Myanmar 2013 : Day 1 in Yangon

Itinerary summary :

Day 1

Arrival at Yangon - Botataung - Shwe Dagon Temple

Day 2

Departure for Bagan - Explore nearby temples - Lacquerware Workshop tour - Sunset at Loka Nanda - Dinner at Si Thu Restaurant

Day 3

Horsecart tour around Bagan temples - Soe Min Gyi - Myin Kaba Village - Ananda Temple - Star Beam Bistro - That Bin Nyu Temple - Htilominlo Temple - Shwe Zigon Paya - Kyan Sit Thar Umin (Temple Cave) - Sulamani Temple - Dhamma Yangyi Temple - LakaouShaung

Day 4

Departure for Heho - Visit local villages

Day 5

Boat tour at Lake Inle

Day 6

Departure back to Yangon

Our year end trip was a visit to the golden land of Myanmar. We managed to get our tickets at a bargain during AirAsia's Big Sale back in January and the cost to get to Yangon was actually cheaper than the domestic flights that we took there. Our flight from KL-Yangon costs approx MYR 180 per pax.

Our initial flight time to Myanmar from Kuala Lumpur was changed from late afternoon to early morning. As such, we have half a day to spare in Yangon to tour around.

This is the helicopter view as we were about to land in Yangon. I think we were still about 30 minutes away.

We were met by our pick-up guy which we hired through the hotel and from there, we experienced our first ride to Yangon downtown. On our way, we passed by the local wet market where we saw people selling chickens (still alive) tied to their bicycles.

The pick up truck would be the most common and affordable transport for the locals. It costs approx 500 kyats per rider and as you can see, it's usually sardine-packed. You can hail one down at any time provided you know the route well.

We also passed by one of the many offices for National League for Democracy. If you don't know what it is, I'm sure the poster face is something you'll recognise instantly. Yeap, it's Aung San Suu Kyi's party.

This is one of the quieter street in Yangon. We walked nearby the hotel to grab a quick lunch before walking around for a short tour. Our hotel receptionist told us that we can have a taste of Burmese food at this restaurant called Lucky Seven just about 5 minutes away.

Oh and before I forget, we stayed at Myanmar Eastern Hotel. It costs about USD55 per night and it's probably equivalent to a 2-star hotel. Not much to expect from but it's decent and clean enough for a short stay.

This is the menu at Lucky Seven. One of the interesting beverages served includes Diabetes!

Our lunch was fairly simple. Burmese food seems to be very meaty actually. The descriptions will be clockwise starting from the biggest photo. We tried mohinga, which is made of rice noodle and fish soup as well as their version of laksa (forgot to take a picture). The other stuff we tried includes chick-pea rice with fried chicken (which is the vertical photo at bottom left) and chicken sausage rice (which is similar to Chinese lap cheong). The Burmese loves their tea so you'll be served with their green tea at almost every meal.

There were some little houses that were used as decorations around the restaurants. They were hidden between the many plants that were around.

After lunch, we made our way to Botataung, which is one of the temples in the city. It was approx 20 minutes walk from our hotel. The weather was pretty hot and Yangon was a little dusty so it might be a good idea to bring along a face mask if you do not have a good respiratory system. There were many bananas outside the temple complex which is quite a rare sight for us because we usually see them in small combs.

As Myanmar begins to open up, you'll realise that there are more booths set up to collect entrance fees from visitors. Typically, the fees are different between foreigners and locals. Also, you're not allowed to wear any footwear in the temple complex. It'll be a good idea to have a plastic bag ever ready to put your footwear or alternatively, you can leave them outside the complex if you're comfortable to do so.

I noticed some devotees bought the little birds from a vendor just outside the complex. They're in the green cage above. I saw them paying for it and letting the little birds go, similar with the Buddhist practices. I had to take this picture from afar because another vendor refrained me from taking any pictures earlier on.

This is the inside of the temple. The two sides are the stories of how the hair relic of Buddha was brought to this place. Somehow we got lost in translation and don't really know the sequence of the pictures.

The interior of the temple was built like a maze but it's actually a circle. You can walk in a zig-zag circle from one end to another. The picture above shows the interior which is in gold and a picture of the devotees worshipping the hair relic of the Buddha which is in the glass panel in front of them.

The exterior of the temple complex are also in gold with pagoda and umbrellas. It was actually drizzling when we were there but some of the devotees were still worshipping despite the weather.

There are a lot of statues that are seated on a cobra and the murals that is in the second picture is actually a 3D mural. It's not just a painting. the 3rd picture is the photo of the pagoda and the 4th picture is a boat on the other side of the pond in the temple complex.

 

At every pagoda, another common sight is a huge bell which devotees will come and ring after the prayers. It works more like a gong, really. There is also a big tablet with inscription in Burmese language. Unfortunately, at Botataung, someone decides to vandalise the big bell. You can see some marks at the bottom left photo.

We saw these little tree houses hanging on the tree before our departure. I find them so adorable.

After Botataung, we took a cab ride which costs around 2000 kyats to get us to Shwe Dagon Temple. One thing that I noticed is that the Burmese are generally very friendly and honest. They did not try to rip us off despite knowing that we're foreigners. Saves us a lot of time from bargaining!

Shwe Dagon is a more touristy site. There is a special entrance just for the foreigners, equipped with lifts! We entered through the common entrance for the locals. There are altogether 4 entrances - north, south, east and west - and two of it are lined with souvenir shops.

Owls are apparently the lucky bird in this country. It is also the mascot for the upcoming 27th SEA Games which will be hosted by Myanmar. There are also the old school irons which you can open up and put in the hot charcoal. You'll also notice mural along the way near the beams, which are again in 3D.

Because this temple is so touristy, there are many tour guides who are trying to sell their service to you. This lady was trying to get us to hire her so that she can explain about every nook and corner around the temple but we declined the offer. I asked for her permission to take a picture of her because I noticed most people in Myanmar put those patches on their faces. So I asked her about it.

She said that the patches are made of this thing called Tanaka bark. It serves as a sun shield so it is no wonder many people put it all over their faces, especially on the cheeks.

We also saw many little monks. I'm not sure if they're on training at this monastery or if they're just there to ask for alms.

Again, this poor tree was vandalised by tourists and locals alike. Some used it to confess their love and others use it to make their arrival at this temple.

This uncle must have just finished his prayer when he came out to ring the bell 3 times. He was looking at me suspiciously when I was zooming in to take take his photo.

There were definitely more people worshipping at this temple. They even set up canopies for the worshippers who worship in the open air because the weather is really too hot.

There are many binoculars installed around the complex for people to have a look at the vane and the umbrella crown. I happened to spot these 2 cute little boys trying to peer through the binoculars to have a view of the diamond bud.

We went to the local market thereafter and next to it is Parkson. On the ground floor, a familiar sight greeted us - Ya Kun Family Cafe. It seems to attract quite a few tourists.

Outside Parkson, there are some vendors selling fresh produce and crickets. We stayed around for a little while before heading to Chinatown for a quick dinner and get tucked in for the night.

Stay tuned for more adventures in Myanmar!