I remember summer vacations spent in Bangalore with my grandparents, siblings and cousins when I was seven and eight years old. I recall sitting crossed-legged on the floor while my hair was brushed and oiled by Loga, and eating uno cow swey prepared by Esther. These two kind and gentle Burmese ladies introduced me to their land with magical stories of golden pagodas, wide rivers, abundant fields, tree lined streets and scented flowers.

When the Japanese invaded, Loga and Esther and many other women were permitted to leave Mandalay, but men over 19 had to remain. The women trekked for several months through thick jungle, over hard burning plains, through mountain passes and across raging rivers, escorted by Burmese and British soldiers, but often alone, haunted by memories of lives and loves abandoned. They arrived at my grandma’s doorstep in Bangalore, destitute and in need of help and work. My grandma installed them in a cottage behind her bungalow and later they were joined by some male members of their family. I know that several among them were highly qualified, and there was even a doctor, but I only remember Loga and Esther clearly as they worked in my grandparents’ home. They were always beautifully dressed and wore frangipani in their hair. Esther’s whole face would light up whenever she spoke of her home in Burma and though I don’t recall the actual stories, I still vividly picture their faces and have never forgotten their many kindnesses to us children.

Another reminder of Burma came from bumping along pot-holed roads in our Consul car, my parents in the front seat and my brother and sister behind. One of the songs we used to belt out was “On the Road to Mandalay.” I have only just realized that the lyrics are based on a poem written by Rudyard Kipling in 1890:

By the old Moulmein Pagoda
Looking eastward to the sea
There's a Burma gal a settin'
And I know that she waits for me

And the wind is in those palm trees
And the temple bells they say
Come you back you mother soldier
Come you back to Mandalay, come you back to Mandalay

Come you back to Mandalay
Where the old flotilla lay
I can hear those paddles chonkin'
From Rangoon to Mandalay

On the road to Mandalay
Where the flying fishes play
And the dawn comes up like thunder
Out of China across the bay

Ship me somewhere east of Suez
Where the best is like the worst
And there ain't no Ten Commandments
And a cat can raise a thirst

And those crazy bells keep ringing
'Cause it's there that I long to be
By the egg Moulmein pagoda
Looking eastward to the sea

These memories came flooding back as we planned our trip to Burma, and my romantic notions multiplied. Now, having returned home to Shah Alam from nearly two weeks in Burma (18-29 April, 2007), allow me to recall highlights of our brief time in the golden land of pagodas and of its very special people.

There were four of us on the journey: Robert, my cousin Gitanjali from Bombay, and friend Nergish from Penang. We decided from the outset to organize our own travels rather than through a tour company, to allow us greater freedom to pick and choose our accommodation and activities while also making sure to spend directly on individuals rather than pay corporations beholden to the government, or to relatives and friends of the ruling junta.

We traveled by plane, car, boat, tuk tuk, and in tongas (horse drawn carriages). We visited Yangon, Heho, Inle Lake, Mandalay, Pyin U Lwin (a beautiful hill station in the Shan highlands not far from Mandalay reminiscent of the colonial days with a fabulous botanical garden in full bloom) Bagan and Mt. Popa. We marvelled at temples, monasteries, stupas pagodas, churches and mosques. Ruins, ancient brick and stone pagodas, new concrete pagodas, wooden monasteries, even a “Jumping Cat” monastery where the monks have taught the resident cats some tricks! We saw hundreds of Buddha statues, some huge, others small: carved, gilded, painted, encrusted with 24-carat gold leaf, some surrounded by haloes of running or flashing lights, many standing, some lying down, and many sitting in every pose and posture. We went to markets teeming with humanity, people from minority groups dressed in their traditional outfits, and old women dragging on thick cheroots. We walked city streets, attended a wonderful marionette theatre with fabulous puppets, visited a Padaung tribal home whose women stretch their necks with neck rings, a cheroot factory, a lacquerware workshop, a toddy still, a glass factory, and we even enjoyed the luxury of afternoon tea at Mandalay's famed Strand Hotel.

Of the sites we visited, two stand out and will forever be etched in my memory: Bagan at sunset and Shwe Inn Thein with its myriad weather-beaten stupas on the southwestern side of Inle Lake. In particular, the kind and generous nature of the Burmese people will always remain in my heart.

