Text by Tom Westin Photos by Paul Broman

It' been called the golden land; one of the poorest countries in the world, yet boasting temples gilt with more gold than the finest cathedrals in Europe.

In the streets, armed soldiers inspire fear and uneasiness, but in their time off worship barefoot at temples with everyone else, though always within arm's reach of their rifles.

From the outset, one gets the impression that there is more to Myanmar than meets the eye.

Never far from the headlines because of its brutal military rulers, the decision to visit Myanmar is a difficult one each tourist must make individually.

Since the military dictatorship annulled the elections of 1990, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has called for travelers to boycott Myanmar to help bring down the regime. Others opine that only by seeing conditions with their own eyes and telling others will foreigners be able to make a difference. If you do decide to go, though, you can be assured of seeing some of the most spectacular sights in Asia - in the world; best go before they're overrun with tourists.

Keeping the faith
Myanmar's capital, Yangon, is an enigma. Orwellian billboards ("Crush all internal and external destructive elements as the common enemy") line the streets and soldiers in fatigues peer out from behind the fences of moldering buildings. Nevertheless, the people are welcoming and quick to smile. One gets a sense that the true center of power lies not with the military regime, but in strong Buddhist beliefs passed down over the past 2000 years.

Buddhism has kept the people of Myanmar going through English colonialism, Japanese wartime occupation and the current hardships. Center of the pro-democracy movement and student protests, in 1990, Yangon continues to suffer, its universities closed and many of its historic buildings neglected and overgrown with weeds. Through it all, the pagodas flourish, centers of calm in a world of uncertainty.

More that any other single image, the pagoda stands out as a unifying symbol of Burmese culture. Centers of Buddhist worship, pagodas also house the spirits of nats, pre-Buddhist animist spirits, as well as shrines to the planets and day you were born on, all arranged around a central golden dome. As a pagoda is hallowed ground, shoes must be removed before entering, no matter how hot the pavement.

Yangon is not really exceptional in this way; pagodas dot the landscape across Myanmar, from capital city to farmer's field. Why so many? According to Therevada Buddhist belief, existence is an endless cycle of rebirths, with the next life dependent on merit accumulated in this one. Merit can be gained by good deeds and prayer, but the most foolproof way for the rich is to build a pagoda. Beats coming back as a cockroach.

Early Europeans steaming up the Yangon river were awed by the sun glinting off giant Schwedagon pagoda, by far the most magnificent in the land. Schwedagon's exact history is shrouded in mystery, but dates back at least 1000 years to when it was built to house eight hairs of the Buddha.

The faithful contribute gold for its yearly refurbishment, and watches, bracelets and other jewelry are welded to its diamond encrusted summit; carrying the prayers of their former owners to the heavens. The scale is wonderfully ostentatious, the color is deliciously unrepentant - gold roofs and gold statues, the otherworldly main stupa shimmers in late afternoon with the setting sun. At any of the four entrances, tiny birds are sold from wire cages. Signifying release, they are bought for family or friends in jail, then set free at the top.

Peaceful Buddha

Meditation through exploration
Less lavish but more revealing of daily life is Sule pagoda, set in the midst of a traffic circle in downtown Yangon. Absent are the tourists and religious knickknacks of Shwedagon, replaced by local people sitting on steps, talking quietly, or meditating before elevated shrines built into the central spire. Men (but not women) may climb up into the tiny shrines, where they commune with a statue of the Buddha in a cramped space the size of a bathtub.

After 3pm, the neighborhood around Sule Pagoda turns into a giant market. Day merchants line the streets, and anyone with a dropcloth can set up shop. Makeshift lunch counters with eight inch stools serve up greasy bread and noodle soup, and fresh sugar cane juice is squeezed on the spot. Hawkers sell mildly-intoxicating betel-nut chew to men with red-stained teeth and gums, who then colorfully decorate the pavement.

With the hottest part of the day over, it's a good time to wander the crowded back alleys and have a snack of tomu, a sweet, semi-solid porridge made of coconuts and raisons, or pick up a longyi, a long, patterned toga-skirt worn by men and women alike. Everything imaginable is for sale, from knockoff western brands to milk in a bag. Looking for a broken Walkman, live crabs or a streetside haircut? You're there.

As dusk falls, more and more people come out; friends unwind and sip tea at roadside restaurants, and couples stroll hand in hand down the dimly-lit streets. An occasional military convoy of soldiers packed into pickups rushes by, sirens blaring, but is hardly noticed. Oblivious to it all, a woman at Sule pagoda continues ladling water over a statue of the Buddha, praying for a long and peaceful life.

Feckless FECs
The Union of Myanmar demands an exchange of $300 in hard currency from foreigners entering the country. Non-refundable, it is immediately changed into Monopoly-colored Foreign Exchange Certificates (FECs), usable at hotels, government boats and foreigner-gouging historical spots. For anything else, it's cheaper to use kyat, the local currency. FECs and kyat are both useless outside the country, so should be exchanged with street money changers for US dollars when exiting the country.

Literature
Before leaving, pick up a copy of the government newspaper New Light of Myanmar, dedicated to exposing neo-colonialists and "outside-relying axe handles." You can also see what Secretary-1 and Secretary-2 have been up to.

When to go
Myanmar's seasons are divided into the wet (June-October), the cool (November-February) and the hot (March-May). In April, months of dry heat are assuaged by Thingyan, the Burmese water-flinging festival marking the new year. Visas are good for 28 days, twice that time with extensions.

Myanmar Embassy Tokyo: 03-3441-9291
Union of Myanmar: www.myanmar.com

Next week: Rural Myanmar