My Magical Myanmar

31/07/2022

27/06/2019

Bagan, with its nickname the Heart of Myanmar, is an ancient site measuring 13 by 8 km and contains more than 2500 Buddhist monuments built from the 10th to the 14th centuries AD.

I got to my hotel, refreshed myself with a shower and watermelon juice and hit the road with an e-bike, which are electronic motorcycles.

Motorbikes are banned in Yangon, so it felt great to be out of the big city, riding around with breeze on my face and in my hair.

As I headed towards old Bagan, I saw butterflies, flowers, and a herd of goats enjoying their breakfast of grass, with the temples in the distance.

The streets to Bagan are lined with trees. As I approached the town I noticed how simple and laid back the lifestyle is here.

I saw a man fixing his horse cart; kids in green-white school uniform with cotton shoulder bags running and playing; and the city’s famous lacquerware shops

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24/06/2019

The traditional toys are made with various materials such as wood, metal, bamboo, paper and clay. Although the toys are made with those materials, the most common material used is paper.

The process of the making toys with paper starts out with covering the carved wood with a piece of paper and making it stick together with glue. Then, it is dried in the sun and cut into the necessary shaped or design.

After that step, toys are quickly painted in bright colors. Then, lines are drawn for the eyes as classical lines to have a original look.

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23/06/2019

The mountain was known during the British colonial times as Mt. Victoria, named in honour of Queen Victoria as it is the highest peak in the Southern Chin mountain chain at over 10500 feet in elevation. But in the local Chin language it is called Khaung Nu Thom or Mother Earth Mountain and the rest of the country calls it Natma Taung. Natma Taung National Park was established in 1994 and straddles 3 townships in southern Chin Hills; Mindat, Matupi and Kanpetlet.

The total area covered by the park is 279 sq miles.

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21/06/2019

Climbing the 231-metre (760 feet) Mandalay Hill is undoubtedly the best way to get your bearings. It’s a peaceful, tree-lined walk that takes between 20 and 45 minutes, depending on your level of fitness. It’s a popular form of daily exercise among health conscious locals. Do not fear if the stairs seem daunting: take the asphalt path, or even a motorbike or pick-up truck. There’s no shortage of refreshment stalls as you near the glittering gold pagoda at the top.

Fans of Amitav Ghosh’s widely acclaimed historical novel, The Glass Palace, will rush to the recreated Mandalay Palace, which is also known as the Glass Palace because King Thibaw slept on a four poster bed with glass pillars. Disappointingly, the bed itself is nowhere to be seen, nor is it displayed at the Cultural Museum, contrary to what guide books claim. Unfortunately, other than the central compound’s 40 buildings, everywhere else is out of bounds due to the presence of military encampments. While entering the palace complex, don’t let the handful of young sentries carrying semi-automatic weapons put you off, nor an enormous sign on the palace wall that states, “The tatmadaw [army] and the people cooperate and crush all those harming the union.” Tourism here is encouraged.

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20/06/2019

Hpo Win Daung consists of a network of footpaths and stairways winding through an area where, between the 14th and 18th centuries, alcoves and small caves were dug into the hillsides and filled with Buddha images. A few of the shrines are quite big, housing large Buddha images and masterful, intricate religious murals dating to the 16th century.

There were no other tourists about and we revelled in the sense of discovery and isolation. In some places the recesses were quite eerie, like portals through which the undead might issue in the dark of night. We wandered around the main hill, saw a few Buddhist monks looking into the alcoves, and ran into a group of local kids who asked for packets of shampoo.

For the rest of the time, it was just the two of us and the gangs of wild monkeys that scampered around the rocks and trees. They weren’t as aggressive as the primates at Mt Popa, but I had the feeling that if I dropped so much as a crumb they would swoop in for the kill.

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15/06/2019

What do you hate about your job?
Nothing. I am very lucky. I appreciate that my amazing wife and children are understanding and support the time I have to spend in the field.

