I arrived in Yangon 3 days after I had entered Myanmar. You can read about my journey to Yangon from the Thailand-Myanmar border from my previous post in here. Yangon (previously known as Rangoon) was the capital of Myanmar until 2006 when the military government relocated the capital to the purpose-built city of Naypyidaw. With over 7 million people population, Yangon is still the biggest city in Myanmar. But first, a little bit about Myanmar in general.

Myanmar

Myanmar (also known as Burma), with a population of 53 million, has land borders with Bangladesh, India, China, Laos and Thailand. Even though having many neighbouring countries there are not many options to cross the border into Myanmar. The country has been under military rule (junta) for almost half a century. The military junta was dissolved in 2011 when general elections were held (2010) and a democratic civilian government was installed. After the elections, many changes began to happen in Myanmar. Among other things, the borders were finally opened to foreign tourism. During the oppressive military dictatorship, it was almost impossible or really difficult to enter the country. Along opening its doors to the outside world the media censorship was significantly eased in 2012 and several banned websites like YouTube were unblocked. Only during recent years, the internet has become more available for the citizens of Myanmar. During my stay there (in 2018), the situation seemed to be quite satisfactory though,  because SIM cards with data connection and WiFi in Hostels were working fine in even more remote towns (besides Yangon, Mandalay). Although Myanmar has been improving in many sectors, they still have quite some problems and controversy going on. While the country is run by a democratic party, the military still has a significant influence in politics. The biggest issue by far is the situation with Rohingya ethnic minority group, who live in the western part (in Rakhine state) of Burma. The Rohingya people (estimated population of 1 million people) have been denied citizenship of Myanmar for decades even though they have been living in the same area for ages. The military has been cracking down the Rohingyas by extreme violence. The UN (United Nations) reports suggest that killings, rapes and other brutalities have been taking place during 2 recent years. More than 700.000 people have fled their homes in fear and about 10.000 people have been killed in the violence. The situation can be referred to as genocide. Myanmar’s government has been rejecting all the allegations referring to happenings. The strangest thing for me is that the State Counsellor (aka Prime Minister) of the country is Aung San Suu Kyi, who is a Nobel Peace Prize winner (1991). Photo. Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh. Besides the Rohingya crisis, there are still civil wars happening in Myanmar. The country consists of many different ethnical groups who still seem to be having fights for their independence and self-determination. That is why many regions are still restricted for tourists. The most influenced regions at the moment are the Rakhine State in the west (Rohingya people) and Kachin State in the north. Personally, I noticed the presence of military forces while in the north-eastern part of Shan State (south from Kachin State). While travelling back to Mandalay from Lashio with the train I saw people in military uniforms in almost every train station. This was not the case when I was going to Lashio a week earlier. When asking some locals, they told that there was an armed situation next to Hsipaw town a couple of days earlier. The people of Myanmar (Burmese) are really welcoming and hospitable though. Everywhere I went there was sincere helpfulness and kindness in presence. Their culture and traditions are unique as well. When imagining a typical Burmese man you see someone who is wearing a longyi (a single piece of cylindrically shaped clothing worn around the waist), chewing tobacco in betel leaves (makes their mouths and teeth red) and wearing organic sunblock on their faces (made from powder made of thanaka trees).  The thanaka powder seemed to be used by women for also aesthetic purposes. Everyone likes to dress in really colourful clothes as well. Photo. Burmese youngsters sitting on an edge of an old temple tower in Bagan. By religion, Myanmar in mainly a Buddhist country. It is practised by 88% of the population. This can be seen all over the country by the huge number of Buddhist temples. Christianity and Islam are practised as well in smaller propositions. Christianity is mainly practised among Kachin, Chin and Karen people and Muslims are spread around the country in smaller communities. Previously mentioned Rohingyas are also Muslim. It becomes obvious that regions, where most of the civil wars and military crackdowns are taking place, are non-Buddhist. So it seems that Myanmar is deeply involved in religious conflicts.

Yangon

Yangon is most likely the city a tourist will arrive at when flying into Myanmar. Yangon International Airport is the busiest airport in the country and has most of the flight connections for international travel. What is interesting to notice that Yangon is completely different from other big cities and capitals in South-East Asia. Most of all regarding transportation systems. Trishaws (rickshaws), bicycles and motorbikes have been banned from the city. Motorbikes/scooters are usually the main and cheapest means of transportation in South-East Asia. Chinese scooters are cheap to buy and almost everyone has one. People usually do not walk on the streets and so pedestrian ways (if existing) are used for other functions (local vendors) or are not in good condition. That is not how it works in Yangon though. Since motorbikes are forbidden, people need to have cars or use public buses. Buying a car is ridiculously expensive though in Myanmar. The government only allows to import a couple of thousand cars per year and so the prices are sky high, especially comparing to the earning power of the people. Taxis are widespread across the city and people use them a lot. Prices are really reasonable as well. Another option is to take the public bus. I did not manage to figure out though where do they stop and what are their routes/schedule. Besides taxis and buses, a railway runs through the city as well. It is quite competitive because of the cheap ticket prices. Picture. The streets of Yangon with Sule Pagoda on the background. So what there is to do in Yangon?

Shwedagon Pagoda

Shewdagon Pagoda is the most sacred pagoda in Myanmar. It rises up 99 meters from its base and dominates the skyline of Yangon. According to the legend, the pagoda was constructed already more than 2600 years ago, which would make it the oldest Buddhist stupa in the world! Archaeologists state though that it was built by Mon people between 6th and 10th century AD. The stupa is actually covered by genuine gold plates. Because there are so many stupas and Buddha statues in Myanmar then usually a golden paint is used on others. Besides the Shwedagon Pagoda, there are many other pagodas and religious sites in Yangon. One of the other main ones being Botataung and Sule Pagoda. Photo. Shwedagon Pagoda.

Circular train

One of the easiest and interesting ways to see the local life and surroundings in Yangon is to hop on the circular train. The train runs through the city centre, around the airport and back close to the city close to the riverside. The ticket to the train is cheap as well (around 200 kyat=0.11 € if I remember correctly). Vendors selling fruits, snacks and toys during the travel and locals carrying their goods(food) is surely an image to remember. It takes around 3 hours in total to complete the circuit. It is possible to of course hop on-off in any stops during the ride. Photo. Locals enjoying the train ride in Yangon circular train.

Chinatown and the riverside

The best way to experience the city is to just walk around and get lost in the streets. The heart of the city (downtown) is close to Yangon river and is the Chinatown. This is the busiest part of Yangon. Filled with countless shops and street food places it is a colourful environment to be at. Different kind of markets are placed next to the ferry harbour and along the big road (Strand Road). Photo. Streets of Chinatown Visiting Yangon makes a great start for a journey deeper inside of Myanmar. Historical temples in Bagan, the local culture at Inle Lake and outdoor activities more into the north-east from Mandalay made the trip more complete for me. More about these places already in the following posts!