5 Nights in Myanmar- Most Beautiful Sunrises I Have Ever Witnessed- Part 1

"It's a very special moment when you arrive someplace, look around at a vista that is clearly, awe-inspiringly fantastic and think: "Holy ****! Almost no one else has SEEN this!"

This was Anthony Bourdain's description of Myanmar from his TV show, "Parts Unknown," and it was what exactly piqued my interest in visiting this place. After watching that episode, there was a sense of urgency in me to visit before this place blew up like Machu Picchu and Angkor Wat.



Why is this place so pristine? Up until recent years, Myanmar was a place of political strife and military rule, relatively off limits to foreigners. Myanmar has now recently embraced the tourism sector by building hotels, tourist agencies, and transportation, and as a  result, record numbers of tourists are beginning to visit this ancient country.

In planning this trip, I had to do something I have never done and usually uncomfortable with. I had to book and pay for my entire trip within Myanmar (hostels, transportation, tours) without actually booking my flights until a week before the trip.

Due to me being me, I procrastinated at planning my vacation until about 2 months before. Of course there would be no award tickets available that late in the game. I remembered reading about Cathay Pacific opening up their award seating 1 week to 24 hours before take off. This happened almost routinely to a point where many award traveling enthusiasts plan their entire trip around it, just like what I was about to attempt. Turns out, it worked perfectly. One week before my planned holiday, I secured a less than ideal departure date (by one day).

110k AA miles and $135 later, I found myself in Myanmar!

 

The 15 hour plane ride was made easy due to Cathay's awesome Business class seat and food!

I landed in Yangon late at night, caught a taxi to my hostel for a few hours of sleep. Looking out the window of my taxi, I realized how out of date my research on Myanmar was, even if it was posted within the past year. I expected currency exchange outside of the airport was near impossible, with no ATMs in the city, that Yangon was still pristine, and that the tourism industry was near non-existant in the country. I could easily see that just after a year after those articles were published, the landscape had dramatically changed.  My urgency to travel here while it still held a semi pristine state was reaffirmed. I wouldn't be surprised if Myanmar's tourist industry grows to rival Thailand's within a few years.

Due to jet lag I woke up at 4am and instead of trying to lay lazily in bed, I convinced myself to try for a sunrise photo of Shwedagon Pagoda which was a 20 minute walk down the road. Nearing the entrance of the pagoda, I saw a large park across the street that was completely fenced with locked gates. (Ironically I later found it was called "People's Park.") I did what any tourist would do, hop the fence so I could get a good shot. Best decision of that day ever.

Schwedagon Pagoda

That night I caught the 8 hour night bus to Bagan, where the first picture of this post was taken. I spent 4 days in awe of the beauty of Bagan's sunrise over its hundreds of temples and enjoying the new sensations on my taste-buds from Myanmar's cuisine.

Arrived early morning to Bagan to this. Coincidentally that bus was from the same company I had my Balloon ride with

Sometime in the near future-
Part 2- Exploring the temples by E-Bike