The Mechanics of Travel — Myanmar Style. January 1, 2017

January 1, 2017

Spent the morning packing and organizing… Our flight from Bagan was originally supposed to leave at 5:40 pm, but we received an email from Golden Myanmar Airlines (about a week ago) telling us that the flight time had changed and would now leave at 4:30. So we figured we should get there early since we had no idea about the layout of the Bagan Airport or the procedures for checking in and checking baggage (we’ve given up on doing it all as carry-on for the return trip, so that we can have room for gifts). So we got a taxi at 2:00… (Taxi driver asked where we were from.. “America” and then he asked where, so we said California.. And then he said something we didn’t understand and he kept repeating it. Finally we realized he was saying “Schwarzenegger.” Mmmmmmm….. interesting.

We got to the airport more quickly than we had imagined so at 2:30 we were sitting on a few hard benches, along with several other folks. The Golden Myanmar desk was still closed, as were all the other airlines.. So all of the passengers sat around and waited.. At about 3:30 someone came to the check-in desk (along with other people who opened the check-in desks for assorted other local airlines). Clearly the Burmese are better at being NYers than we NYers.. as they managed to get ahead of us very quickly, without us even noticing. It also appears that monks get preferential treatment and they just go to the front of the line.

Then we were told that the plane was late so that the original time for the flight was now correct!

Anyway, we checked in, checked luggage (hoping for the best) and were given our little circle “stickers” to put on our chest.. This way, all airline personnel know which passengers are going to what city and on what carrier… sort of like being luggage. It’s all color-coded. We were the orange group with “RGN” (Rangoon, former name of Yangon) handwritten. After a while we got tired of waiting on the hard benches.. all of us facing forward (not too conversational), so we, along with some others, decided to go on thru Security and to the gate. That was simple, although everyone goes through hand screening. Then we were on the other side and everyone – regardless of the color sticker – is then sitting (again facing forward) in a large waiting area painted bubble gum pink.

Occasionally the loudspeaker announces something in Burmese and also supposedly in English, but it was very difficult to hear or understand. After standing up and moving toward the door twice and being told that our color was not going yet, finally it was our turn… to take the old rickety bus on the tarmac to get to the small plane. Again, monks went first. The plane was “open seating.” It was sort of like our Bombadier models but the body of the plane is much lower to the ground and the wheels are smaller and fatter.

Boarded and arrived in Yangon to begin our very messy return to California.

The Savoy (where we stayed two weeks ago) was not available, so we are staying in some very large hotel called the Kandawgyi Palace. It’s fancy with four restaurants, and definitely more Las Vegas than we would like. But it’s convenient and actually less expensive than the boutique-y Savoy. No real character, but large rooms, great bathrooms, and excellent television reception and WiFi (as compared to Bagan).

We had planned to eat at a small French restaurant we heard about while we were here before, but by the time we got to the hotel it was after 8 and we opted to just eat at one of their four restaurants. We figured it was safe food-wise to order some sashimi (we shall see)… and we started with this street food dish that we had seen over and again here in Bagan, but were a little nervous about trying on the street (after surveying the lack of hygiene, dicey water, etc.) – “Mont Lin May Ar” – which they say is translated as “husband and wife snacks.” They are great… From what we saw as to making them on the street.. they use pans that are like tiny muffin pans (very tiny “wells” for the ingredients).. They put in dollops of some kind of rice flour batter and put that into the large sizzling cast iron pan with the muffin holes. Then they add all sorts of toppings like quail eggs (which they put on everything), scallions, roasted chickpeas, diced prawns, etc.. and then they either served them open faced or join the two halves together.. hence, I assume the term “husband and wife.”

Now we’re heading to bed and bracing ourselves for tomorrow which will be a 42 hour day… and that’s just once we get going with travel… (We hang out here in Yangon.. maybe strolling, but maybe just sitting in the lobby (or sleeping in the lobby)… our flight to Narita, Japan is at 10 pm; we have to vacate the room at 1:00.. and leave for the airport at around 7.. so we have 6 hours before going to the Yangon Airport… Then it’s a 7-hour flight to Narita and we arrive around 6:30 am (Tuesday)… Then we have to hang out at the Narita Airport until 5:30 pm for our flight to LAX.. (but always lots to window shop at Narita) then 10 hours to arrive at LAX at around 10:45 am, same day… go through customs and board a smaller plane to SFO at 1:45pm. I’ve tried in vain to get United to re-book us on the direct flight to SFO.. but no luck. Oh, they could do it if I paid an extra $7,000!!! We’re in Business Class… so this would be a totally new booking. Stuck with the LAX detour.