Yangon Part I

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When I left off on my last entry, I was feeling fatigued and unsure if I could sustain this travel. After Australia, I went to Singapore for four days. Family, friends, and food helped lift my spirits. A painful but much needed massage helped relax my weary muscles and joints. And, I had an unexpected boost to my post-travel job prospects. With all this happening, I got my spring back and I felt ready to tackle Myanmar!

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First Impressions of Yangon

I landed in Yangon mid-afternoon on Monday September 4th. After stepping into an airport taxi, I realized something didn't feel right. It took me about ten minutes before I figured out what was wrong: almost all the steering wheels I saw were on the right... and the cars drive on the right. I asked the taxi driver about this and he said that they switched from driving on the left to driving on the right a few years back, but most cars still have their steering wheels on the right. I then recalled a conversation I had in Singapore with a friend in the car business, who said that a lot of used cars from Singapore and Japan end up in Myanmar. That explains all the right hand drive vehicles.

En route, I noticed that the sky was overcast. I was aware that this was the tail end of the rainy season. True enough, the skies opened up not long after I checked in while I was having an early dinner at Black Hat restaurant. Returning to the hotel, I opened my Netflix app and it worked! Yes! If I was going to be marooned by rain this was the best possible outcome.

I booked two nights at the May Shan Hotel, which I selected primarily for its central location. The room cost US$30 per night through Agoda. The guide books weren't joking when they said that rooms in Myanmar were expensive relative to other places in Southeast Asia... and this was the low season with discounts of up to 50 pecent. I wouldn't have paid anywhere near $30 for this room in Indonesia or Thailand, let alone $60. Don't get me wrong, though. The rooms were clean, the staff were friendly, and I knew I was paying a premium for location.

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Making Connections

A fellow UCLA MBA alumnus suggested I contact an alumnus he knew residing in Yangon. I made contact with him, and he in turn connected me with another alum traveling in Myanmar. This alum was going to be in Bagan the next day, and so I decided to fly to Bagan and possibly hang out with him there. I will have to return to Yangon to fly back to Singapore in about two weeks, and I also hadn't seen all of Yangon that I wanted to see, so I will be back. Hence, this entry is titled Part I.

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My One Day of Sightseeing and Wandering

For my one full day in Yangon, I decided to wander around downtown. After breakfast at May Shan, I wandered out into the street with a vague plan to walk around the old town, make my way to Botahtaung Pagoda, wander around some more, and then finish my day at Sule Pagoda before the inevitable late afternoon downpour.

Leaving the May Shan, I wandered around Sule Pagoda. Not many cities can boast having a 2,000 year old golden pagoda in a roundabout as their main downtown landmark. Next to Sule Pagoda was Maha Bandoola Park, with the Independence Monument as its centerpiece. Around the park were all manner of colonial buildings, and they were in varying stages of upkeep, from abandoned and decaying to beautifully restored and maintained. From the park, I set off east in the vague general direction of Botahtaung Pagoda, taking in the sights and smells of the morning markets, watching morning commuters, and getting a general feel for the city. Walking in Yangon is less hazardous than Bangkok or Bali; there are fewer street vendors blocking your way than in Bangkok, and the sidewalks are much more contiguous and better maintained than in Bali. Crossing streets is hazardous, though; motorists don't necessarily observe pedestrian crossings. The best way to cross a street is to follow the locals and cross with them.

En route to Botahtaung Pagoda, I wandered towards the Ayeyarwaddy River, saw more colonial buildings, peeked at street food stalls (the food smelled good but I was wary about eating at these stalls). I finally reached Botahtaung Pagoda after lots of wandering. I was a sweaty mess but I was loving it. Botahtaung Pagoda houses hair relics from the Buddha and it is a very holy site for Buddhists. The main highlight of this site was walking zig zag through the interior of the stupa where the hair relic is housed. All the walls were golden. The rest of the temple grounds housed various additional shrines and a terrapin pond. I saw no western tourists at this site, only Thais.

After Botahtaung, I wandered back towards the Sule Pagoda area where I had lunch and sorted out my travel to Bagan. After my travel plans had been settled, I went to Sule Pagoda. There, a guy claiming to be a student latched on to me and started explaining things. I groaned inwardly... this was probably an unofficial tour guide who will ask for money after showing me around, and he won't be upfront about it. Oh well, what the heck. I could learn something useful from him. As it turned out, I did learn a few things. In Buddhist temples in Thailand, I had always wondered about Buddhas labeled with the day of the week. I found out from my "guide" that there is a special shrine for the day of the week that you are born. He even had an app that told you which day of the week you were born on - mine turned out to be Wednesday. He then showed me how to pay respects to my Wednesday Buddha. He also showed me other parts of the pagoda and explained their history and significance. At the end of our 15 minutes, he asked a gratuity. I proferred 5,000 kyat (about $3.50) and he accepted. After we parted ways, I did another round in the pagoda and then returned to Maha Bandoola Park where I enjoyed observing the late afternoon crowds. Many people were glued to a soccer match being broadcast on a huge screen mounted on the nearby government building. At the park, one guy approached me to practice his English and I had a fine time learning about him and life in his village across the river. I headed back to the May Shan when raindrops began to fall, and I waited out the afternoon storm there.

