Well, I made it. After leaving Joanne at Manchester airport on Monday evening I have finally arrived in Rangoon, Burma (or Yangon, Myanmar to give it it's official, if somewhat controversial name). I had to stop over in Bangkok for a couple of days so I could get my Burmese work visa sorted and then hopped on a plane for the 1 hour flight here.
Bangkok was crazy, although I didn’t really see much of it – just the backpackers’ area around the Khao San Road. I was staying in the airport hotel which is quite a hike from the city centre so I needed to get either a cab or the sky train to get there. I took the easy option (cab) but made the fatal mistake of telling the driver that it was my first time in Thailand. I may as well have added ‘And feel free to charge me what you like’ to end of that sentence. I probably got my pants pulled down over the price, but I didn’t question it. For those who know me, you’ll be aware that the likelihood of me instigating an argument over a fare with an irate looking and financially impoverished Thai taxi driver is zero. I won’t go into too much about Bangkok as it’s been done to death. But it’s exactly like everyone says: hot, sticky, unbelievably busy, but very modern and with fantastic (and cheap) food. And no, I didn’t see any ladyboys... no, really.
I arrived in Rangoon on Thursday morning and was immediately amazed and how green and untouched the place was. Lots of palms, green spaces and crumbling old British colonial buildings. I'd read in the guide books and online that this place was like stepping back in time, and it really is. And although I thought I was prepared for it, it has come as bit of a shock to me as to how different this place is from anywhere I've ever been. Rangoon is a big, bustling city, but due to the political problems here, the rest of the World has kind of left it behind. The men wear thick, ankle length skirts called longhi and the women cover their cheeks in a kind of slapped on beige make up made from tree bark (it's meant to improve the complexion - might give it a try). People sit on tiny, plastic chairs on street corners drinking tea and there are no chain stores or western brands to be seen.
I haven’t had a proper chance to explore yet as I’ve been settling in and doing the normal first few days at work stuff, but I’m going to pay a visit to the Shwedagon Pagoda at some point. This is a huge, gold Buddhist temple in the city centre and is a massive tourist draw. I can see it in the distance from my apartment block and it looks amazing. The only real exploring I’ve done so far was when I went for lunch with some guys from work. We went to the Savoy Hotel and it was fantastic! It’s a proper old school colonial type place with a dining area called ‘The Kipling Room’. I can just imagine the Brits from Victorian times sipping gin cocktails under sun umbrellas there.
When walking the streets, I found what looked like blood splattered across the pavements and roads. I was beginning to wonder if I'd stumbled upon the scene of a brutal murder. But no, the ‘blood’ is in fact a combination of saliva and the juice from betel nuts. The betel nut being Burma’s answer to chewing tobacco. And everyone’s at it. You’ll see men with their cheeks full, chewing wildly and occasionally gobbing mouthfuls of the resulting red goo on the floor. Lovely.
The local people here have been very friendly, kind and helpful since I've been here and everyone speaks really good English. People stop me in the lift and ask me where I’m from and what I’m doing in Burma. I'm staying in a fully furnished, company rented apartment in the centre of Rangoon in a bit of a rundown area, but with a few bars and shops nearby. When I got taken up to my place, I had to go through an inventory of the stuff that was being supplied to me with the apartment manager so that should any of it go missing, I could be billed for it at the end of my stay (although why they felt the need to itemise a double bed and a wardrobe is anyone's guess; these items being the least convenient things to steal from an 18th floor apartment). Anyway, what would normally be an extremely mundane task was turned into a fun game for the apartment manager's kids who ran around the rooms, finding all of the things that were on the list for me (and there were a lot). I'd say 'cups' or 'towels' and they'd run into the kitchen or bathroom and show me everything that needed to be ticked off. Their English was perfect and they smiled and laughed whole time. Judging from the less than luxurious conditions these kids were living in downstairs, you could have forgiven them for not being overly keen on this task. To me, it felt as though we were playing a game of 'Let’s make a note of all of the things that I have that you don't'. Not to them though - they were just helping me out!
Places to get online are few and far between and when you do manage to get wifi, the connections are slooooow. Think dial up speed halved with an irritating disconnect every few minutes. I’m lucky in that I can use my company’s private internet connection whilst at work, so it’s not too bad, but outside of working hours I’ve not had much chance to get my Facebook fix. This makes contacting the Mrs a real pain as I can’t really talk to her without Skype. She’s having laser eye surgery today so I need to speak to her to make sure she’s OK and that they haven’t zapped her eyes out. I’ve heard that there are a few places in town that have good connections (in between power cuts, of course) so I’ll have to try and seek them out.
If you fancy visiting here, forget your mobile phone – it won’t work. There’s no international roaming and getting a local phone here can be expensive. Two years ago the cost of a basic mobile and SIM was around $2000, although this is changing and I believe it’s much cheaper now. But I think I can get used to this and it kind of adds to the charm of the place. People aren’t constantly staring at a small screen in their palms all the time (like I do) and they, you know, like, talk to each other!
Another thing I’ll have to come to terms with is the cash only economy. I’ve been so used to using plastic to pay for things that having to carry a massive wad of notes everywhere feels a bit weird. And there are a few other strange rules when it comes to money: 1) You can only get the currency, the Burmese Kyat, here, in Burma. 2) You get a much better rate on the black market than from the official exchange offices due to the government massively over valuing their own currency. 3) The money changers will only accept US dollars in exchange for Kyats and 4) The dollars you hand over have to be new, crisp and clean with no marks, scratches, tears or folds. What is perfectly legal tender in New York is worthless over here.
