I decided to take a trip down to the largest pagoda in Myanmar - Shwedagon. A little adventure, all by myself I thought. I wasn't pre-warned about the type of 'adventures' that I would face though.
I got into a cab - foreigner's price would be 5000 kyat, security guard downstairs told me at the most it should cost not more than 2000 kyat. I bargained with the kind taxi driver then - "1800 kyat" I told him. He laughed, "1500 kyat will do". Ah, OK. He's honest. I wish I could ask him to wait for me while I visited the pagoda but it wouldn't be fair. So far so good, only 1500 kyat for my own little adventure.
Upon arrival though, I had to leave my sandals at a rack and walk barefoot all over. Fine, I am still doing OK, I thought. Took out my camera as soon as I saw the big golden onion (pagoda roof). BIG mistake! The locals realized I was a foreigner right away and this guy ushered me to this counter. "Where you from? You not Myanmar?" EErmmm......I wanted to say I was but then I didn't know how to speak any Burnese word. I'm so dead. "Foreigner pay tickets," he went on. OK, maybe it was a form of donation so I agreed even though none of the locals were asked to pay. That was 7000 kyat for nothing. "You want map?" "Is it free?" I asked since I just paid 7000 kyat for nothing! "Another 7000..." I was at the verge of cursing there and then but I had to remember I was at a temple.
So I went on. Started to take a few pictures until this monk came and talked to me. I thought it was rude not to answer so I did answer and then he kept following me and showing me around the temple. "This made of gold - expensive! Donation please..." Darn...I had to pay for their gold statues? "This made of jade - very expensive. Donation please..." EErrrr...how many more times must I donate?
He followed me throughout the journey. Even went with me to collect my shoes. Stood there for a while waiting for my shoes but they wouldn't budge. "Your shoes? Donation here first..." WHAT???? You mean I have to walk out barefoot and leave my only sandals there if I don't want to donate anymore money? Shucks!
The monk followed me. I told him I was going to Kandawgyi Lake and I didn't want to take a taxi because all my money have been donated. He then said he would direct me to the lake. Fine. Maybe he's really a good monk. He took me till the end of one road, way out of the pagoda and told me to just walk right on and I'll reach the lake. "Me go to Thailand on Tuesday. Flight expensive - US$300. No money..." Sooooo....this was the reason he kept following me? "You got US$?" "No!" "No US$? Then how pay airport tax when leave?" Hey, if I'm going to donate some more money to you, you shouldn't question me as if I'm trying to cheat you right? "Ok then, you got 5000 kyat?" Shucks, 5000 kyat for following me around and he wasn't going to leave me if I didn't pay him. I thought monks were not supposed to beg for money like this?
So I walked to the lake. Nothing there, I don't know why. Maybe because I was on the other side of the lake and it was an extremely big lake. I could get lost trying to walk around the lake. So I flagged a taxi and showed him the address in their writing. Darn! I should have memorised the address in their language. He asked for 5000 kyat which I bargained down to 2500. Couldn't go any lower, otherwise I wasn't going to get a ride home.
Arrived home without being kidnapped for ransom money. Huge hole in the pocket but maybe, just maybe it's fine because they were after all donations to the temple which I hope are for good causes and not to build more golden statues?
"You paid 7000 for entrance? And donations too? How many times? You could have just told them you already donated! What?? And you paid the monk?" "But he wouldn't go away and I had to get my sandals back...." "I thought you had it in you to handle these things...." OOPPPPPSSSSSS...........
I give up. It was an expensive adventure and I wasn't going to spend more money for any other little adventures. I already felt so bad and worse, it wasn't my money as I had no Myanmar money with me at all. So the next day I went to the poor people's market to buy food to be cooked for dinner.
I just wish I didn't have to go to Myanmar at all.....Could you please shift yourself down somewhere else? Even Sumatra would be good......
This monk has a cell phone! To have a cell phone in
Myanmar would cost you US$3000 and he didn't have
money to fly to Thailand?
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