Yangon

Finally got to Yangon!

Getting through customs was very easy and the immigration officers were all so nice and friendly.
Since I had no checked bags, I was the first person out of immigration, at least that was what the hotel pickup people told me.

 

I stayed at "The Governor's Residence", a very nice hotel outside of downtown Yangon.
Got a nice deal on it from LuxuryLink which included airport pickup and dropoff.

First time that I had my name on a card and people to pick me up at the airport. :)
Both hotel agent and the driver spoke great English and many people in Yangon speak good English as the country used to be a British colony.

Note the driver side and the side of the road that people are driving on.
It is the opposite to every country!

After about 20 minutes, we arrived at the hotel.
It is a huge colonial style property, located near various embassies.
The Myanmar people are all so friendly and nice!
This is definitely the warmest welcome that I had ever received coming into a country.
So, at the Governor's Residence, they ring a gong everytime a guest checks in. Cute. :)

I had a room at the first floor.
Really big room with teak floors, furniture and a large stone bath.
A large bowl of seasonal tropical fruit was replenished daily.
It had orange, pear, longans, dragonfruit and some odd fruit which I could not identify.

After settling down, I walked about 20 minutes to the famous Shwedagon Pagoda.
Foreigners can only enter the Pagoda from the South entrance and everyone have to take off their shoes. You can leave your shoes at the entrance for a small fee. Entrance fee is USD5.
US Dollars are accepted throughout Yangon but for ease of transaction, change money at a local moneychanger to get better rates.
The hotel does not give a good rate.
When I was there, it was USD1 to 846Kyat, the hotel was only giving 800Kyat.

A smiling Myanmar family.
Myanmar women wear a sort of moisturiser on their faces.
It is cooling, acts as a sunblock and is natural(made by grinding the bark of a local variety of tree).
Got some for myself at the end of the trip!

The pagoda is covered in pure gold and topped with dozens of diamonds and other gems.
At the very top is a gigantic diamond which actually changes color depending on where you look at it, due to the reflection of the light. Saw it in hues of red, green, yellow.

It was a Saturday when I was there and the whole place was filled with families hanging out.
There were many little alcoves, Buddha statues where people sit around, eat something and just spend time with their families.

The locals also sit in a different fashion, with both legs to the left or right.
Probably due to the long skirts.
Not that easy to sit cross legged with a long tight skirt.
Speaking of skirts, the men also wear long skirts like sarongs everywhere which they call a longyi.

Omg, it was such a long day.
Had a long 20 min walk back to the hotel and by then I was drenched in sweat.
It was so hot and humid and this was the rainy season.
I dont even want to think how it is like during the hot season.

Finally found the "Feel" restaurant, near the hotel, which serves a variety of Myanmar curries.
The prices were pretty decent, around $3 for one curry dish.
I had curry chicken and fish, both were not spicy surprisingly, although there were free side dishes of chili to add some kick. Very Oishi! :)

They also serve a free appetizer plate of veggies and a dessert though I had passed on both.
So no photos.

I would be coming back here for dinner for the next two days as it is close to the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel the next morning had some traditional Myanmar noodles.
Mohinga, a fish stew noodle dish and a coconut curry noodle dish.
Mohinga was a bit heavy and the stew a bit too thick for my taste.
It was really tasty though.

The staff at the hotel were amazing.
Knew my name and had the best customer service I have experienced.
Smiling all the time too. Love Asia. :)

Street scenes in Yangon
Lots of vendors selling food on the streets.

The buses were interesting.
There is a center door and a bus conductor would stand there and shout out something.
Probably the destination or whatever and they seem to pick people up in-between bus-stops too.

Bought a watermelon drink from this guy.
He scoops the watermelon pieces and sweet cold liquid into a big glass.
Drink it there or put into a small plastic bag. Cost is $0.20.
It felt so good in the hot weather!

Korean drama is popular everywhere in Asia, even Myanmar!
The drama on the right "Rooftop Prince" is really good.
Just finished watching it actually before I got to Yangon. :)

Mobile communication is still very rare in Yangon.
This is a vendor that sells time on a telephone landline.
They are quite common in the city.

Sugarcane juice vendor.
It is more pricey than the regular drinks although it only costs $0.40 or so.
The addition of a lime really makes the drink come alive!
Better tasting than the ones in Singapore which cost around $1.00.

Yangon River and the ferry which could take you across.
The jetty is just across the road from the Strand hotel.
I did not get on it though.

There are stalls like this all over the city and I was not sure what they were selling.
Asked a hotel staff and turned out to be lottery tickets! :)

Yangon's Kandawgyi lake

It was a nice stroll to get away from downtown Yangon.

Had a nice 90 minute massage which cost $10 at Seri Beauty Salon.
Apparently run by a Korean and had loads of Japanese tourists when I was there.
So worth it. Going in the afternoon gets you a discount too.
They also have facials, haircuts and other beauty treatments.

This is Thanakha.
The bark of the tree is grounded up with water and applied to the face.

Yangon is definitely modernizing.
There are some modern shopping malls, like in any Asian country, with big name cosmetic brands and luxury goods. However, the general populace is still very poor and the infrastructure is in need of some improvement.
Hopefully, over time, the standards of living will get better for the Myanmar people.
They are a very warm and friendly people.

Yangon airport post-security shops and cafe.

Sign prohibiting import of remote controlled toys.
 I promise not to bring in any such devices. :)

Thank you Yangon!
See you again soon!