Myanmar – A journey barefoot and the past

Longi skirts, communal housing, a slow life, and a world without theft.

            The plane slowly made a stop at Yonggun Airport – the country's capital.MyanmarIt was still quite early. The quick-witted taxi driver, speaking broken English, took me to the hotel I had booked. The first thing to do was drop off my luggage and exchange money. The hotels absolutely refused to exchange US dollars for Kyat, insisting I go to the jade market 2 km away. The US dollar bills had to be spotless, free of ink stains, and from 2006 onwards. After successfully exchanging 1000 Kyat for 1 US dollar, we were ready for our visit to the land of temples.

            Yong Gun is not a modern capital city with skyscrapers. It's easy to feel like you've wandered into Hanoi of the 1980s, with buildings retaining their original appearance from the subsidy era. Matchboxes overflowing with clothes hanging to dry, tiny living rooms, and lively conversations drifting from window to window. The houses stand there, their walls peeling with old paint from the 1850s, and sparrows hopping busily on balconies.

PeopleMyanmarThey enjoyed chatting and having fun at tea parties on the sidewalk. A simple milk tea shop with egg tarts right on the pavement. Sipping the bitter taste of tea mixed with the refreshing coolness of fresh milk, fanning themselves with a leaf fan, and watching the old cars go by. Buses came and went every less than 5 minutes. Men wore colorful longi skirts on flip-flops. Traditional longi skirts fit all sizes, whether fat or thin. Around the skirt were tucked all sorts of necessities, from stacks of Kyat to mobile phones, from fans to cigarette packs. No theft, no robbery, no arguments, only the faint smiles of betel nut and the shimmering light of Thanaka powder. (Thanaka is used to make cream. A ceramic or wooden plate is filled with just enough water to cover the base, then the thanaka stick is ground in it. A thick, ivory-colored paste is formed from mixing with water. Women and children apply thanaka to protect against the sun and moisturize their skin. When applied, it feels cool and refreshing, like sunscreen.)

            The market simply takes place right on the streets. People sell all sorts of things on those small sidewalks, from newspaper stalls and book stands, selling old foreign language books at surprisingly cheap prices, to valuable antiques and coins. The fruit and pastry market, along with food and drinks, opens later each afternoon. There are stalls selling delicious bananas, papayas, watermelons, flowers, and green vegetables...MyanmarBack then, mobile phones were a luxury. People still used public telephones on the street, on simple tables with old rotary dial telephones.

            It costs $5 to enter Shwedagon Pagoda, the most famous golden pagoda.MyanmarI left my shoes outside and walked barefoot up to the temple. The midday sun scorched the brick courtyard, making my steps more hurried. The twilight hours, as the sun sets, are also the busiest time for visitors to the temple. Built over 2,500 years ago, Shwedagon is said to house eight strands of the Buddha's hair. Today, the main spire of the temple is 98 meters high and covered with over 30 tons of gold and hundreds of diamonds.

            The most striking feature is the eight statues in eight directions, symbolizing the seven days of the week (Wednesday, the middle day, is divided into morning and afternoon). Each statue depicts a different animal, and those born on a particular day visit to light incense and sprinkle holy water on that animal to pray for good fortune. While the local people of Myanmar sit together on the tiled floor around the main temple, devoutly murmuring prayers, tourists sit on the steps, silently admiring the entire temple and the local rituals in the fading twilight.

Tonight, Yong Gun is without electricity. Government power only reaches each house for four hours. Throughout the night, the only sounds are the low hum of generators and the incessant cawing of crows, piercing the silent darkness.

 Ancient horse paths, fiery sunsets over the plains, and sleep within a thousand-year-old temple.

             Our flight from Yongun to Bagan was delayed by two hours. “Flight delays are common in this country. It’s only rare that you get delayed by car,” my foreign friend explained. They jokingly called it “the hand-operated Air” because of the airport’s still very rudimentary way of working. Luggage was collected by porters right at the check-in area, and we received it back at the airport on the other side as we were about to get into a taxi. There were no announcements about the departure time, only signs: “Flight E1772 to Bagan, please board!”

            Bagan awakens at dawn with the faint red hues of a Buddhist mendicant's footsteps. For Theravada Buddhism, the Bagan and Angkor Wat are two of the most representative examples of unique and historically rich architecture. Not hidden within dense forests, the Bagan complex, with over 2000 temples and pagodas spread across tens of kilometers under the scorching sun of the red earth, rises in swirling red dust. As the sun rises, the dust swirls behind footsteps, the wheels of bicycles, and the jingling of horses. In the dry season, carpets of yellow leaves fall on either side of the path, and the dry sun makes the sand even hotter underfoot, causing the temples made of red earth to glow like fire. The air is tinged with the red of the earth, the sky, and even the tree trunks are bathed in the sun and wind.

Bagan doesn't charge entrance fees for individual sites; instead, the fee is collected at the city's gateway. It's a $10 entry fee to this historic city. The clattering horse-drawn carriage took us to explore Old Bagan, a meticulously crafted temple complex with intricately carved walls steeped in history, temples that have stood firm against the sun, wind, sand, and torrential rains. A once glorious civilization still exists in everyday life. The horse-drawn carriage kicked up red dust, pedestrians yielded to the passing carriage. Children rode to school on their rickety bicycles, some excitedly waving to visitors, and the silent temples stood on either side of the vast plain, as they have for centuries.

“Mingalarbar…Mingalarbar…Mingalarbar…” – the sounds echoed along the red dirt road.

