Actually, I’ve been to Yangon once before, over a decade ago.
Back then, it was still under a military regime, and Aung San Suu Kyi was under house arrest at her home on the shores of Inya Lake. Yangon, once described as the most cutting-edge city in the world on par with London, had seen that image fade away amidst war and political turmoil. My impression was that while it was crowded, it was a somewhat gloomy, cluttered, and dark city, with only the Shwedagon Pagoda shining brilliantly.
Ten years later, times have changed.
Aung San Suu Kyi was released in 2011, and the house—which nobody dared to mention even when walking nearby—is apparently now a tourist attraction. The pro-democracy movement, which claimed many victims, finally bore fruit last year. Compared to the radical political activities seen globally in recent years, it was democratized in a remarkably peaceful manner: a change of government through elections.
Less than a year has passed since then, but since President Thein Sein's economic liberalization policies have continued, I'm swaying on a comfortable three-row night bus heading from Bagan to Yangon, imagining that the atmosphere might have changed at least a little.
This Ride's Gear
Yes, I'm swaying. I'm swaying a lot.
The road the bus is traveling on isn't very good. This violent shaking is surely being transmitted to the bicycle in the trunk. It was too late when I realized that cycling transport is more difficult by bus than by plane, which has less vibration, and now I'm more worried about my bike than the state of the government.
The bicycle I used for this ride is a breakaway (detachable) custom bike ordered from REW10WORKS. I swapped out the fork, handlebars, and wheels from the race setup I used for the OMM BIKE immediately after it was built, converting it into a touring setup.
Since I had it made as a detachable bike for travel, it would be a classic case of putting the cart before the horse if I didn't use it for trips like this. A frame order is only complete when you've used up all the functions and capabilities you ordered. (I tell myself this as I dream of going places.)
And, half of this 450km ride route was unpaved. In all-terrain conditions where gravel and asphalt were mixed—as seen in the photos from my previous reports (Mandalay to, Bagan)—SimWorks' Homage tires were, if I may say so myself, the best choice. They handled the rough roads just fine and allowed me to rack up distance on-road as well.
All my bags were from Porcelain Rocket.
The Micro Panniers attached to a Tubus Duo rack, and the Mr. Fusion V2, which could be called the pioneer of saddlebags with the increasingly common support hoop.
With these two, I had plenty of space left over for a week's worth of luggage and a camping set consisting of a hammock and tarp. Unless you are going through wilderness with no place to resupply water or food, you need very little luggage. I admire full-scale bike packing, but the less luggage you have, the faster and further you can go. The Slinger bag on the handlebars, which allows for quick camera access, and the Hunter Fanny Pack for valuables were also huge assets.
And above all, the biggest advantage was riding comfort.
I wasn't riding at race intensity, but when touring, you cover a fair amount of distance every day. The combination of the 43c high-air-volume Homage tires and bike packing gear that didn't require me to carry a pack on my back meant I didn't suffer from the stiff upper-body fatigue that comes with thin, hard road tires or carrying a backpack. This had almost no impact on the next day's ride. The frame itself doesn't have a geometry particularly geared toward touring, so I think the performance of the tires and bags played a major role.
Shwedagon Pagoda
While I was dozing off and thinking about touring gear, I arrived at a long-distance bus station on the outskirts of Yangon.
This time, I put on a "bicycle assembly show" in front of a small audience of about three people. The bike was safe, somehow.
I started riding into the city, blinded by the morning sun, but I was overwhelmed by the amount of traffic, which was completely different from before, and I lost my sense of direction. My stomach also hurt a little.
For now, I'll head toward the Shwedagon Pagoda in the center of the city.
On the way, I was called out to by a trio training on road bikes (though they were beat-up bikes that looked like 30-year-old secondhand touring bikes).
"Where are you from? Philippines?"
"Japan!"
I struggled with the massive number of city buses, but since the scooters and e-bikes that were so numerous on the way to Bagan were almost nowhere to be seen, Yangon city center wasn't that difficult to ride in.
I just didn't realize a significant fact at the time.
I love visiting sacred religious sites.
Because it allows me to see the act of "believing," which is hard to feel in Japan, with tangible reality.
Yangon's Shwedagon Pagoda was one such place, but this time, even setting aside the fact that it was Sunday, the situation was different from before.
The temple grounds were swarming with huge crowds of tourists, and it wasn't an atmosphere for praying quietly. It was striking to see Myanmar people dressed in their "going-out" clothes offering quick prayers and then taking selfies with their smartphones against the backdrop of the pagoda. It feels much like how famous temples in Kyoto have become less visible as places of worship due to the huge influx of tourists.
Leaving Shwedagon Pagoda and heading into the city, it was the same story. The area around Yangon University was particularly advanced, with many trendy cafes and shops, and already, fewer people were wearing the traditional longyi. If you slip into the back alleys, you can still find that cluttered landscape typical of Asia, but that is likely destined to disappear, so I will store it in my memory.
Oh, right. It used to be like this.
It's a little sad that old things are disappearing and becoming landscapes identical to other Asian cities, but that in itself shouldn't be a bad thing.
