Melancholia in Yangon

It seems unbelievable that Indonesia, whose amongst the weakest passport rank in the world, are one of few countries who eligible to enter Myanmar without a visa. The AirAsia staff who checked my document prior to departure, keep asking me, "where's your visa?" Apparently, even Malaysian need visa to visit Myanmar!

A lot of birds like this in Yangon. They said there are more than 1000 species of birds in Myanmar

Old, un-renovated building in Yangon. A whole city basically looks like this

However, Yangon itself reminds me to Jakarta that i had left 3 years ago, but Jakarta is far more cosmopolitan and shiny with a lot of skyscrapers. In Yangon, i felt the 1970s nuances of an underdeveloped countries, ruined by domestic conflict and never-ending political turmoil. No more development here, they don't even have highways. And as i roam around the city, i see that they don't re-paint the buildings although the paint was already peeling all over the places.

Roads in Yangon

There i met a taxi driver, who doesn't really speak english and he seems grumpy when he answer my question in Burmese. But, first shock for me was when i found out that the hotel i booked via booking.com were closed already! Then, he took me to Bed and Breakfast hotel that thankfully is a cheap and nice backpacker hotel, with a lot of caucasian tourists i met during the breakfast. 

The view of the city from the hotel

Upon which i joined them for breakfast in the next morning, an asian guy greeted me. He asked, "Are you from Japan?" I shook my head, and said, "i'm Indonesian", and he instantly become my companion during the breakfast session, just because we are the only asian at that time. The next morning we met again after i explore the city by bus and by walk. It's not difficult to find places in Yangon, as the maps has been really helpful. The local also helpful, but not all them can speak english, so i prepared it with a screenshot from places i wanted to visit, just in case i need to speak to them using these images.

Shwedagon Pagoda, view from Kandawgyi lake

The exquisite Shwedagon pagoda

Anyone up for .. (whatever that is)

It turned out, however, that it was impossible not to find rubbish in Yangon. It's a very dirty city, and rubbish and insect are all over it, even when you sit in a indoor restaurant, waiting for your lunch. But, probably this is one of the art of travel, you need to accept everything as one package: women who wear clay on their cheek, men who wear sarong (longyi) everywhere, and both man and women who chew leaf with betelnut and spit it everywhere on the ground.

Welcome to Yangon!

Some tourists will call them "exotic", until at some point you found an insect inside the food you're eating and pray you didn't get diarrhoea. At the very moment, i realised that the place has found me: for an adventure i always wanted, though it's still faraway from my ideal thoughts of a journey, mostly because i only have limited time, 5 days 4 nights, and need to go back to my "ordinary world". 

The biggest lake in Yangon, Inya Lake

But when another local greeted me when i was having a late lunch, i finally realised that Yangon is the most welcome city i've ever been. The guy thought i am a local, and he confused when he saw me looking at the map i brought. I said, "I'm from Jakarta, and will be leaving Yangon soon." He seems wanted to practice his english with me, and asked me why i didn't go to Bagan, like almost all the tourists do when they visit Yangon. But a lot of things had prevent me to do that, i wish i could travel in the long term, a year, or a month, of find a permanent job that give me more flexible time to do such thing. 

Inside the Yangon "LRT"

In fact, in Yangon, i finally do something i never done before: watch a football match live! So, when the riot happened in Jakarta (some referred it as 411), i sit on a stadium watch an international football match between Indonesia and Myanmar, and only pay 3000 MMK or around Rp 30000, which is very cheap! I took a circular train to the stadium, that it was so effective to reach every area in Yangon, that i will dubbed it as their LRT. 

The football match i watched

Do you think i won't enjoy a football match? Think again. 

And of course i need to end this journey. On the day i checked out, the receptionist received the key from me nonchalantly. She never have to know that i always saddened when this day has to come. A day where i have to return to the "ordinary world" and expect to be on an "extraordinary world" as soon as possible. 

Yangon train, maybe this one in imported from Indonesia

At the last day, i explore Mahabandula park, just to killing time before i take bus to airport. A burmese kid who is abandoned by her mother crying for my bread. I gave him immediately, and then after that, an older kid came and offer me to buy whatever he sells. He thought i'm Japanese". What? in Myanmar i suddenly become Japanese twice. 

a view from Maha Bandula park, downtown Yangon

I stay there for around 1 hour, knowing that i might not revisit it in the future. 

Even, when you leave such a place like Yangon, you will feel that feeling of melancholia.