Who has not seen the pics in TV in 2007-soldiers up to their teeth in weapons- hitting unarmed people to death – like a Japanese journalist. Monks with bloody heads. This is how the mass-demonstration of the monks was crashed.

Mandalay today is a rather (not tops) modern city- noisy – but without the hectic of other Asian metropoles. And you see relatively few soldiers. Modern buildings surround the clock – tower, erected by the colonial masters to teach their oriental charges to be "on time" – which is so much likely as the proverbial snow in hell. A few streets from there you find the Zegyo market.

In a few years – so the talk goes – this will vanish and be replaced by yet another neon-lit supermarket hall, but right now, the market-women still reign over the food on this town. Tomatoes, bananas, two dozen kinds of dried fish – but also with mountains of crab-paste, bean-cookies, and the best of all:  snake fish – supposed to supercharge male potency.  Not too far away we find men with white streaked faces – and flex-machines drilling into a huge white marble block – ahhh – we hear with surprise – this is going to be one of Buddhas toes.

Other families work on Buddhas elbow and Buddhas stomach. A very special artist will be in charge of Buddhas face. Apparently this is a real profession in Burma – "the maker of Buddhas face".  A rather strange profession, we find, but interesting all the same, just like the other one – that of the gold-beater: he beats 10m2 hair-thin foil of gold out of a 32gram piece of real gold, as he hammers on that piece for days on end. This – is also for the Buddha, of course.

We all love Thailand, but let’s face it, it has it’s ugly side, too. Whereas Myanmar is – on the surface of course- the virgin – (as yet untouched by Tommy Hilfinger, Mercedes and Burger King style buildings and stores, it is still somewhat authentic) and Thailand (in comparison) is the whore. 

Apparently 400 000 tourists came to Mayanmar in 2006, 20 000 of those were Germans. After the monks’ demonstrations and the following unrest, tourism collapsed.  Hotels released staff or closed down all together, souvenir shops closed.

The generals don’t really care. They are making big profits with  Jade, Teak-wood, gas and minerals. The chambermaids, bell-boys, gardeners – in short – the small people of the population have no income now.  And even the more educated people don’t understand the "boykott" for political reasons = the cold shoulder the Western world is showing them.

Shwedagon Pagoda of Yangon is surely fascinating. Especially in the evening, when the last rays of sun touch the golden needle of it’s top, with a slight pink-rosè touch…. Women with jasmin-chains around their neck kneel in awe and prayer. Pink clothed nuns are saying their ritsch-ratsch prayers in endless monotony.  Pictures of peace and pure bliss. These are just as true as the other side: the violence – the death of innocent people.

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