EXPECTATIONS
I love to travel because I want to know about other
cultures—what moves that part of the world and why, or how similar they might
actually be to us. But until recently, I have only been exposed to comfortable travel--having the convenience of efficient transportation around the city and a myriad of shopping stores which, even though I rarely really buy anything from them, gives the experience of urbanity and affluence different from what I am used to back home.
That is why, the closer we got to
our Myanmar trip, the more anxious I became. The decision to go was, to be
honest, barely calculated. There was a photo I saw of an aerial view of Bagan
on Instagram, and that was enough to convince me to go. The moment I saw an
AirAsia seat sale, I asked 3 of my friends to go with me, and they agreed as
impulsively. Lels. The real hustle slowly
sank in while I was doing the itinerary. First of all, the weather in Myanmar
is just like in the Philippines, which is extremely warm. So walking around
would definitely soak our shirts and oil our faces to a point worthy of a germicidal
soap commercial. There was also the issue of where and what to eat, in case our
stomachs rejected Burmese food, because believe it or not, there are still places that McDonald's hasn't colonized...and Bagan is one of those places.
The reviews of the hotels we were looking at weren’t so encouraging either. Even the ones with the best ratings had several comments about intermittent water supply and a weak wi-fi connection. The latter issue I normally wouldn’t have been too concerned about, but being at a rural area far from home, I would prefer to have some sort of connection to the outside world.
The reviews of the hotels we were looking at weren’t so encouraging either. Even the ones with the best ratings had several comments about intermittent water supply and a weak wi-fi connection. The latter issue I normally wouldn’t have been too concerned about, but being at a rural area far from home, I would prefer to have some sort of connection to the outside world.
To add to my worries, 2 of the 3
friends I booked for had to cancel for unavoidable reasons, so that left only
me and Jedi to sort through this labyrinth of a trip. We were both very
innocent-looking (don’t argue) women, and the idea of us travelling to Bagan
gave me flashes of scenes from those Hostel movies. At one point I even
considered not going myself, but I was won over by the kuripot in me and decided I didn’t want to waste a P9,000.00 airfare.
We’d just have to see this through and hope we come out of it alive.
THE AMAZING RACE
As with any impulsive decision, the travel period we chose
was short-sighted. We would leave Manila on Nov. 14, 4:50PM and would be back on
Nov. 20. These include 8 to 10-hour stopovers at Kuala Lumpur (to and from
Yangon), so that just left us with 5 days for the actual trip. We thought we
could go out and at least visit the Petronas, but when we checked our tickets
again, our layover at KL would be from late night until early morning…basically
when the city is asleep and there would be no means for us to get to Petronas
from the airport. SIGH.
Capsule Hotel
Where to spend the night was
another dilemma. I seriously considered finding a comfortable spot in the
airport and sleeping on the floor (which was not an original idea, as we later
found out), but I didn’t want to wake up the next day feeling tired from the
lack of sleep, when we still had another set of challenges to face. Enter
CAPSULE by CONTAINER HOTEL. It’s as simple as its name...you sleep inside a
capsule, or in this case, inside one of the shipping containers stacked side by
side and one on top of the other. The design was very basic, but surprisingly
clean and comfy. I have never tried dorm-type accommodations before, more so
capsules, as I preferred to have privacy and enough space to move around. But
this experience changed my standards. I could barely fully stretch my arms
sideways when I’m inside the container, but no doubt it was where I had the
best sleep the entire trip. They’ll also provide you with everything you’ll
need in a hotel—a towel, dental kit, slippers, a bottle of water, and your own
locker for your luggage. The capsule itself has a reading light and outlets for
your phone chargers and whatnot. The male and female guests are separated but
there’s also a mixed section for couples. Each section has a set of common comfort and
bathroom stalls. Basically everything is provided—everything BUT a real door. You’ll
only get a draw down curtain to cover your “space,” but I personally think it’s nothing but a small
compromise. This type of hotel obviously isn’t for everyone, but it’s a really
great experience for those who are willing to try. Book in advance here since it
does get fully-booked quickly. Below is the only photo I was able to take of the capsule. Lol, sorry...but that's pretty much the entire space.
We didn’t have to check-in as our KL-YGN tickets and seat numbers were already printed for us at NAIA3, so we had time to get breakfast before we proceeded to the boarding gate. A lot of restaurants are already open at KLIA2 by about 5AM, so it wasn’t hard to find a place to eat. Just be aware of how far the restaurant is from your gate and how much time it will take you to get there. KLIA2 is HUGE and if you’re not careful, you’ll risk running a marathon right after breakfast to board on time…like Jedi and I did.
Where to Leave Your Luggage
We were only going to be in
Yangon for a few hours before we get on the bus going to Bagan, so we didn’t
book in any hotel. Instead, we decided to find a place to leave our luggage so we
can freely walk around the city. We asked a few personnel at the airport and
were basically tossed around to the wrong places. But I’ll save you the trouble
and tell you the correct place here. Lol.