So anyway, that’s a bit of Burma for you… more to follow…
Bangkok was crazy, although I didn’t really see much of it – just the backpackers’ area around the Khao San Road. I was staying in the airport hotel which is quite a hike from the city centre so I needed to get either a cab or the sky train to get there. I took the easy option (cab) but made the fatal mistake of telling the driver that it was my first time in Thailand. I may as well have added ‘And feel free to charge me what you like’ to end of that sentence. I probably got my pants pulled down over the price, but I didn’t question it. For those who know me, you’ll be aware that the likelihood of me instigating an argument over a fare with an irate looking and financially impoverished Thai taxi driver is zero. I won’t go into too much about Bangkok as it’s been done to death. But it’s exactly like everyone says: hot, sticky, unbelievably busy, but very modern and with fantastic (and cheap) food. And no, I didn’t see any ladyboys... no, really.
I arrived in Rangoon on Thursday morning and was immediately amazed and how green and untouched the place was. Lots of palms, green spaces and crumbling old British colonial buildings. I'd read in the guide books and online that this place was like stepping back in time, and it really is. And although I thought I was prepared for it, it has come as bit of a shock to me as to how different this place is from anywhere I've ever been. Rangoon is a big, bustling city, but due to the political problems here, the rest of the World has kind of left it behind. The men wear thick, ankle length skirts called longhi and the women cover their cheeks in a kind of slapped on beige make up made from tree bark (it's meant to improve the complexion - might give it a try). People sit on tiny, plastic chairs on street corners drinking tea and there are no chain stores or western brands to be seen.
I haven’t had a proper chance to explore yet as I’ve been settling in and doing the normal first few days at work stuff, but I’m going to pay a visit to the Shwedagon Pagoda at some point. This is a huge, gold Buddhist temple in the city centre and is a massive tourist draw. I can see it in the distance from my apartment block and it looks amazing. The only real exploring I’ve done so far was when I went for lunch with some guys from work. We went to the Savoy Hotel and it was fantastic! It’s a proper old school colonial type place with a dining area called ‘The Kipling Room’. I can just imagine the Brits from Victorian times sipping gin cocktails under sun umbrellas there.
When walking the streets, I found what looked like blood splattered across the pavements and roads. I was beginning to wonder if I'd stumbled upon the scene of a brutal murder. But no, the ‘blood’ is in fact a combination of saliva and the juice from betel nuts. The betel nut being Burma’s answer to chewing tobacco. And everyone’s at it. You’ll see men with their cheeks full, chewing wildly and occasionally gobbing mouthfuls of the resulting red goo on the floor. Lovely.
The local people here have been very friendly, kind and helpful since I've been here and everyone speaks really good English. People stop me in the lift and ask me where I’m from and what I’m doing in Burma. I'm staying in a fully furnished, company rented apartment in the centre of Rangoon in a bit of a rundown area, but with a few bars and shops nearby. When I got taken up to my place, I had to go through an inventory of the stuff that was being supplied to me with the apartment manager so that should any of it go missing, I could be billed for it at the end of my stay (although why they felt the need to itemise a double bed and a wardrobe is anyone's guess; these items being the least convenient things to steal from an 18th floor apartment). Anyway, what would normally be an extremely mundane task was turned into a fun game for the apartment manager's kids who ran around the rooms, finding all of the things that were on the list for me (and there were a lot). I'd say 'cups' or 'towels' and they'd run into the kitchen or bathroom and show me everything that needed to be ticked off. Their English was perfect and they smiled and laughed whole time. Judging from the less than luxurious conditions these kids were living in downstairs, you could have forgiven them for not being overly keen on this task. To me, it felt as though we were playing a game of 'Let’s make a note of all of the things that I have that you don't'. Not to them though - they were just helping me out!
Places to get online are few and far between and when you do manage to get wifi, the connections are slooooow. Think dial up speed halved with an irritating disconnect every few minutes. I’m lucky in that I can use my company’s private internet connection whilst at work, so it’s not too bad, but outside of working hours I’ve not had much chance to get my Facebook fix. This makes contacting the Mrs a real pain as I can’t really talk to her without Skype. She’s having laser eye surgery today so I need to speak to her to make sure she’s OK and that they haven’t zapped her eyes out. I’ve heard that there are a few places in town that have good connections (in between power cuts, of course) so I’ll have to try and seek them out.
If you fancy visiting here, forget your mobile phone – it won’t work. There’s no international roaming and getting a local phone here can be expensive. Two years ago the cost of a basic mobile and SIM was around $2000, although this is changing and I believe it’s much cheaper now. But I think I can get used to this and it kind of adds to the charm of the place. People aren’t constantly staring at a small screen in their palms all the time (like I do) and they, you know, like, talk to each other!
Another thing I’ll have to come to terms with is the cash only economy. I’ve been so used to using plastic to pay for things that having to carry a massive wad of notes everywhere feels a bit weird. And there are a few other strange rules when it comes to money: 1) You can only get the currency, the Burmese Kyat, here, in Burma. 2) You get a much better rate on the black market than from the official exchange offices due to the government massively over valuing their own currency. 3) The money changers will only accept US dollars in exchange for Kyats and 4) The dollars you hand over have to be new, crisp and clean with no marks, scratches, tears or folds. What is perfectly legal tender in New York is worthless over here.
So anyway, that’s a bit of Burma for you… more to follow…
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