Friday 3 January 2020

"Mingalaba" Myanmar - Part III | Yangon Day 2

After much deliberation regarding the availability of a taxi at that early hour and my reluctance to leave the bed, I dropped the plan of visiting Shwedagon pagoda for sunrise. It was still to be an early start as I was leaving for Nyaung Shwe in the evening and due to the traffic scenario, I was advised to leave for the bus station early. I had to make the most out of my day.
"Mingalaba" Myanmar - Part I | The Arrival
"Mingalaba" Myanmar - Part II | Yangon Day 1

At 7am I was at the breakfast table. Today it was a standard breakfast of toast and butter much to my disappointment. As I was finishing my coffee I was joined at the table by John, a traveller from UK who has been living in the Middle East and frequently travels to South East Asia. He was travelling down Myanmar and had arrived from Mandalay a couple of nights earlier. Turned out, he was on the previous train to mine yesterday, riding the Yangon Circular Railway. He was heading to Shwedagon as well after breakfast.

I hailed down one of the passing taxis. It was a short ride. As the taxi was still approaching the southern gate, the 100m tall gold plated pagoda was towering in front of me, its gold gleaming in the sun. Located on a small hill, the pagoda is visible from a fair distance around Yangon.

Shwedagon pagoda
First view of Shwedagon pagoda
Shwedagon pagoda

International visitors have to pay a fee of 10,000 kyat to enter the pagoda. Shoes are to be left behind like all places for which a wet tissue is also handed over with the receipt, along with a bottle of water. There are four entrances to the pagoda, from where sets of stairs lead up to the hill. However I was led to the elevator as soon as I entered, which made it an easy ascent. I stepped into a world of splendour and spirituality. While Shwegadon is considered as the most sacred Buddhist pagoda in Myanmar, it is also a display of opulence and grandeur. The plinth of the pagoda is formed of gold plated bricks as gold leaves plate the exteriors. The pagoda is embellished with thousands of diamonds and rubies and is topped by a 76 carat diamond adorning the crown.

Shwedagon pagoda
Shwedagon glittering in the sun
Soon after I had entered and was orienting myself with the map, I bumped into John. He was now wearing a longyi which he rented at the gates. The dress code in the pagoda is strict for both men and women and he was not allowed in shorts. After some banter, his first question to me was, what did I feel about the pagoda, especially pointing to its display of wealth. He was unable to appreciate how a place built in remembrance of someone who abandoned all his earthly pleasures could be built on such riches. It was true. I felt the place had an uncanny resemblance to the Grand Palace in Bangkok, a seat of royalty and luxury. However, I also felt that it was the grandness of the place that instilled a sense of pride among its devotees. But finally, it was a good place for taking photos, I joked, which I did for the next couple of hours.

Shwedagon pagoda
South entrance Bodhi tree

Shwedagon pagoda
Temples around the pagoda
Shwedagon pagoda
Lying Buddha in one of the temples

Shwedagon pagoda
Students at the pagoda

Shwedagon pagoda
A devotee does a circumambulation at the pagoda

Shwedagon pagoda
Buddha statues 

Shwedagon pagoda
Nuns at the pagoda

Shwedagon pagoda
The sun was bright, so had to be innovative

Shwedagon pagoda
Visitors against a gold background

Shwedagon pagoda
Peace amidst the chaos. I was amazed by his concentration.

Shwedagon pagoda
Its a picturesque place
It was about ten when I left the pagoda. The sun was already scorching. I found a taxi right at the gates and asked him to drop me at the Bogyoke Aung San market. The traffic was slow and I felt I could be quicker walking. The taxi driver spoke exceptionally good English and was telling me how the roads in Yangon were so inadequate for the traffic that plied. There are not enough flyovers he complained. He also filled me in about the market I was visiting. Named after Major General Aung San, the father of Aung San Suu Kyi, the market is a treasure trove of souvenirs, both cheap and expensive. Even if one is not on a shopping spree, it is a fascinating place to visit, just to see the variety of items on sale.

Bogyoke Aung San market

As I got off the taxi and was getting my bearing, I bumped into John again. After seeing him in the longyi earlier, he looked different in his shorts. By now he was convinced that I was stalking him. He had made some purchases for home and was on his way back to the hotel for a shower. It was half ten and the heat was stifling. I strolled through the market looking at the items on sale, local handicrafts of wood carvings, wooden dolls, amber and jades, traditional clothing, bamboo items and many more. I bought a couple of jade items from a shop which seemed reasonably priced and I didn't have to haggle thankfully. The place was massive and it was all I could do in my short visit.