Inle Lake is quaint and dominated by Nyaungshwe the “big” town from where we hired a long boat to explore the lake and its many villages. Although it was very hot on the water, watching the watery world glide by made us forget the heat! Our boatman navigated through many narrow channels lined on both sides with stilted houses. These tours of the "streets" gave us intimate glimpses of village life. At one point we stopped in the middle of the lake to watch how the fishermen trap and spear fish, and we saw small boats being rowed and steered by men balanced precariously on one leg with the other wrapped around the single oar! These “leg rowers” propel their vessels leaving both hands free to handle their fishing nets, basket traps and spears. This is quite an amazing sight! Against a backdrop of hills and the flash of gold from a pagoda in the distance, we passed through watery fields of vegetables, predominantly tomatoes, being grown in the lake rather than in soil, beautiful two and three storey houses built of teak and raised above the water on stilts, quaint wooden bridges gliding by overhead, water buffalos wallowing alongside children splashing, women washing clothes and bathing, a lone rider on a buffalo, and stupas silhouetted on the horizon.

We discovered Shwe Inn Thein on the second day at Inle Lake. The boat ride down the lake and then along a narrow, winding channel was quite thrilling as it involved charging upwater through a number of weirs through which the water cascaded with a drop of about 8 inches each. After docking, we walked along a wide, covered passage with wooden pillars leading up the hill to the monastery past a stunning collection of weather-beaten stupas. Some of the Buddha statues inside are decapitated but many are in their original state and beautifully preserved. At the top of the hill we were treated to some terrific views across the lake right to what seemed to be the edge of the world. I felt I was in a magical kingdom as I walked around the stupas, pausing to take pictures and discovering amazing works of art in the carving, features and posture of each Buddha statue so beautifully concealed in each stupa.

And then ..... Bagan!!

What can I say to adequately convey the sight before us on that sunset evening? The spectacle is forever imprinted on our minds. One could visit it a hundred times and still see something new and different each time.

We stayed at the Bagan Thande Hotel, beautifully located overlooking the Ayeyarwady river in old Bagan, at the very core of the Archaeological Zone which contains the main temple sites. The best way to explore this vast area would be on bicycles but it was too hot for that at this time of year so we explored first by taxi and then in a horse carriage which was much more fun!

On our last evening we climbed onto the roof of the Pyathada Paya (stupa) from where we got a panoramic view of the entire site: hundreds of pagodas, temples and stupas scattered across the plain as far as the eye could see! We sat on the ramparts and watched the sun go down as it bathed the land and the ancient buildings in ever-changing colour. Gazing doenwards, we saw movement in the distance and the faint sound of horses’ hooves as they pulled their carriages along the rutted road far below. I felt I was a small part of a vast set in a biblical film extravaganza!

In addition to the beautiful sights, the majesty of the ancient trees standing proud and tall, we were deeply touched by the people. The men dress in their traditional laungyi with their shirts tucked in and the women wear it with a blouse hanging out. Most women wear scented flowers in their hair and thanakha on their faces. This white paste, made by grinding the wood of the Thanakha tree, is applied as a cosmetic, sunscreen and perfume. Gitanjali, Nergish and I used it on our faces and it felt cool and wonderful!

Young or old, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim or Christian, rich or poor; hotel staff, taxi drivers, worshippers, people in the street -- all had time for us and treated us with kindness and respect. On our last evening in Yangon, we went on a sunset cruise on the Ayeyarwady river. The boat was an old tub and soon after we sailed there was a squall which caused the lights to go out! I tripped and fell to the steel deck, fracturing two toes on my right foot but the pain was eased by the outpouring of loving kindness by the waiters and staff. They could not do enough for me and because there was no medical kit on board, they bound my foot with a strip torn from a tablecloth. One of the waiters fatched a jar of balm and later helped carry me down the stairs and into a taxi. He repeatedly refused the money we offered him saying "I don’t like this money" and eventually turned on his heel and walked away.

The Burmese people are poor, their living conditions are harsh, their lives are dictated by a repressive regime that punishes and tortures dissent. In spite of this, they find it in their hearts to smile and say "thank you" for the smallest consideration. They live their lives in silent acceptance and pour their energies and their earnings into worship in the conviction that someday their lives will change, because change is the law of life.




















As you can imagine, Robert and I took lots of photos! To see a selection, please click inside the Flickr badge below.