The Engleson Files

Another routine we were happy to partake in while at the Marriott was going to watch the big gala sunset show. Here, in a big reflection pool up near the main concourse, a group of drummers, dancers and fire-twirlers (I think that is what you call them) would put on a traditional show every night at sunset to signify the end of another day. All of them were dressed up in traditional clothing and all wore very strange masks. The show was quite spectacular and we always got up to the main level early in order to grab the best seats by the pool and to ensure that our mojito’s were just the right temperature before the festivities began - there is nothing like sunset in Phuket!

Basically, our entire time at the Phuket Marriott was spent right here: at the kiddie pool. The beauty of this pool was the fact that it was shallow enough for Magnus to tool around in and not be in any danger; he was basically free to swim wherever he wanted. This gave him an enormous sense of freedom and with all the other children around there was always enough friends to hang out with. During the week, it is a very safe estimate to say that Magnus spent 6 hours a day here flopping around. Oh yes, sleeping at night was not a problem at the Marriott for young Bjorn!

One of the best aspects of our time at the Marriott was our afternoons. The mornings were all spent down at the pool as a family, but the afternoons quickly developed into personal break times where we could all do whatever it was we wanted. Around 1:00pm Magnus was always eager to go and cool down inside at the Kids Corner where there was, basically, free babysitting and other children to play with, Svea and I went back to our hotel room in order for her to go to sleep (to which I usually drank 4 rum & cokes and read my book - heaven!), and Kristin was able head on down to the beach to get a good ol’ fashioned Thai beach massage; I don’t think she came back disappointed with any of them! It was great, everyone got their own free time and then we all met back again at the kiddie pool for round 2 in the water until dinner.

So after our 2+ weeks in Burma, we said our goodbyes and then flew down south to Phuket in southern Thailand where sun, sand and surf awaited. As I stated earlier, Myanmar was very taxing on our family with the all difficulties travel created and it felt great to know we were going to a place where the only thing on the schedule was relaxation and enjoying the beautiful scenery. Thanks to Mom and Dad’s time share, we were able to get a one-week stay at the JW Phuket Marriott - and wow, what an amazing place it was! Everything about our stay at the Marriott was first-class and we were all treated like royalty during our time there. Magnus was able to play all day in the pool, Svea got to tool around in the water as well and have a few cool naps under an umbrella, Kristin was able to enjoy watching her children have fun in the water and I got to soak in everyone else’s enjoyment with a douse of mojito’s by the poolside; life was simply too good!

At the Marriott, we were just able to unwind and allow our kids play all day long. There was no pressure of things to see or places to go, and for a young family that type of vacation is vital for success. Magnus and Svea traveled very well in Burma, but they deserved to have a break and just do whatever it is they wanted to do; and it was clear during our week there that both enjoyed their time immensely and were able to recharge their batteries. The Phuket Marriott is a fantastic place and if any of you are in the area and have a few extra bucks to throw away, I highly recommend that you treat yourself there - because at the Phuket Marriott, the sun is hot and pool is nice and cool, and even better, the mojito’s are even cooler!

One final note on Myanmar: before actually setting foot inside that country there was a lot of apprehension and fear about the turmoil going on inside its borders. There is no question that the military dictatorship governing this country is an atrocity and one can only hope that they get their due sooner than later. But that is not Myanmar. Myanmar is a country that has an already pre-established history and culture that supersedes all of their current problems. One aspect I really liked about Burma was that you saw very little ‘western’ influence; the clothing, customs and mannerisms are all still very traditional and Burmese - it was nice. Another aspect was the people. The people were just so kind and friendly to us that you forgot all about the other problems you were initially concerned about. Yes, there is a military presence and you can see how it affects the people, but the people are doing the best they can to make a bad situation as good as possible; I think they are extremely brave. The Burmese people want you to come and see there country and are all very proud of their existing culture, and in the end those are the memories I take away. While Myanmar is a very difficult country to travel in due to their poor infrastructure, in the end that is what makes it more rewarding. It is a journey. All in all, our family had a wonderful time there and hope to one day return to Myanmar for another quick visit before we leave China for good.

After Bagan, we flew back down to Rangoon for the last couple of days in order to catch our plane back to Bangkok; and on our last night we went down to The Strand hotel to soak in a little bit of the high life to enjoy one last beverage in Myanmar. For those of you who do not know, The Strand was built in 1896 and was originally constructed by the Sarkies brothers, of the Singapore Raffles fame, and it was built to be another one of those glorious outposts of the British Empire. While it is a bit of an uninspiring building from the outside, inside, The Strand is absolutely gorgeous. To stay a night here will set you back, at least, $500/per night, so we just cheaped out and ordered two Singapore Slings and an orange juice (see the bill below for those prices in USD!!) The real charm of the Strand, in my opinion, is how they have kept to true spirit and style of the hotel the same since it was first built - everything is luxurious and top quality, but it still feels old and rustic (not sure if that makes sense, but that is how it feels). It was a great way to finish off our time in Burma and give one final toast to all the great places, people and sights we saw in Myanmar.