Bogyoke Aung San market
The market
Bogyoke Aung San market
Amber jewellery

Bogyoke Aung San market
Wooden masks

Bogyoke Aung San market
Souvenirs in the market 

Bogyoke Aung San market
Wood carvings of Chinese and Hindu figures

Bogyoke Aung San market
Walking through the market. The woman in the centre turned away from my camera much to the amusement of her friends

Bogyoke Aung San market
Accessories on sale in every shop

Bogyoke Aung San market
Wooden dolls

Bogyoke Aung San market
Monks made of wood

Bogyoke Aung San market
Wooden dolls
On my way back to the hotel, I stopped for lunch at the 999 Shan Noodle shop again, this time trying a different dish from yesterday. The owner chatted and joked, it is such a relaxing place to be.

Fried noodles at Shan 999 noodle shop

Back at the hotel I rested a bit, then packed, showered and freshened up. My next destination was Nyaung Shwe, by Lake Inle. I was taking the overnight bus with Joyous Journey Express, or simply put, J J Express who are highly recommended on all travel sites for their safety. Myanmar roads aren't the best, hence for a comfortable ride, the company needs to be evaluated as all buses aren't the same. I had booked a seat online and despite paying a transaction fee, at USD19.76, it was a few dollars cheaper than the price quoted by my hotel. The bus would be leaving from Aung Mingalar bus station. Located on the highway close to the airport, this is where all buses to northern Myanmar leave from. My bus was at 6pm, but I was warned about the traffic. So despite being a 45 mins journey, I was advised to leave early. I couldn't thank my landlady enough for all her help during my stay. She is a wonderful lady and definitely the reason the tiny hotel is rated so highly by every visitor. She hugged me and after reminding me again to be careful on my solo travel, bid me farewell. By 2pm, I was on my way.

With the lady of the house
A mini bus shuttle service runs between Sule and Aung Mingalar bus station which costs about 5000 kyat, while a taxi service costs around 10,000 kyat. However, I had decided to take the local bus service, the number 36 which leaves from near the City Hall. All signage and notifications are in Burmese, apart from the number, so had to take the help of the locals. As a bus approached and a large crowd rushed to board it, one of the guys I was talking to earlier signalled me not to board the bus. All he said was 'not going' and I managed to figure out through his hand signals and broken English that I had to take the next one.

Another 15 mins wait and I saw a number 36 approaching and like clockwork a massive crowd appeared and rushed to board. There was no queue and it was a miracle I managed to even board with my backpack. Deposited 200 kyat in the box as I was passing the driver, a very young boy barely looking like he had reached the age eligible for driving. I asked 'Aung Mingalar' and he nodded his head. The bus was very crowded and needless to say, I wasn't fast enough to get a seat. Though after a while, despite my vehement refusal, a young boy travelling with his very young and giggling girlfriend gave up his seat to me. The traffic wasn't too bad this time of the day and I reached in about an hour.

The bus station was right on the highway and busy with vehicles and activities. It was chaotic. This was my experience as I posted on my page while seated at the waiting room of J J Express.



I stopped for a light meal at the local KFC. Dining at one of these multinational franchises in each country is quite a fascinating experience. The menu can be quite interesting, and the flavours different. I was somewhat disappointed though with the presentation as the display showed the meal served in bamboo baskets and banana leaves, but my chicken and rice was laid out on a white paper lining a red tray and a plastic basket.

KFC served with a very Asian flavoured lime sauce and rice
Amidst all the chaos, everyone boarded the bus at 5:30pm. It was mostly tourists by the looks of it.  By then, loud music blaring on the loudspeakers had added to the pandemonium. However, once in the bus, it was a different story. I had booked the first class bus, which had seats arranged in 1x2 configuration. There is a hostess service and we were provided with a snack box too. The seats were plush, reclining almost all the way back and with foot rests.
I had not anticipated sleeping on the bus at all, but now it felt doable and I was looking forward to the journey. It was 12 hours to Nyaung Shwe.

J J Express bus, clicked in the darkness during the night halt
Yangon had been fascinating.
While it's true I had been overwhelmed by the city on arrival, I had also gradually warmed up to its chaos and had started to appreciate the spirit of this old city.

For more photos from my Yangon visit, take a look at my page on Facebook: Breaking out Solo

Signage in the toilet somewhere in Yangon

No comments:

Post a Comment

A blog is not a blog without comments. So, please do leave your thoughts...thank you! :-)