Dogs of Burma

 

While I very much enjoyed my time in Burma, I did get a little sad at times seeing all the street dogs and not being able to interact with them.  Resisting the urge to pet the pups when they'd approach with their tail wagging was very difficult.  Due to the possibility of rabies and the general unsanitary condition of the Yangon streets, it just wouldn't have been a safe decision.

And there were a lot of dogs roaming free.  At night we would see them running in packs on the streets, during the day they would lounge about trying to escape the hot sun.  Sometimes they'd be difficult to spot and I almost stepped on a grey puppy because he blended in so well with the sandy ground.

There were a few dogs who looked well taken care of.  The two I snapped a picture of outside the reclining Buddha were being cared for by the local monks.  I wondered if they were a long lost distant cousin of Libby because they were scavenging in a garbage pile licking the last crumbs of a potato chip bag. 

Unfortunately it seemed like everywhere we walked there were either pregnant or nursing dogs.  I'm sure spaying and neutering is not a priority in a country where many children go to bed hungry at night.  It really broke my heart seeing one of the pointy-eared pariah dogs sitting in one of the monastery gutters trying to both escape the heat and find any morsel of food in the discarded wrappers.  If I would have gotten him on video I surely would set a Sarah McLachlan song to play in the background. 

Halfway Around the World

Today is our third full day at sea since leaving Burma.  Sadly it is also the halfway point of our journey around the world.  It makes me sad to think about this amazing voyage coming to an end.

We keep a bandanna on our cabin wall that reminds us, "Don't count the days, make the days count."  It's a Mohammed Ali quote and a memorial to a friend that I try and take to heart every day.  You just never know how much time you have on this planet and it can all be gone in a flash.

As we approach India (617 Nautical miles away) and put Burma in our rear-view mirror, I still can't help but wish we could turn around and go back to Yangon.  Sure it was hot and there is trash littered throughout the streets, but it is still my favorite country I've ever visited.  The people really make it.

One great example happened when we visited the gorgeous Shwedagon Pagoda.  Kelly, Rachel and I had walked the 45 minutes from our hotel in the sweltering 100 degree heat and Kelly was starting to overheat.  When we got there Kelly took a break in the shade and try and cool off.  She was pink as a raspberry and wished she had some cooling thanaka face cream.   She asked a few women working nearby and fortunately a woman sitting behind them heard her request and produced a bar of the bark.  The women then proceeded to giggle and paint Kelly's face as onlookers watched and smiled.  It really helped her feel better and was a fun scene to watch.

We also ran into the kindhearted nature of the Burmese when we visited the Botataung Pagoda one night.  As we sat on the cool marble and marveled at the shimmering glow of the golden pagoda against the dark sky I family nearby sat down and started eating roasted corn they had bought from a vendor outside.  They immediately turned around and offered us a piece.  In a country where many people don't get enough to eat on a daily basis you'd think they would be more likely to be stingy.  Not these people.  They are extremely welcoming and wonderful to be around.

Another afternoon we visited the Chauk Htat Gyi reclining Buddha and the Ngar Htat Gyi seated Buddha.  Both were impressive with their size and beauty.  As the seated Buddha a security guard came over to us and proceeded to show us around the complex and talk with us about Buddhism because he thought we would enjoy seeing everything the temple had to offer.  Really these people are amazing.

A Zoo like No Other

If you ever wondered what a zoo in the States would look like if there were no lawyers or animal rights activists, head to Burma.  The Yangon Zoological Garden is quite a scene and was at the top of our places to revisit while in town.

When we visited in 2006 we were just amazed by the enclosures that the animals are kept it.  The Vietnam zoo looks like Fort Knox compared to the one in Yangon.  Most of the cages that the animals are kept in are within an arm’s length of the protective fences.  Sometimes not even that far.  During our visit I fed a deer, a monkey and an elephant.  It’s also possible to feed the hippos but it was a little too hot for them to leave the water when we walked past.

Feeding the elephants was the most amazing experience.  Ascending the stairs I saw the great giants lined up on the concrete pad swaying back and forth as if they were dancing for their treats.  A man in a small stand sold baskets of 8 bamboo sticks for just over $1.  As I finished purchasing the sticks the elephants let out a loud call as if they were shouting, “Give it to me!”  I didn’t have to reach far as the trunks began to extend and reach for their afternoon snack.  They took the bamboo very gently from my hand, tucked it into their mouth and then bellowed out a call asking for more.

As great of an experience as it was, it was also a little sad to see all the animals kept in such small cages.  The lions and tigers were in cages on concrete floors and the monkeys barely had any room to play and swing about.  It was captivating to watch the monkeys take the small cone Jell-O treats, rip off the lid and then push out the tasty treat inside.  Though it’s almost a cruel joke to hop them up on sugar and not give them a lot of space to work it off. 

Overall the issues that I have with the Yangon Zoo are very similar to the issues facing Burma today.  I’d like to see things change but at what cost will those changes affect the identity of a place I have grown to love.  On one hand the proximity to the animals makes it an incredible experience, however the conditions that the animals are forced to live in make it less ideal..  These are the paradoxes an emerging country faces every day.  

O-Burma How I Missed You

When I was hired to sail with SAS last year there was no port stop in Burma.  Technically there still isn’t since it is now officially recognized as Myanmar.  However in the words of J. Peterman, “You may know it as Myanmar, but it will always be Burma to me.”

I vividly recall the moment I found out our itinerary was changing and we were porting again in Yangon.  I had to get up from my cube and leave work to scream with excitement that was built up inside of me.  The first time I came here in 2006 was so special I couldn’t believe I was getting to go back.

Burma was the one port I guaranteed myself I’d come back to.  I thought it may take thirty years but I knew I’d be back.  There is something magical about this place.  Whether it’s the zen peacefulness of the pagodas or just the pure wonderfulness of the people, I could live here.  This trip back has not disappointed. 

Kelly and spent our time sweltering in the hot, hot Yangon days and nights.  We went back to many of the same places we did in 2006 and relived the wonderful country that is Burma.  We talked with some locals, ate some delicious meals and had another incredible time.  I’ll have more in the days ahead but for now here are some of my favorite pictures from our stay that I wish could have lasted for weeks instead of only a few days.  Mingalaba!

Life Is a Game of Inches

In Burma a young girl feeds a monkey.

Over the weekend a tragic scene unfolded at the Pittsburgh Zoo where a 2 year-old child fell into an African painted dog exhibit and was mauled and killed by the pack.  Whether the child died in the fall or from the dogs is really irrelevant, in the end the result are the same.

Growing up in Pittsburgh I've been to that zoo numerous times.  It's a wonderful day experience and it's really a shame that such an incident occurred there.  Of course today there is a lot of second-guessing of the mother who lifted her child above the safety rail in order to get a better look, allowing him to be in a position to fall into the exhibit.  I will refrain from passing judgement on her because to me this was a tragic accident and blaming her seems pointless.  She could have never imagined that a day meant to be fun would turn out so wrong.

The incident made me recall the time I visited a zoo in Myanmar (Burma) back in 2006.  To say their safety precautions are lax would be quite an understatement.  I watched adults lean over the railing and pet hippopotamuses, one of the most aggressive creatures in the world and often regarded as one of the most dangerous animals in Africa.  I also saw small children being held over the rail by their parents to allow them to feed the hippos. 


It seems people love to have selective amnesia when an incident like this occurs.  The reason a situation like this is called an accident is because it is just that, an accident.  Sometimes awful things happen and no safety fence can prevent it from occurring.  It's just a sad day and it makes me appreciate how fortunate I have been that some of the situations I've been apart of didn't turn out tragic.