AirAsia lands on Terminal 1 of
the Yangon International Airport, so after going through immigration, exit
terminal 1 and turn right. Walk straight past the domestic terminal and onto
Terminal 2. Go inside the first entrance and look for the Ministry of Tourism
booth on your left. They can keep your luggage for you for 1,000 kyat per
luggage. NOTE that they will not keep it overnight and you should claim it
before their closing time. ALSO NOTE that they do not have lockers as it is actually
an information booth. They will just keep your bags stacked behind them inside
the booth, so manage your expectations and decide whether or not you feel safe
with this setup…although there really are no other options inside the airport.
You can, however, opt to leave it
at JJ Express like we did. This is IF you will be boarding their bus on the same
day. JJ Express is one of the bus companies offering a YANGON-BAGAN VIP Bus route.
We figured it would be more efficient to leave our luggage there so we wouldn’t
have to go back to the airport. I’ve asked JJ Express beforehand while we made
our booking via email, and they said a lot of their customers leave their bags
at the office/terminal as well. Again,
they DO NOT have lockers. They’ll also just stack your bags behind the counter.
So make sure you keep your valuables with you and securely lock your bags.
If you’re not comfortable with
the above setups, it might be better to pack light so you can bring your stuff
with you everywhere. We have tried both options though (we have also left our
bags at the tourism booth before our flight back to KL), and can attest that
there were no damages or lost items when we retrieved our luggage. The other travelers
who left their bags there would also just mind their own and leave yours
alone. Of course, it still pays to be vigilant and wary so always check your
bags after retrieving them for any sign that it’s been meddled with, just to be
sure.
A GLIMPSE OF YANGON
We rode taxis to get around
Yangon, as they’re the most convenient and easiest to find in the city. They
don’t use taxi meters though. The drivers will ask you where you want to go and
they’ll tell you how much they will charge. They’re generally honest, but I would
recommend that you research on how much you need to pay to get to your
destination, just to avoid overpaying. You can also ask the locals around to
confirm the taxi fare.
We didn’t really have a set
itinerary for Yangon as we were only going to be there for a few hours. So we
just went to Bogyoke Market (pronounced
“Bogjok”) and Shwedagon Pagoda.
Bogyoke had a lot of souvenir stores, but it’s dominated by textile shops…I
would guess it’s basically for longyis,
a traditional sarong-like clothing still very much patronized by both men and
women in Myanmar.
Bogyoke had a separate building
for its “food court,” a kind of hawker-type place with several food stalls with
their own dining areas. It was there that Jedi and I decided to eat lunch and
wanted to go and try something authentically Burmese. However, as soon as we
stepped foot, all the ushers crowded towards us, each wanting to get us to eat
at their respective stalls. Napressure
kami ng slight, so we hurriedly went to the nearest seat we could find, and
later realized we ended up in a Korean food stall. LOL! So much for authentic
Burmese food. Most of the Burmese still don’t speak English though, so there
was a bit of trial and error in what we ordered. Luckily the food was good, and
we enjoyed a good meal despite the previous hooha.
Dahil wala kaming kabusugan, we also went to find the Shan Noodle shop, because we’ve read
about it on several blogs. Finally, real Burmese food! Jedi ordered the one
with soup and I had the “dry” noodles. Both were soooooooooo good, especially the
one I ordered (lol). The noodles' texture was similar to misua, and all the spices blended together into one harmonious
flavor that my mouth and stomach loved. It definitely filled us up for the rest
of the day.
One distinct feature in Bogyoke
is their toilet “system.” Apparently the stalls were padlocked, so you have to
pay outside (200 kyat, if I remember correctly) and they’ll give you a key to
open it. Talk about exclusivity. J
After Bogyoke we had a bit more
time to visit the Shwedagon Pagoda. It’s a sacred venue, so you have to remove
your shoes at the foot of the stairs and carry them with you to the Pagoda. I
don’t really have much to say about it, as it’s basically in every travel blog
about Yangon, and what you read is what you get. There’s also an USD8.00 entrance
fee, so obviously that alone dissuaded us to go inside. LOL.
We left early and got a taxi to
Aung Mingalar Bus Station, where the JJ Express terminal was. The
call time was 7PM, so we were still able to wash up, brush our teeth, and
change clothes in the JJ Express waiting area before our bus arrived. A few
minutes before boarding, they were already putting tags on the luggage and checking
seat numbers on our tickets, and by 8PM we were on the 10-hour overnight trip
to Bagan, curled up on our comfy VIP seats, under our cozy blankets, and
enjoying the in-seat entertainment.
 |
| Snacks, blanket, and in-seat movies and games! |
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| Free snacks with bottled water! |
MYANMAR Part 2: Encounters
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