Photos and text by Muktadir Rashid
I was extremely cautious as the tiny jet was about to land following a nearly two hour long journey from Dhaka to Yangon on a sunny afternoon. After getting down from the plane and while I made my way to immigrations, I was astonished by the lavish Yangon International Airport, still under construction by the military rulers of Myanmar, for international passengers.
I was a bit perplexed due to the sheer number of news I had read about the isolated neighbour and incidents of rights violations over the years. After crossing immigrations, I was again surprised when I exchanged 124, 000 Kyat [pronouncd chayat] for US $ 100.
Once out the airport, we moved to Taw Win Garden Hotel, opposite the Russian Embassy in Myanmar. The 45-minute drive to the hotel was made through clean and bumpy roads through the suburbs outside Yangon which literally means ‘End of Enemy’. We learnt that the roads of the city are usually congested around this time.
Following refreshments at the hotel, we went to Royal Lake-side Karaweik Palace to enjoy the Myanmar folkloric tradition with cuisine, music and traditional dance performance. This can be enjoyed every evening for three hours.
Even after these performances are over, the night is still young in Yangon. The city is particularly safe for tourists even after dark. Bars, open through the night, enjoy gathering from tourists and locals. There is little chance of untoward incidents as there are plenty of burly bouncers at these bars.
Yangon can be called the ‘city of Pagodas’ just like Dhaka is called the city of ‘mosques’. Also, betel leaf is extremely popular in the country where there are a number of different recipes for those who have the habit. Corners of bars and airports can be found riddled with betel leaf spits.
During the second day, our sightseeing began with Maha Bandula Park, located downtown and surrounded by important buildings including the Sule Pagoda, the Yangon City Halland the High Court and most interestingly Bangali Sunni Jamme Mosque.
The sight of the mosque was interesting given the fact that I have read about the treatment Rohingya [locally pronounced Rohinza] muslims have been facing from the Myanmar government.
We also went to Botataung Pagoda, which claims to have Buddha’s sacred hair relic. The structure, located near the Yangon river port, is very secure with CCtv cameras and other secure facilities.
On the way to the Botataung Pagoda, you can see the city’s most expensive Strand Hotel, still as inspiring as it was during the early 20th Century on the stranded road. The hotel structure still exudes a colonial feeling.
People of Myanmar believe that no visit to Yangon is complete without a visit to the 2,500 years old Shwedagon Pagoda, located west of the Royal Lake on 114-acre Singuttara Hill.
Shwedagon Pagoda is covered with hundreds of gold plates and the top of the stupa is encrusted with 4,531 diamonds, the largest of which is a 72 carat diamond.
But, as a tourist you have to pay US$8 to enter the holy site. This made me think about the revenues that can be incurred through entry charges to Sixty Dome Mosque in Bagherhat or even for visiting Somapura Mahavihara in Paharpur of Naogaon.
In the pagoda, tourists have to be very careful about their dresses. Strapless, tank top, wide neck, crop top, short pants and mini skirt, among others, are prohibited in the religious places in Yangon. So tourists should keep additional clothes with them while visiting the pagodas.