Arriving in Yangon other than CNN, the BBC and Coca Cola, there is very little Western influence in this part of the world. There are no, McDonalds, very few grocery/convenience stores, no pubs/bars and very few restaurants. At night, locals sit at small tables on the sidewalk sipping tea and eating rice and noodles. By 10:00 PM the streets are almost empty and much of the city has gone to sleep. During this time of the year I d bet on the heat (average temperature 38-40) as being a reason for this lifestyle.

Vendors line the streets from just before sunrise until the early evening selling everything from fruits and tasty bug treats to sarongs and jeans, while shop owners are more likely to sell televisions, cameras or books. Once you get accustomed to consistent power outages, run-ins with cockroaches and touts that want your U.S. dollars, life in Yangon starts to become a very pleasant, unique and fascinating place.

Every foreigner entering the country must exchange $200 for 200 Foreign Exchange Certificates (FECs). This would naturally make you assume that 1$ equals 1 FEC. Not exactly. FECs can be used anywhere, however, it is advisable to use FECs where the price is quoted in dollars, such as hotels, since prices in Kyat (the local currency) will be converted at a terrible rate if you want to pay in FECs.

If you want to exchange less than $200, it is possible, but only if you offer a standard $5 gift” to the bank teller at the airport. If you have any FECs left at the end of your trip and want to convert them to dollars, you ll get a horrible rate. It would be much easier if you could just convert dollars for Kyat, but for some reason this logic eludes the government.

When I left the airport, I shared a cab with an American who was teaching English in Japan. His behavior in the taxi was a great example of what not to do when you arrive in a foreign country. First, he had no idea of the history or political situation in the country. Hard to believe, but quite evident when we were talking to the cab driver and his associate. Second, he changed a significant amount of U.S. dollars for Kyat with the associate without knowing what the going exchange rate was. There is an official pegged rate, but on the street the rate is significantly different.

Finally, he accepted to stay at a hotel recommended by the driver that was seriously over-priced and quite a ways from the city centre. This would have been obvious to him if he would have spent all of ten minutes looking at a map and reading up on the country. When he exited the cab and the drivers took me to the place I told them, they offered to take me to a place that was half the price and twice as close to the city centre. In other words, if you re getting a good deal on a taxi, there s a good chance they ll try to get some extra money out of you in another way.

When I arrived at my hotel in Yangon, a very nice English-speaking lady greeted me. As she approached I noticed that she had yellow powder on her face. The next day, as I wandered around town, I noticed that the vast majority of women had this powder on their face in various shapes and patterns. The powder is known locally as thanakha, and it is a cosmetic made from tree bark. It serves to beautify and protect the skin from the sun.

The main ingredient can only be found in Northern Myanmar, and when mixed with a few drops of water you have the final product. Apparently, it not only protects the skin, but smells very nice and makes the user feel refreshed and beautiful. Women of all social classes wear it, and even though western cosmetics can now be found in the country, most women still choose to use thanakha.

The first night I was in Yangon, I thought to myself I love this place! Very few tourists and very little visible western influence.” Of course, when I went looking for dinner, I spent quite a while wandering before I found a restaurant that I thought would be safe for my stomach. As it turns out, I should have gone in the other direction as most of the restaurants are located in a small area of town. Since I couldn t see what they were serving on the streets, I didn t want to take my chance with vendor food.

This place was one of a handful that tries its best to live up to western standards, catering to the rich crowd and expats. My can of real Coke cost the same amount as my plate of noodles and chicken. Through trial and error, I eventually figured out that local soft drinks, which are extremely cheap, are only worth buying if they come in a glass bottle. Anything in a plastic bottle will be flat within fifteen minutes to an hour! As I started to chow down, a group of locals got up on the stage and started to belt out tunes by Ricky Martin, Britney Spears, Enrique Iglesias and company at the karaoke machine – and the crowd seemed to love it. Though slightly reserved and mumbled, it was great entertainment for my first night in town!

Foreigners stand out here like as they do all over Asia, but there is an added dimension in Myanmar. Almost everyone, with the exception of some rich locals, wear sarongs. Nobody wears shorts. In keeping with the local customs, my first destination was the Bogyoke Aung San Market so that I could find myself a stylish sarong, known locally as a longyi. As it turns out, wearing my longyi for the entire duration of my trip was the smartest move I made.

Though it felt kind of strange wearing this dress-like attire, it allowed me to stay cool and fit in with the locals. Not only that, but I actually got quite a few thumbs up and smiles from people around town. It was as if they were saying thanks for trying sir, but you still look like a goof.” A few even undid their longyi to show me how to tie it properly.

You re probably quite likely to spend a fair amount of time at the markets, as they are the liveliest spots in town, and are far more exciting than many of the largely ignored local museums. As I wandered around the market and chatted with a few locals trying to sell me items such as the Bangkok Post and wanting to change my precious U.S. dollars for Kyat, I noticed another item that was not so common in the other countries I had visited.

Many people question whether or not it is a good idea to visit Myanmar. Some human rights group insist that visiting the country lends support to the military regime, while others argue that it is the only way for the locals to interact with the rest of the world.

How few tourists are there in Yangon? While wandering on my first night, I ran into two other Canadians who were on my flight. The next day for lunch I ate at the table beside the Japanese couple who sat besides me on the plane. While on my way to town from the Lao embassy, I saw three others who were on my flight.

As there is only so much rice and noodles I can take, I decided to check out some of the Western” restaurants in town. I checked out Yangon s favourite donut chain, J s Donuts, and the results were much better. Though a little small and dry, the donuts did taste like donuts, so I was happy! They made for a great late night snack as I watched car after car crash at the Grand Prix in Brazil.

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