What are your thoughts on the state of tourism in Myanmar at the moment? A lot of really excellent, fun, inspiring, cross-cultural experiences have been developed in Myanmar, and many more are in the pipeline. For example, community based tourism programs. On the ‘for impro...

14/06/2019

Thandaung Gyi had been on my bucket list for far too long and I was so glad that I finally managed to tick it off.

It was on a Friday morning that I started out on my road trip to Thandaung Gyi at 7am. It took me about five hours driving to reach Taungoo. From Taungoo to Thandaung Gyi is only 27 miles by car passing through lush virgin forests and cascading mountain streams. There is a gradual climb to over 4,000 feet to reach Thandaung Gyi town.

It takes two and a half hours to travel from Taungoo through the town of Thandaung and on to Thandaung Gyi.

The route is pretty and follows a path through lush green hills.

When I reached the town it was already 2pm. The town is overlooked by Naw Bu Baw Prayer Mountain. It is quite a small town at only 1.57 sq-miles (1,007 acres), and set in a stunning location atop the Dawparkho mountain range in the northern part of Karen State.

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HOLIDAYS or vacations are words that bring joy to everyone. As my office was closed four days for Tazaungdaing lighting festival, I decided to go somewhere in a hilly region for holidays.When we think of visiting hilly regions, well-known destinations such as Pyin Oo Lwin, Kalaw, Taunggyi an...

13/06/2019

The Social House has a large floor area with both indoor and outdoor seating options. The design theme is somewhat industrial with checkered black and white floor tiles and relief wooden panels, leather chairs, exposed concrete and plenty of black tubular steel.

The outdoor seating is ideal for people-watching as it is raised a few steps up from the street yet still connected to the urban vibe.

The concept behind the food menu at The Social House is beer snack culture. In designing the menu, the owners were influenced by the internationally common habit of having snacks with your drinks. There are certain snacks that team particularly well with certain drinks and they vary from country to country within Southeast Asia. There’s the Japanese Chashu (barbecued pork belly), eel pakora and pajeon (Korean seafood pancake) in the appetizers section.

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In May this year, The Social House opened its doors on a bustling street in the Yawmingyi area which is a popular area for international companies to open offices and for foreigners to live. Despite a proliferation of successful cafes, restaurants and spas, prior to the opening of The Social House,....

10/06/2019

This exhibition shows the rare traditional costumes, ceremonial dress, brocaded velvet jacket, turban, sass, tinsel cloth and embroidered trousers and Myanmar tribute dress worn by Shan Sawbwa. Mahadevi, Crown Prince, Senior officials and local chiefs. This is a fascinating exhibition to study the dresses because of the ethnic identity and high fashion design.

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08/06/2019

A couple of steps!

07/06/2019

Nat ceremonies must be held for at least three days and up to seven. At the beginning of the ceremony the Nat, beginning with the King of the Celestials, are invited by name one by one and at the end, each one is ‘escorted’ back to their realms with music. These privately-sponsored ceremonies called Nat Pwe are usually held in a public place. If held in a private compound, the ceremony is often open to the public. The ceremonies are more like boisterous parties with loud music, food and drink for the Nat and guests, for it is all about making the Nat happy.

The mediums sing and dance out the stories of each Nat that possesses them in turn and it is like a theatre/dance performance. Cash notes received during the ceremony are shared with the musicians. Candies and cakes are thrown into audience, mostly made up of women and children who love a good show. Most mediums are transvestites, as the work description fits their lifestyle, but Nat ceremonies are not gay festivals.The pantheon of Spirits that are worshipped throughout the country are called the 37 Lords and Ladies (thon-ze’khunnit min), although there are many more regional Spirits.Among the 37 Lords and Ladies of the Nat pantheon here are details of some of the most interesting: Shwe N’bay, wife of the Lord of the Great Mountain, half-serpent, half human. She died of heartbreak after the ex*****on of her husband.Min Gyi and Min Lay, the sons of the Popa family of nats.

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