In the evening, I wandered out to find a vegetarian restaurant I saw earlier in the day. I noticed that the crowd at the park had grown and moved to the grounds in front of the government office, and that they were still glued to a soccer game (not sure if it was the same game). I tried to stay and see their reaction if a goal was scored, but no such luck. They remained quite sedate the entire time, compared to the crowds I saw in Colombia two years ago. I also wandered around the night markets before heading back to May Shan.

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Travel Tips

• Consider utilizing travel agents to book domestic flights. I booked my flight to Bagan through a travel agent who secured a ticket costing about $10 less than the cheapest one-way flight I could find online.
• Some US card issuers seem to think that the US' sanctions against Myanmar are ongoing. When I called them before departing on my trip, Barclays card advised me that my card cannot be used in Myanmar due to sanctions. True enough, my card was declined when I tried to use it to pay for my flight. I did not have the same issue with my ATM card. Most places will tack on a 3 percent charge for credit card transactions.
• Most restaurant meals can be had for under US$10 per person. My meal at Black Hat restaurant was a slight splurge but the river prawns were so good. My vegetarian set lunch at Shan Yoe Yar was also really good.
• I was surprised when I wasn't asked to cover my knees at either pagoda, but I wore a sarong out of respect. They do make you remove your shoes, though, so carry a backpack and place your shoes in there if you don't want too risk leaving them at a shoe deposit counter. Also, bring wet wipes to clean your feet after visiting.

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Photos

Sule Pagoda
Monk at one of the shrines within the pagoda.

Downtown Yangon
Busy street where May Shan Hotel is located.

Downtown Yangon
Empty colonial building. I can't help but wonder what happened within those walls during its heyday.

Sule Pagoda
What other city can boast a 2,000 year old pagoda in a roundabout as its main landmark? Too bad the exterior is marred by businesses.

Botahtaung Pagoda
Devotees praying in the zig zag hallway of the stupa. This made me think of growing up and being made to stand in the corner when I was naughty.

Sule Pagoda
A fellow Wednesday baby paying her respects. Note the paste on her face. Many women wear it for sun protection and other reasons.
Disclosure: I received the girl's mother's permission to take this photograph.

Downtown Yangon
Maha Bandoola Park in the late afternoon. Note the jumbotron mounted on the building in front. A soccer match was being broadcast and crowds started to gather to watch it.

Downtown Yangon
The block where May Shan Hotel is located. May Shan is at the red signboard in the middle of the photo.

Downtown Yangon
The Independence Monument in a Maha Bandoola Park.

Downtown Yangon
Beautifully preserved colonial building viewed from Maha Bandoola Park.

Downtown Yangon
Abandoned colonial building.

Downtown Yangon
My first glimpse of the Ayeyarwady River.

Downtown Yangon
The beautifully preserved Strand Hotel.

Botahtaung Pagoda
Stupa within which the Buddha hair relic is kept.

Botahtaung Pagoda
The zig zag interior of the main stupa, all bedecked in gold.

Botahtaung Pagoda
The Buddha hair relic is kept here.

Botahtaung Pagoda
Big bell.

Botahtaung Pagoda
Devotees making an offering.

Comments

[Rahul]

Nice post
This is very helpful as I am planning to visit Yangon later this year. I think you may find this blog interesting as well which is www.dhanaritravelblog.com

[alex waring]

May Shan Hotel!
Hey! I stayed in the May Shan Hotel for one night during my time in Yangon! I found it a great place - central as you say, and I seem to remember the rooms being very small but well-equipped and comfortable. Good to hear ATM cards can now be used in Myanmar - when I was there, the only way you could have money in the country was to bring in US dollars in absolutely pristine condition - no folds or anything. Things seem to be changing. I loved the colonial architecture of the city also - some buildings restored, some seem to be being reclaimed by nature! A very interesting blog to read, and great to hear you've been able to get your spring back :)

[Siewch]

Getting My Mojo back
yup, so glad it came back. Immersing myself in the unfamiliar can be so rejuvenating at times, and yet it saps you as well! One of my first thoughts when I arrived in Yangon was that I should have visited earlier. But then, I would have had a tougher time getting around. May Shan is adequate. I think I was the only guest there both nights I stayed. Location can't be beat, though.