For a map of my travels, click here.
Overnight, I got a text message from Thai Airways telling me that my suitcase had been located, and they would ship it to Yangon. Knowing firmly that there was no chance that the suitcase would make it to Yangon before I left, I made a mental note to shop for a few more items, including a duffel bag to hold the souvenirs I planned to accumulate.
Up bright and early for a walk around the hotel area. Got a chance to wander into the Yangon Railway station (not much action) and take a few pictures around town.
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| Yangon Railway Station |
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| View of Yangon from my hotel room |
My guide arrived at about 9:00 and we went off on our tour of Yangon. First stop was
Botataung Pagoda, in the center of town near the river. As with most of the other pagodas/stupas in Yangon, it's covered in gold leaf. A lot of gold leaf. Here are a few shots from outside and inside the pagoda.
We then passed several old British Colonial Buildings that are now used as government offices.
We then left the center of town and drove through a very nice park around
Kandawgyi Lake, which is beautiful, though disconcertingly green.
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Next stop was the Reclining Buddha at
Chaukhtatgyi Temple. Before you complain about your significant other taking up too much space in bed, you have to see this thing--it's almost a football field in length, and it's claimed to be only the second-largest reclining Buddha in Myanmar!
After the Buddha, it was on to lunch, and then the afternoon on my own. I took the opportunity to go to Bogyoke Market, which was a block from my hotel, to pick up a few things. I scored a decent duffel bag for $10, but clothing was out of the question due to my gargantuan size.
My late afternoon activity was to see the Shwedagon Pagoda at sunset. This is the largest pagoda/stupa in Myanmar, and it is awesome. I don't mean "awesome" in the "Dude, that's awesome", sense--I mean that it truly inspired awe. Here are a few pictures that may communicate its awesomeness.
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| This communicates my awesomeness |
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This was all before the sun went down. After the sun set, they turned on the lights.
After seeing this, there was nothing left to do, which didn't stop me from wandering the streets of central Yangon after dark and having a $5 dinner at Suzuki Drink and Thai Food.
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| Suzuki Drink and Thai Food |
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Some observations from Day 2 in Yangon:
- Myanmar could easily solve their financial problems by selling, or at least selling naming rights, to the pagodas. When the world finds out about these things and it's easier to get there, Yangon will be a major destination.
- Most Burmese (easier to say than Myanmarian) men wear a long skirt, instead of pants. Myanmar was the only country where I noticed this fashion trend.
- Burmese food is pretty similar to Thai. Obviously eating at Suzuki Drink and Thai Food might cause one to come to that conclusion, but even in places that advertised themselves as Myanmar food, the dishes were largely indistinguishable from Thai.
- The only domestic beer that seemed to be available in Yangon was Myanmar Beer, although I have since found out that there are a couple of other brands. In every city I went to on my trip, there was a beer named after the country (Myanmar Beer, Beer Lao) or the locale (Hanoi Beer, Saigon Beer), or the local tourist attraction (Angkor Beer, and its evil twin Anchor Beer). To be honest, they all tasted pretty much the same--what I call an "International Lager"
Here are a few more random pictures for your viewing pleasure:
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| Inside the Yangon train station |
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| 2012 Yangon Pigeon Festival |
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| What they're reading in Yangon |
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| More housing in the central city |
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| Along Bogokye Aung San Road |
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| Approaching Shwedagon Pagoda |
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Maha Wizaya Pagoda, as seen from Shwedagon Pagoda
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| Inside Shwedagon Pagoda |
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| Inside Shwedagon Pagoda |
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| Shwedagon Pagoda |
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| Shwedagon Pagoda |
Next--info on Money, Power, and Connections in Southeast Asia (it's not what you think).