As I headed to the airport to leave Yangon after all this time with a sentimental feeling, it had changed into the most modern, gleaming building in Yangon, fitting for an aerial gateway that reflects the nation's prestige. After drinking third-wave coffee and passing through a dazzling lineup of duty-free shops, I boarded my plane headed for Bangkok's Don Mueang Airport, which has a dilapidated, dark atmosphere. The feeling was the exact opposite of last time.
Bicycles are illegal
After returning home, I looked it up and found that the reason there were so few scooters in Yangon was that they are prohibited by law.
I had vaguely suspected that, but it turned out that riding a bicycle was also a violation of the law... It seems those roadies I met in the city were enjoying it during the early morning or night hours when they were overlooked.
Glad I didn't get arrested...
Let's just use the bus
When I arrived at Don Mueang Airport and assembled my bike, it was already night.
It's about 25km from the airport to the city center, so I lightly thought, "I'll get there in about 1.5 hours," and set off, but...
The road from the airport grounds toward the city was basically a highway where cars flowed continuously at over 80 km/h. As I rode on the left shoulder, just like in Japan, with my life on the line, two lanes merged from the left, and before I knew it, I was riding right in the middle. Then, there was a sign for the entrance to the Toll Way (a highway that runs even higher above), so I switched lanes with grim resolve, only to find that the lane I switched into was the highway entrance. I turned back, was left stranded on a fork island, waited 15 minutes for a gap in the traffic, and crossed between cars that were approaching me without me being able to judge their speed due to their headlights. I had to make such death-defying lane changes many times.
The words of a local cyclist, who had repeatedly told me that Bangkok traffic is crazy and that you should definitely avoid riding a bike during rush hour, crossed my mind.
I thought I was going to die.
Jakkrayan
Bangkok is a starting point for traveling to all parts of the world. I don't know if that hub function is still effective, but I chose to go through Bangkok not just for the connection to Myanmar, but because I had a goal to visit Jakkrayan, a bike shop that is also a SimWorks dealer.
Jakkrayan was located in a downtown area on the opposite bank from where the Royal Palace and Wat Pho (the royal temple) are gathered, across the Chao Phraya River—a working-class neighborhood that might be compared to Fukagawa or Ryogoku in Tokyo. I imposed upon them to open the shop on their day off and they showed me around Bangkok. The sensibilities of young people in Bangkok are almost the same as Japanese people. We could discuss what is cool or how to make things interesting with the same mindset. No, actually, with their vitality, English proficiency, and money, they might end up being a lot more interesting in the future.
At night, when the traffic volume decreased a little, they took me for a ride, avoiding the squalls characteristic of the rainy season.
There aren't many bikes in the city, but in districts where cycling paths are maintained, there are plenty of bikes ranging from high-end carbon road bikes to fixed-gear bikes.
Other than the route from the airport, the center of Bangkok—where you have to make quite aggressive lane changes to head in the intended direction at roundabouts—is not suited for riding a bike, but it seems there are countless good routes if you go to the suburbs or toward Chiang Mai or Singapore.
The noodle shop they took me to for lunch was incredible, and the Thai restaurant and bakery we went to at night were just fantastic. That shop, with its interior resembling an antique shop, a spirited landlady wearing Pleats Please, and someone endlessly playing a mysterious instrument in front of the store, had almost no information about it online. If you ever go to Bangkok, you should definitely have the Jakkrayan crew take you there.
The usual ride
The final day was just for heading to the airport. I drank a fruit shake at a street stall on the way, preparing for the highway from hell.
Helped by the fact that the traffic was lighter than when I arrived, I reached the airport, though I was still terrified. I did the bicycle disassembly and packing, which I've finally gotten used to, and boarded the plane.
The plane was full. Next to me was a cute Thai girl (who probably loves Japanese anime and music). It was her first time going abroad, and she was traveling alone, at that. She was a bit of a klutz and her English was a little shaky, but I hope she enjoyed her short trip to Osaka.
When you go abroad, you meet a lot of amazing travelers. There are many who are traveling around the world, some whose luggage consists only of a passport and wallet, and a cyclist who was riding from Singapore all the way to his home in Germany via Central Asia. Looking back on it in a report like this, it seems like a tough ride, but it's nothing compared to when I was pass-hunting in the Southern Alps or riding all over the mountains of Izu. While I admire hardcore travel a bit, I want to keep doing what I can without overdoing it, with the same light equipment I usually use. Conscious of not putting borders on the destinations I go to by bike and my curiosity.
Now then, where should I fly to next?
TODAY’S RIDER
Monjya【SimWorks】and Jakkrayan Crew
| Frame | Rew10Works | Breakaway CX |
| Tire | SimWorks by Panaracer | The Homage |
| Cockpit | SimWorks by NITTO | Wild Honey Bar & Rhonda Stem |
| Touring Bag | Porcelain Rocket | Micro Panniers,Mini Slinger,Mr.Fusion V2 |
| Pants | Yamatomichi | 5-POCKETS SHORTS |
| Socks | RAL | RS HOSE |
| Eyewear | RAL | Fixation |
| Cap | Welldone | Jet Cap |
TEXT & PHOTO by Monjya