Click here for a more detailed look at The Strand.

One of the most enduring memories I will take away from my time in Burma is that of the monks. Simply put, in Myanmar, they are the heart and soul of the country, the culture and the people. Every Burmese citizen at one point in their life has lived in a monastery (and many will serve as much as three times) and all have a very deep attachment to them and their cause. No matter where you are in Myanmar you can be rest assured to see shaved headed men walking around wearing their dark red cloaks and carrying their black wooden bowls engaged in their daily chores (Myanmar nuns wear pink cloaks and also have shaved heads). The life of a monk goes as follows: rise and shine very early in the morning and begin to walk to the streets (must be in barefeet) in search of their breakfast and lunch meals. Here they will go from door to door collecting food, which they put into their black bowls, and as we were told, it is every citizens duty to feed the monks and provide to them any offerings they can. The monks will search for food all morning and are only allowed two meals per day - breakfast and lunch, then in the afternoons and evenings they must return to their monasteries, or other places of worship, to study. It is very obvious that their place in Burmese society is very, very important, which is why the junta government has so many issues with them, and is also why the people will always stand by them through thick and thin.

One surprise of the holiday for me was watching how Lacquerware was made. Traveling around Southeast Asia, gift shops all over the place have this product in abundance - coasters, plates, decorative ornaments, you name it - and quite honestly I paid little, or no, attention to them. But while in Bagan we went to a small Lacquerware factory and watched first hand how it is made, and wow, I came away amazed and developed a new-found respect for the product itself; Kristin just went nuts! After our first go around at the factory, you could not pry her away from shops and basically came to the point of needing therapy to control her obsession in acquiring more Lacquerware products (”this would great in the kitchen”, or “wouldn’t this be nice in the living room?”)

Every single Lacquerware product made in Myanmar is hand made, and most come from Bagan. Lacquerware at its most basic is: bamboo strips, rubber tree sap, horsehair and a lot of human TLC. Basically any finished product takes three to four months from beginning to end to make and all have to follow the same steps in making it. First you have to peel the bamboo into tiny slices (see picture above), then you have to form those strips into whatever shape you are making, then you need to weave horse hair throughout to give it extra strength and flexibility (one hair at a time!!), then coat the rubber base on, let set, then have someone carve by hand the finishing design (which are all very, very intricate - see below). Once seeing how much ingenuity, time and labor goes into a single product it is impossible not to come away impressed. The Engleson’s definitely came away with more than our share, but they are all pretty neat little items and I happy to have them. So, if you ever find yourself in Bagan, be sure to head on down to Moe Moe’s and see for yourself - I know you would be amazed as well!

This was our view at dinnertime for five glorious nights while sitting under an acacia tree - the Thande hotel in Old Bagan could have been the best $45 we have ever spent!

There is no question that Bagan was the biggest family highlight for us while in Burma. Before going there I spent many hours researching and looking at pictures of this wonderful place and had very high expectations of what it would be - and it did not disappoint at all! Simply put, Bagan is a very special place to go and visit, and I highly recommend anyone to go there and see it for yourselves. Three years ago, we traveled to Angkor Wat in Cambodia and were totally awed; well, Bagan easily offered up the same inspiration. Built some 1000 years ago, Bagan is a 42 sq km plain that has some 3000 temples and stupas jutting out of the Myothit plateau for you to explore and enjoy. Sunrise, sunset or anytime during the day, Bagan offers up ancient ruins that will simply take your breath away.

Some of the temples in Bagan are touristy (tough to avoid that these days) but much of the area remains neglected and free for you to explore on your own. In some temples you can take a torch (or flashlight for all you modernists) inside some of the temples and explore the frayed remains of 1000 year old wall paintings. Even with a lot of tourism there, the area and the amount of temples allows everyone to find their own spot and explore on their own.

While there, we used many different means to search out and explore. In the morning we usually hired a driver to take us out to some of the temples on the outer rim, and then in the evenings we would travel by horse cart and explore; on many nights Magnus would get to be our driver, which made him a very happy boy! The charm, in my opinion, of Bagan is how these ancient ruins continue to stand and all throughout them lie hundreds of upon hundreds of trails that are used everyday in daily life. Bagan is not a museum, it is still a place where people live and carry out their daily chores. Yes, tourism is a key component of that, but it is very interesting to watch some of the daily life continue on like it may have a 1000 years ago. We were fortunate enough to have stayed in Bagan for 5 days and were very sad to leave - I can only hope one day to go back and visit again.