We left Bagan bright and early. A quick tuk-tuk pickup and we are off. The bus ride (10 h) was long with numerous stops including our worst lunch ever. Much of the ride was along the major highway that connects Mandalay and Yangon, it's a smooth ride but still very long.
A taxi ride (again in a car) brought us to our hotel. We are in the heart of the old part of town. Our hotel, Chan Mayae Guesthouse, is on the fourth floor; the stairwell is encouraging as small signs are posted at each landing claiming the benefits of exercise to your health. We were greeted with a cool glass of orange juice - a very nice touch, it is quite hot here. Quick showers and we headed out for dinner.
It's difficult when you arrive in a place in the evening. Most shops are closed but the streets are full with little tables and chairs enticing you with their pots of tea, street carts filled with a variety of quick eats, and numerous betel nut stations. Eventually we found a funky little Thai place and sit down for pad Thai and larb. Yummy!
On Monday, we decide to do a walking tour that is outlined in the Lonely Planet. The first stop is a tea house for 3-in-1 coffee and a cheese bun (Jon). The tea houses are crammed packed with little tables, all numbered for organizational purposes. The chairs are so small sometimes Jon can't even get his legs folded up small enough to fit under the table. It is quite entertaining for the locals, always gets lots of wide mouthed betel stained grins. Af the front of the tea house, the 'manager' sits purveying his/her shop and collects the money. He/she always has a watchful eye on the young boys (primarily) that man the floor. Most boys are young, from about 10 years old to their early teens. We are not quite sure what they do as they age, but it really seems like tea houses are mostly served by young boys. They are always super friendly and keen to speak English. It is such an nice experience to sit in a tea house and watch the busy street outside. The sounds, sights and aromas will not be forgotten. Horns blasting, clanging dishes hitting a plastic tub, orders being yelled into the kitchen, bright walls that have seen better days, dirty floors, and the singing of "Mingalaba" as you enter. This sensory overload will remain in our memories as one of the many charms of Burma.
After the tea house, we reach an area of old downtown that has several old buildings that remain from the times of the British rule. There is an old Queen Anne style building, which at one time served as the High Court, and a beautiful park called Mahabandoola Garden. The park provides a relief from the heat as you walk by its fountains that spray a fine mist of water from the warm breeze. We continued south and hit the Strand. We imagine that this area was once quite beautiful as it is lined with many big interesting buildings. One of these buildings is the Strand Hotel. We ventured in for a small gander - all the glory was there before our eyes. As soon as the door was opened by a porter, the lobby took you back a century or two. Ornate wood decorates the walls and doorways, beautiful photos of Burmese people adorn the walls and overhead fans provide a gentle breeze. It feels like another place inside here. We toured the bar to look at the photographs and visited an art gallery at the back of the hotel. The art scene in Yangon, and in Burma in general, is really flourishing now.
Eating in Yangon is easy during the day. For lunch, we ate at Ramj....... Where we ate a thali-type of lunch. It was really good. I bought a bean paste that is flattened into discs. I am told that it is cut up and fried - should be interesting! We headed home for a bit of a break and sit on our terrace. A quick chat with Anna and Paul leaves us anticipating the next part of this trip but also means that we are leaving Burma and its friendly people. Dinner takes place on 19th street. A street that has tables spilling out onto the street and carts filled with food on skewers. The diner chooses the food of choice and then waits for it to be BBQed. People pass by in awe of the attraction, if really is quite something. The food was ok, definitely not the best that we have sampled, I guess the entertainment was the main attraction. After eating, it started to rain, just a drizzle but this leads to everyone rushing off the street for cover. We pay and head home, hoping it doesn't pour.
The rain started while we were sleeping and held up, sometimes quite hard until about 9:30 in the morning. It seems weird to have rain here but we know that the farmers really need it, the country side is parched. After a leisurely morning, we headed north. The plan was a quick stroll through the market and then head to the pagoda. Well, that is easier said than done. The market is packed with interesting wares and since this is our last day in Burma, we think we should buy a few items. In no time, we have three jade necklaces, a puppet, a small lacquer ware bowl and another longi for me. We have a cappuccino and leave before we have absolutely NO room in our backpacks.
Shwedagon Pagoda is everything it is worked up to be. Each entry hall is guarded by two very large have lion, half.... The impression is already strong. The walkway approaching the pagoda is a wood carved covered stone stairway. The ascent is slow due to the sheer number of stairs. We arrived at the top where the glimmering smaller pagodas are bekoning us to enter. But stop, first you have to dress properly. Jon is wearing long shorts but they are not long enough to show respect. So, we have to buy one. In no time at all, a man is standing beside Jon showing him how to enter the longi (it is a 'tube' of fabric), and is making the traditional tie for him. Wow, he almost looks like comfortable!
.... Info about pagoda here
A taxi provided a bit of relief for our aching feet and brought us back to our zone. We immediately headed to Shan 999 Noodle House. A simple soup noodle lunch hit the spot. Back to the hotel for a quick nap before we head out to the Pasodan Art Gallery.
Our hotel location is really dynamite. We are a few blocks from the art gallery and get there before it has even opened! We decide to walk a bit and come back. Twenty minutes later we arrive and can hear voices from the gallery in the dark, dingy stairwell. We are greeted by the gallery owner and sit down for a beer and conversation. We met a couple from Koln and chat with them for a while, as more and more people gather in this space. The gallery is on the second floor of the building and represents about 19 artists in a very casual manner. You are invited to browse through the the paintings that are on the floor leaning against the walls. The paintings here are much more liberated than other galleries we have seen. There are some abstracts, some markets scenes, and a collection of watercolours. Most paintings are large, 2'x3' being the smaller size. The underlaying theme is the daily life of the Burmese people usually painting in vibrant bold colours. The art gallery owner tells us that the people are just now starting to feel liberated. In the past, it was not allowed to talk to foreigners. Things have changed. A gallery such as this one allows the artist a chance to meet with other artists and to meet with foreigners in a welcoming environment. He explains to us that this is one reason why there are open shuttered windows instead of closed and air conditioning. He is very excited to see where the art will go in the next years, explaining that 'we don't know what will happen. It's all new and exciting."
What a great way to end this portion of our trip. Burma is certainly in need of some development and the optimism seems to be there. A country with some beautiful sights, varied landscapes and a lot of history. For me the people are what made our visit so enjoyable. Always smiling and welcoming, as they say "we warmly welcome" ....
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