Yangon, Myanmar

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Well, it's finally here! This is without a doubt the most highly anticipated destination on our schedule! For the longest time we weren't sure if we would be able to get there due to the restrictions on tourists during the election. In early November, Myanmar had it's first "democratic" election in years and there were many riots and and issues associated with the elections. As a result, the government shut down tourist visas for a while. We were lucky enough to go there just after the ban was lifted! Also, Aung San Suu Kyi had recently been released from captivity and this was a major move for the country.



We went from KLIA airport in Malaysia where to go directly to Yangon, Myanmar, the former capital of the country. Recently, the government built a new city in the middle of nowhere that is the new capital of the country. Most locals have never been to the new capital and there is really no reason to go there - there is nothing to see.



We arrive at Yangon airport at 5:50pm local time and meet a Scotsman who frequents Yangon for business. He shared a taxi with us to get into the city (40 mins, 7$). He was invaluable in talking the taxi down in price! Immediately we were struck with the friendly nature of the people of this country. Airport employees were asking questions and very interested in our plans. Once in Yangon, we walk a ways to our hotel, Golden Smiles Inn. We figured we would be safe not making reservations anywhere and we got lucky and snagged the last room at the hotel @ 14$ for a fan and shared bathroom and breakfast included. This is a little pricier than we were hoping to pay, but the bed was comfy and the staff was so friendly!



The poverty in this country and city is apparent right away. There are no street lights, so it is very dark outside at night! We walk around but fail to find any of the eateries in the guidebook so we go on the hotel's advice to a restaurant across the street for noodles and cheap cheap draft beer (450k/glass). After Malaysia and the lack of cheap beer, this was a very welcome sight! This place was filled with locals and they honestly couldn't have cared less that tourists were there - now that's a realistic, authentic watering hole! We luck out and there is a young waiter there who is studying architecture and speaks English so we are able to get by and order our food.



The next morning we awake eager to his the streets of Yangon! First, we book our bus tickets to Mandalay through our hotel (11,400K, 12 hours) for the following day, and change our US money to kyat (885k=1USD at hotel, 900k=1USD at market).

We follow the Lonely PLanet walking tour passing lots of old buildings, street stalls selling longyi, glasses, remote controls, lottery tickets and anything else imaginable! There are even street stalls set up with a telephone (cord coming from inside the building) where you can pay to use the phone if you don't have a phone. We also pass some lively produce and meat markets bustling with people. We see Sule Pagoda but it is being re-covered in gold so we don't go inside.



After a long walk, we end up at the Aung San market which is HUGE! We walk around for 2 hours, checking out potential purchases for when we return. Luckily this time, unlike at the awesome market in Ho Chi Minh City, we will be coming back here so we can wait and make our purchases at the end. W ehave lunch at 999 Shan Noodle Shop which serves a very delicious noodle soup and excellent Star Cola, like Coke, but better!



After lunch, we visit the Botataung Paya (2$ + 1$ camera fee) with a cool maze-like walkway through the stupa. Supposedly one of Buddha's hairs is enshrined inside it. The whole inside it covered in gold and so everything had a weird colour to it, including our skin! We see lots of people begging and sleeping on the stupa (locals enter for free) grounds. Other than the great gold stupa, the place has other small buildings and statues but nothing too impressive.



We visit yet again another Chinatown where we check out 2 smal Chinese temples with intricate pillar carvings then return to the hotel for a short break and to grab our bags before we catch a taxi (5000k, 50 mins) to the bus station. Everything was organized through our hotel, including the guys we shared the taxi with! Our bus left at 6pm. Buses in Myanmar are known for being very cold and despite the warning, we still froze our buns off on this long overnight bus ride! It's a fairly annoying ride, seeing as we stop every two hours for something or other - a few passport checks where we all have to get off and have our stamps checked, food or whatever else. The bus luckily takes the "new" highway, built to pass by the "new" capital. This highway is a toll road so there is very little traffic and it's a fairly smooth ride.



We spend the next week and a half touring the country and then come back to Yangon for a day and a half before we head on our lonnnngggg journey home. So fast forward a few days, and here are back in yangon on December 7.

We arrive off the bus from Inle Lake at 6:15am and wait around a while to see if other tourists show up to share a taxi with. After a while and no tourists, we fork out the 5000k for the taxi ride to the Golden Smiles Inn. Luckily this time we had pre-booked a room there, so we get in a short nap before tackling the city and the shopping we have left to do. We immediately head back to the huge market and buy some umbrellas, statues and wood sculptures. After hours of shopping, we walk to Shwedagon Paya, the biggest and most famous stupa in Myanmar. We pay the 5$ entry fee and it is sooo worth it! The stupa is enormous and covered in real gold and sooo impressive! There are lots of other buildings that are green, red, white, colourful and the place is so beautiful. There are also lots of monks there which is very picturesque. We stay there for hours, walking around, people watching, chatting with some locals. We wait for sunset and night to fall so we can see the paya at all different times. I can't decide which is better, daytime or nighttime - it's awesome all the time!



Back at the hotel, we go back to the restaurant across the street for beer and noodles to celebrate our last night in Myanmar. We are so sad to leave this amazing country, but I am tired and in desperate need of a break! This trip was at break-neck speed and I am more than ready for a break and to get back home to family and friends and familiarity and maybe not sleeping in a different bed every night!

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