Yangon and Last Thoughts on Myanmar

​I feel very lucky to have experienced a snipit of Myanmar. As an undeveloped country it does however present some challenges for travellers: washrooms come to mind! 

Above: Traditional eating style; delicious Myanmar curries and veggies including pea leaf salad; post ww2 single cylindar diesel trucks and “taxis” are the norm; and, a young women with the yellowish-white cosmetic called Thanaka on her face. It is made from ground bark hand children and young women routinely use it….  Acts as sun screen and is said to be very healthy for skin.

There is continued conflict in border states especially in the north. Ethnic minorities’ rights are still at issue. Our guide in Hsipaw, an ethnic Shan, provided some commentary… Lack of basic needs by many of the local people while the rich natural resources of their land is taken/or are at risk of being taken by others. There are virtually no large animals anymore. All have been hunted or tranqillized and taken to China according to our guide.

We were as close as we could safely go to the border and even there guerilla fighters were present. We came across them in villages but apparently they were in some of the rugged terrain we passed through.

There is virtually no recycling. Plastics are burned which devastates local environments. One doctor in his early 40s told us how loud speaker announcements were regularly made in villages 15 years ago instructing people to use plastic. Warnings were made on the dangers of using banana leaves and other traditional food wrappings. Of course nothing is in place to manage the nonedible, nondegradable waste. Burning is the main strategy which is unfortunate. 

Magnificant 6th century Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon; colonial building in disrepair; Myanmar cow. Shan indigenous woman and child.