Feeling The Pleasure Of Luxury In Not So Rich A Country

S. Kunjabihari Singh *

landing of Golden Myanmar Airlines flight from Mandalay at Tulihal International airport on November 21 2013 :: Pix - Deepak Oinam

Last week on the 21st November, a group of 26 persons, I think somewhere around it, from Manipur happened to take the Golden Myanmar Airlines flight to Mandalay, thanks to M/S KB Enterprise(KBE). The flight which brought high officials and some citizens of Manipuri-origin on the day from Myanmar to participate the Sangai Festival was returning to Mandalay and KBE got hold of the opportunity to charter the flight for some of the Manipuri dare devil travelers yearning to have a glimpse of Myanmar.

Most appeared to be on their first visit to Myanmar; I had of course been to Mandalay earlier on a short trip. We all, however, looked forward for a new taste of Yangon, formerly more famous as Rangoon the erstwhile capital of Burma and also Mandalay, again the former capital of the Kings of Burma in the ancient days.

The group, consisting of mostly young Samaritans, (Samaritans because most of them are cut throat obligors, utterly humane), fully enjoyed their stay however short. Each tasted the hospitality and friendliness of Myanmar to the extent of being left out at the hotel by the tour conductor apprehending missing of the flight for late reporting on the return flight.

Four or five of the group on the return journey, had to be left behind in the early morning comfort spiced with hangover of yester night, at the Shwe Phyu Hotel (where we all checked in, in Mandalay), by the Tour Guide apprehending late reporting. And yet, what a feat, the foursome reached the airport with relative ease sporting a face of full glee and rare achievement, a stretch of 45 minutes' drive, by taxi, on a day when most taxis were off road, in celebration of the Full-moon Festival the previous night.

The short stay of 3 nights and 4 days in Yangon and the rest 2 nights and 3 days in Mandalay was memorable, if not for the bliss of tourism, but certainly for at least the heterogenic composition and many more heterogenic adventures exemplified by some of the team members. One such a hiccup is touched up earlier.

Both cities offered many memorable moments apart from sites mostly religious, the Pagodas, the shrines, the scenic spots, modern malls and souvenir centres. Of course many more tourist spots like Ile lake, other scenic spots, beach-fronts could not be included for want of time.

The most thrilling experience could be, however, without any trace of hesitation, the return trip from Yangon to Mandalay, in the lap of luxury of a bus chronicled, 'BOSS'. It was certainly embodiment of utter comfort and incredible luxury spiced with fantastic hospitality for the entire 500 odd km journey from Yangon to Mandalay. It was an amazing feeling of immense pleasure, experiencing such a rich luxury of the splendor provided by the BOSS Bus Service.

Wow! Myanmar, in such a short time, you have transformed the face of poverty till a few years back into that of opulence and extravaganza. The mid-course restaurant where the BOSS Bus stopped for lunch was again luxury recreated with its choice of menus plus the excellent service offered. And mind you, the foods are particularly tasteful and to top these, the drinks of international acceptance was awfully cheap. And it was bliss for the Manipuri travelers to relish the comfort in its true measure. How they succeed this feat; it's a matter of details, the fact however remains for everyone to savor.

Myanmar formerly called Burma is the largest country in the South East Asian Peninsula. With an area of 6,76,577 sq.km. it is about twice the size of Vietnam. About renaming as Myanmar, it is reported that Burma is just only the name of a tribe, though it accounts for the largest among several such tribes numbering around 135 groups speaking about over 100 languages and dialects and therefore cannot represent the entire country. The term Myanmar embraces all nationalities, the major races being the Shan, Kachin, Kayin, Kayah, Chin, Mon, Bamar and Rakhine. It has 7 states and 7 divisions.

Over 80% of the Myanmar are Buddhists, though there are too Christians, Muslims, Hindus and even some animists. Being webbed between two of world's greatest civilizations—China and India, its culture is a blend of both, interspersed with Myanmar-native traits and characteristics. Buddhism has great influence on daily life of the natives. The numerous Pagodas almost everywhere including some truly magnificent ones are testimony to this religious fervor.

The Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is the greatest and is a huge mass of engineering and architectural masterpiece. Towering almost 330 feet above the green city-scape of Yangon, this remains a prominent landmark visible from miles around. It is claimed to have been built around 2,500 years ago; the great dome rising as high as 326 feet above its base.

The hospitality-coefficient quantified by the friendliness of the people in the hotels, restaurants, market paces, on the roads, in general is superb. Truly, Mandalay located around the central Myanmar is reportedly rated the eight world's friendliest cities. The Chinese are generally rated the coldest, often sporting a stony face and thus friendliness index could be terribly low.

Like in any part of Myanmar, Mandalay and for that matter, Yangon are dotted with countless number of ancient monuments, number of Buddhist monasteries and Pagodas of varying sizes in and around the cities. Mandalay was founded by penultimate king Mindon in 1859. The city's plan was quite systematic forming grid pattern at its 4 cardinal points where crenellated wall encircled the city. This day Mandalay retains the rare distinction of being home of an ancient Myanmar culture and civilization and is more known for being a busy modern and industrial city.

The day we reached Mandalay before proceeding to Yangon was memorable. In the afternoon we were taken to the world renowned 'U Bein Bridge' wooden-built across the Taung Thaman Lake. Reportedly, the longest bridge in the world at a whopping 4,000 ft., this teak-wood bridge has stood the test of time, though it has been producing visible signs of decay like producing screeching sounds once in a while under the weight of visitors crowding around various stretches of its body.

The bridge supported by a massive 1,086 teak posts has 482 inbuilt compartments and 4 rest-pavilions in between for the passersby to take a needed rest as they cross the bridge while they take stock of the tranquility of the vast lake. Our guide was passionate in claiming that the construction of it commenced in 1849 when the king of Alva shifted his palace to Amarapura and yet it still stands majestically this day.

The bridge has essentially to be the main attraction in Mandalay; afternoons being mostly swarmed with tourists, mostly foreigners embracing the ambience. We all embraced the scenic panorama to its full.