The sun seemed to drain the energy of the passengers swaying in the horse-drawn carriage. The clatter of the carriage echoed in the enchanting tranquility of the sweltering midday. The wind rustled, and temples appeared in the sunlight, hidden behind low-lying trees both near and far. Stopping at the Sulamani Temple, I rested, enjoying a light meal of freshly baked bread, sipping milk tea from a bowl, nibbling on wild apples growing around the temple, and finally dozing off in the cool air of the nearly 1000-year-old structure.

            As evening fell, vehicles carrying hundreds of visitors from all directions converged on Thatbyinnyu, the highest temple in Bagan, to witness the spectacular sunset. Following the guidance of the Bagan temple caretakers, I climbed to the highest level of Sulamani. From here, the vast plain stretched out before me, the fiery red sun descending towards the distant horizon, casting a brilliant orange-pink glow over the temples, the bare-branched trees, and the herds of cattle hurrying back to their pens, creating a cloud of pink dust. It resembled the landscape of a barren desert, everything mystical in the dust. From here, one could gaze upon the Kyansittha umin tunnels with their famous murals over 1000 years old, Migala Zedi – a magnificent temple built in the 13th century, and Ananda Pagoda with its tallest spires.Myanmar.

Night quickly descended upon the temple roofs and the mystical sky, shimmering with twinkling stars. The sturdy, silent temples stood in the thick darkness, appearing only in dreams, mingled with the rhythmic clatter of horses on the reddish-brown road, a blend of earth and sky. The horseman's radiant smile flickered as he enthusiastically pointed out various places to the visitors.

 A barefoot journey through the land of gilded temples.

 After a 12-hour overnight bus ride from Bagan to the ancient capital of Mandalay, I quickly rented a motorbike with a full tank of gas. The method of refueling here, described as using buckets, was a bit daunting for anyone wondering how to buy fuel.

Instead of visiting the palace and the hillsMandalayAlong with the famous temples around here, we chose the famous U Bien wooden bridge as our first destination. The bright morning light shone on the barefoot monks in their alms-gathering robes, walking along every street, big and small.MandalayIt is the city with the most temples in the entire country.MyanmarAnd the number of Buddhist monks is also the highest in the country.

            Mahaganddayong Pagoda, near U Bien Bridge, welcomed two unusual visitors from afar this morning. With cheerful faces and bright smiles, we arrived at the pagoda, eagerly awaiting the midday meal of the alms-gatherers. The monks had prepared meals for nearly 1000 people. Giant rice pots were placed in the courtyard under the shade of banyan trees. Many people, carrying various cakes, fruits, and flowers, lined up orderly in the courtyard. At 10 am, hundreds of figures in dark brown robes, barefoot, leisurely entered the pagoda grounds. The returning alms-gatherers, with calm steps and serene faces, received offerings from the devotees and took their places in the monks' dining hall. Most of them were between 13 and 26 years old, and this pagoda is the place that hosts the largest breakfasts in the entire area.Mandalay.

The commotion of curious onlookers gave way to compassionate faces hurrying into the hall. Gentle, benevolent faces with soft, radiant smiles and an unhurried gait, much like life on this land: slowly making its way through.

            The U Bien Bridge welcomes the sunset as usual. This 1.2km long wooden bridge has stood for two centuries, its sturdy spans serving countless people on both sides of Lake Taungthaman every day. Bicycles carrying lunchboxes arrive and depart for work each morning. Children run and shout in the riverside clearing. Stubborn corn stalks stretch above the persistent reeds. Fishing boats cast their nets, the sound of oars echoing in the quiet night under the starry sky, and barefoot people walk in long lines early in the morning. In the afternoon, the U Bien Bridge is a place where young couples stroll, their feet dangling in the breeze; an old monk sits on the porch recounting ancient Buddhist stories; groups of young people giggle, applying cool thanaka powder to each other; or simply curious tourists eager to admire the beauty of an evening on this legendary bridge.

             MandalayIt was our last day, but I still felt a lingering sense of nostalgia. Dinner on the sidewalk consisted of spicy Indian-style chicken rice. The vendor kept refilling our glasses with cool water because the customers kept gasping for air due to the spiciness. A couple waiting for a ride watched us go, smiling. When the bus was full, people readily stood on the crossbars at the back, with four or five people clinging to the rear. Such passenger buses are common throughout the streets. Women and children are given priority seating, while young people and monks are willing to stand on the buses.

 MyanmarIt lingers in my mind after each sunset. In this country, it feels like you forget the past, forget the future, just living slowly each day with new discoveries. I enjoy those afternoons after my feet are tired and the heat has dissipated, sitting at a sidewalk cafe, sipping a fragrant cup of milk tea, listening to the slow rhythm of daily life. The stalls selling delicious tropical fruits with bananas, papayas, durians, watermelons... The broken English conversations on crowded buses and the smiles of barefoot Myanmar girls turning back to wave hello to visiting tourists.

 Note:

 MyanmarUse Kyat coins in denominations from 50 to 1000 Kyat. You can exchange money at the jade market in downtown Yongun. US dollars are also accepted, provided they are not torn or stained in any way.

There are three domestic private airlines in Myanmar: Yongun Air,MandalayAir and Bagan Air are national airlines.MyanmarAir. Aviation atMyanmarFlights are frequently delayed. You can purchase airline tickets through the hotels where you are staying.

Room rental prices atMyanmarFrom 7 USD per person and up. Hotels and guesthouses in Myanmar are very attentive and enthusiastic towards guests and offer free breakfast.

VisaMyanmarThe price is $20. You can get a visa in advance in your home country or upon arrival at the airport.

Lam Linh

The Thanh