Local life around Yangon

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The local life tour was billed as energetic but I can't say that I was.

My guide was Si-tu, his nickname from when he worked in Dubai and he arrived in his car. We took a taxi past the University to near the Kyeemyindaing railway station to see craftsmen working on artefacts for pagodas. Mainly they were inscriptions in plastic, creating plaques with a machine similar to an electric die cut machine and metal, nailing and hammering the entrance signs over the gates for monasteries. Shops there also made umbrellas in metal for the stupas.

On the walk to a station on the circular route I was able to photograph a roadside tyre change outfit. A car with a flat pulled right next to us. The driver had been a merchant seaman so spoke some English, the team were happy to show me how quickly they worked.

Train to central

We walked over a footbridge to reach the platform and bought tickets at a little booth. The station is a colonial style, often reviewed on Google maps. Later at Yangon Central, I filmed a guy stamping the date on a booklet of tickets that people would buy. For this train I think it was k500, about 30 pence.

There was an assortment of people waiting and a group collecting for a local shrine. Although a train had just pulled out it was less than 10 minutes to the next. Going the other way 2 trains came in and people getting off had to walk across the rails to the platform on our side.

Between the tracks there are places where fabric is laid. It is dampened when hot to cool the rails and prevent them from buckling.

I was surprised the trains were not more crowded and pleased not to be offered a seat and thus treated like the foreigner that I am. At central station we got off and I took photos of the repair yard. A bit more ramshackle than Willesden Junction depot perhaps.

Walk down to river

Si-tu checked that I was happy to walk the long street to the river and offered to cross to the shaded side. However by choosing to stay in the sun I saw builders making new pavements with cement and the Sule Pagoda down a side street. We stopped in a tea shop for a break. The Burmese tea is black with condensed milk, it tasted sweet to me. Also served in all cafés is a jasmine tea so we had both. Si-tu suggested 3 pastries to try. They are Chinese bakery style, one with bean paste, another a muffin-like cake and the third a dumpling with minced duck, onions and spices - the tastiest to me.

Further down near the main road that runs alongside the river we looked at the remains of a building bombed by the Japanese in 1945 and saw the last remaining street name plaques from British colonial times. I assume that colonial buildings are similar throughout SE Asia so did not look for them in particular. We did see the Strand Hotel close to the footbridge over the big road that brings you into the ferry port at Pansodan.

I love that escalators take you up although you do have to walk downstairs.

In the alleyway down to the ferry, girls (mostly) shouted their prices from stalls selling fruit - all the same at k500. Over the river the same but only k200.

Although quite warm I did not feel too hot, possibly due to the breeze coming off the river. A ferry had just come into the Pansodan terminal and emptied. Many people from the gangway to the ferry. Si Thu went through the booking hall to buy our tickets. Apparently foreigners pay double the price of locals but it was still only about £3 return to Dala. On board the ferry was busy with vendors walking through. Some of them carried big basket trays of quails eggs presumably boiled to be eaten as they were. Others had fruit and yet more were selling clothes, hats and tops. The trip itself lasts just 10 minutes and as we reached the other side there was a rush for everyone to get off with bikes, motorbikes and all the things they had been selling.

Arrival there is into the market area immediately around the ferry port. Si Thu had called ahead to our rickshaw driver so he was prepared for us.

I felt really sorry for him as I am a large lady and I did not realise until sometime into our trip that he was to pedal us both around the town and outlying farmland. I know that it is his livelihood but that day he more than earned his pay. We made just a couple of stops. 12 visit the pagoda and the other to see the fisherman who fish in the middle of the river and come into their small town. As we left the Pagoda we could see a very black sky ahead of us and within minutes it was a torrential downpour. The poor guy pedalling the rickshaw had sleeping policeman to go over and many places were beginning to flood. We tried to find some shelter from the worst of the rain but all three of us were saturated by the time we returned to the ferry terminal. We rode around small villages rice paddies and areas of wildlife.

Due to the rain and the bumpiness of the ride, I have little video footage and very few photos of this part of my tour.

Once back in Yangon itself we took a taxi directly back to the hotel I was pretty cold and very wet. As the whole atmosphere was so damp I did not manage to dry my things before leaving for Mandalay the next morning and packed a bag of soggy clothes.

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