roadblock on its shaky way to open and fair government.

Given the recent developments I feel concerned that my companion and I may have had one of the last opportunities to see this wonderful land and meet its people before the curtain falls again. Last year tourism numbers were up, with the majority of visitors coming from France and Germany; closely followed by Italians and Chinese. Many people return year after year to visit their favorite places. The magical plains of Bagan, the rural villages of Shan State, the amazing beaches of Nagpali and the tribal area of Nagaland. Family guesthouses offer home-style accommodation and for the most part, even in Yangon, the presence of the military was understated and unobvious. On only one occasion did we even encounter anything close to feeling observed. We had wandered a little off track into the dock area searching for the old colonial hotel The Strand. We were courteously redirected by the police who repeated the same phrase “Do not be afraid I speak English”, but actually spoke no more than that. In contrast, the people of Myanmar speak excellent English, everyone, and I mean everyone, is conversant and knowledgeable. The standard “Where do you come from” is met with interest and your origins will provoke a second response, even as knowledgeable as “Well they are doing very well in the Premier League” Football, as elsewhere is the conversation starter, and even South Africa has upped its status by hosting the World Cup. My companion, so used to “South Africa, where’s that?” was pleasantly surprised at the response her country of origin drew after so long in the wilderness. With Indonesian TV beamed in on satellite many also knew where I live, Jakarta.

We found we were able to contribute to the local economy way over the small amount we paid in fees to the government, and to be honest the places where we were meant to pay didn’t seem that strict about getting our money. We paid a camera fee and an entry fee, and according to the Lonely Planet an independent traveler can put 80% of their money into the private sector. The Burmese love to read and we found that buying books was a great way to help, pass any bookstore, see someone reading a book, give the money to the storekeeper and buy a stranger a book. Buying local goods too, the things that people themselves use, rather than made for tourist gee gaws was also very easy to do. The Burmese themselves are natty in style and their daily use bags and scarves are amazingly bright and attractive. Fabrics too are great, anything from the cotton-checkered cloth worn by men and women to the embroidered brightly woven shawls can be found, made in Myanmar. The markets are also full of imports from China, India and Indonesia but the best buys are local