Yangon Tuesday November 3rd
The flight from Chiang Mai via Bangkok was incredibly smooth. The luggage is checked through and I am labeled, in such a way that I can sit in Bangkok Airlines transit lounge, with complimentary snacks, internet etc. My cough is bad and I am in a panic about not being able to enter Myanmar. Fortunately all the medication is holding up and I sail quietly through immigration and the health screening.
Sleep most of the time in the back of the taxi until we arrive at Beautyland II $15 per night. It is more than adequate. The bed is comfortable, I have a window. The shower is hot and the refrigerator works, haven't tried the TV nor the phone yet. I am so tired, this chest cold is taking its toll, but I venture out first to change money at Scott’s market which is 5 minutes from the hotel, and then to walk down to the Sule Pagoda and the tourist office for maps.
Yangon how to describe this extremely vibrant city? Where every sidewalk is a market place the buildings more rundown, than anywhere else I have seen, the sidewalks in total disrepair and I am in heaven. It is so alive, with activity everywhere and some order to it if hard to discern.
Take my life in my hands a few times crossing streets, but it is not as bad as Hanoi, while continuing down to Monsoon a restaurant that had been recommended. It is situated in an old colonial building with a very eclectic menu. I start with a tea leaf salad that I didn’t like it was much too oily, later I learn it should be eaten with rice. Am not sure what possessed me to order Spaghetti Carbonara, perhaps the memory of it at the Butterfly Farm in Siem Reap. This version was not particularly memorable but with a carafe of wine I managed to finish my meal. Taxi back to the hotel and a very bad night, the cough never let up and I am exhausted the next morning. After breakfast I go visit Santa Maria travel agency, they are on the next block. Get my schedule set, not exactly as I had envisioned but have no energy to not be generic.
Air Bagan W9 011 Nov 8 Yangon- Heho 7.30 am arr 9.20 am Paradise Hotel in Nyaungshewe
Nov 09
Nov 10am
Nov 11 Air Bagan #W9 141 9.00 for Ngpali beach Lin Thar Oo Hotel
Nov 12 Ngpali
Nov 13 Ngpali
Nov 14 Ngpali
Nov 15 Air Bagan #W9 141 10.15 to Yangon arr 11.05 Yangon Airways YH731 to Mandalay 15.00
Nov 16 Mandalay Hotel Honghta
Nov 17 Mandalay Hotel Honghta
Nov 18 Mandalay Hotel Honghta
Nov 19 Boat to Bagan
Nov 20 Bagan Kaday Aung Hotel
Nov 21 Balloon over Bagan
Nov 22 Bagan Kaday Aung Hotel
Nov 23 back to Yangon
Nov 24 Yangon – Bangkok
Today Saturday is the first day that I am feeling half way decent, not so tired, am looking at the schedule and wondering where was I when it was made. Am sure it will fine, if not the worst that could happen I change things around.
So far I have been for sunset at the Shwendangon Pagoda, it is as magical as everyone says. It wasn't until last night that I realized that it is actually illuminated. Been to the night market in Chinatown, loaded up on more medications in a very modern supermarket. Had dinner at a sidewalk restaurant, sour hot chicken quite good, took the circular train around Yangon.
The train is a trip in more ways than one. I paid my $1 and was given a very official receipt and am then escorted to the train where I am seated behind a rope together with a gentleman who is the money collector. In the middle of the car is an ancient looking metal box, next to him piles of leather pouches, at each stop he receives a pouch and gives out an empty one. The full one goes into the metal box, this goes on for 3 hours at each and every stop, when he is finished with the transaction he waves the green flag for the train to continue. Somewhere in the middle of the journey, bales of green leaves are thrown in through the windows and doors. Don’t know how many but the entire car as well as the next one were filled with these bales.
Women throw on bags of rice, this is as much a freight train as a commuter train. Markets are going on on the tracks, kites are flown, little boys play ball as we go past rice fields and farmland. This was a trip I am so happy I made even if it was uncomfortable. Since I only have energy for one item a day this was enough, get back to the GH and sleep for 10 hours
One morning I met Sylvie, friend of the Swiss people I met in Lao, spent a lovely time with her and had lunch with her husband and daughter. They have been here for 7 years and are presently under contract with WHO. It was interesting to hear how life as an ex-pat is here.
Take myself to the National Museum which was actually quite interesting, had no idea that there were several languages and alphabets here, nor that the king had a chief wife as well as lesser ones. After the museum I decide to hire a taxi to go Kyauktan where there is a pagoda in the water.
As usual Lonely Planet is wrong, the taxi doesn’t want to be hired for the afternoon, the fair is also double quoted. We compromise and he drives me to the bus station. Again I am given privileged seating on the minibus next to the bus driver. This is a dubious distinction, apart from the comfortable seat and not being cramped, my heart is in my mouth., he drives like a car thief, with the hand on the horn, no seat belts, no speedometer, constantly spitting out his betelnut juice. The drive is very lovely we pass many, many Payas. 1 ¼ hour later we have arrived, because of a misunderstanding I think I only have 45 minutes for lunch, and don’t get to go the pagoda. It was lovely sitting on the deck of an outdoor restaurant amongst the fishermen looking at the boats on the lake and the very lovely pagoda. There were market stalls and a lot of mangy dogs around, certainly a slice of Burmese life. The driver’s wife shows up an elegant woman, and seems very lovely. Back to the city at the same breakneck speed.
Yangon continued,
Last night I went on the recommendation of the Englishman and his guide to Kandawghyyi Palace for dinner. It was the same place my friend Sue had recommended, and she had lived here for months.In a few words stay home, I had been told they had a puppet show and anyone who has read “The Piano Tuner” knows that a puppet show is a must. Note there is no puppet show at Kandawghyyi Palace, there is a very kitschy, rather sweet, actually set up with costumed people greeting you. There is an awful buffet and a 2 hour show with traditional dances. I have no problems eating by myself, but to be seated way up front at a table set for a single person on a raided level, made for many a curious glance.
As an aside, if anyone ever mentions the ugly Americans while traveling they have not met an Italian tour group. I had the great fortune of being seated next to one. They should have been filmed, and shown the reel.
Today I went to see a temple where Buddah’s hair was enclosed in an ivory pendant, paid my foreigners fee, gave a donation to a begging monk, who I think sneered at what I gave him. Am not sure, though and will give it the benefit of a doubt. Took one of the small local buses to the Strand, it was too hot to walk, for lunch and had a lovely Lamb Burger, sometimes one has to have something different. People are extremely puzzled b y the fact I am alone it is invariably the first question asked, except by the touts.
My impressions are that though this is a very poor country, not as many beggars as in India, but with a far worse infra structure there is a growing middle class. TV and Refrigerator shops are in abundance, as are electronic stores. Internet cafes have great connections, they are plentiful, and the cost is 40 cents an hour. They are jam packed at night. Telephones may not be easily available, though cell phones are commonly used. The telephone booths are young women sitting at tables with a few really old telephones in front of them. At first I thought they were for sale, then I realized what they were for.
The supermarkets seem to be stocked with almost everything you can imagine and prices are not high by our standards. That said, the public buses, trains and taxis are in deplorable conditions, the taxi I came home with last night had no interior on the door, so the metal and everything was painted white to give the illusion.
Last dinner was at the Sarakan Tower purely for the view, a beer and a prawn dinner $7.50. The trio played lovely music, Gershwin and and all very easy to listen and dance too. Can absolutely recommend when you have a date.
