4 Nights/3 Days in Yangon/Rangoon, Myanmar/Burma
January 6, 2014: Getting there, Iron your Dollars!
This was a day largely spent in airports--and lugging around two carryons due to the broken Laotian suitcase handle. As AlteCocker thinks she mentioned, she never should have booked her flights to Yangon on Air Asia, but who knew there was a nonstop on Golden Myanmar from Chiang Mai. There are tons of of airlines in Asia that seem not to have websites--and they change all the time. Some fly unique routes. Anyhow, AlteCocker booked going through Bangkok, so going through Bangkok was the way she had to go. That meant a lot of hanging around.
Checking out of Hillside 3, my throwing around of tips to the staff got an employee who helped me with the bags and hustled a songthaew for only 100 baht--less than it would have been if AlteCocker had been the hustler. The guy also helped me take the large bag down to the curb. So, sometimes, playing nice pays off. AlteCocker did SMS the realtor to let her know that she had not paid the second electric bill and to take it out of the security. The security deposit is more than ample to cover the electric bill. AlteCocker got a huffy SMS in return. No sense paying for a one week old electric bill when security will more than cover it. It is not as if AlteCocker were cheating the realtor out of a single baht. Gee!
Getting to Yangon was the easy part. Traffic here was just as bad as it was portrayed. AlteCocker's prearranged guide service met her at the exit from Customs and Immigration. No problem getting into the country. Myanmar/Burma is one half hour earlier than Thailand. Why a half hour? Who the hell knows?
The guide service AlteCocker is using for Yangon is Wayfarer Myanmar. This is a small guide service run by Myo Pyi Sone, who can be contacted at [email protected] or [email protected]. The website is currently being updated. AlteCocker found this guide service via a card handed to her by someone in the Chiang Mai Airport. She can't remember whether it was in connection with her Siem Reap side trip or her Phuket one.
The ride to the hotel was very interesting. The buses are absolutely jammed and the songthaews have people hanging out of the sides. AlteCocker was told later that the songthaew type vehicles in Myanmar are run by businesses to transport only their workers, by the way. Almost everyone wears traditional clothing. Really a different atmosphere. AlteCocker is seeing Myanmar before it becomes just another place.
As we got closer to downtown, it was obvious that the usual overpriced stores and shopping mall transformation has begun--not necessarily a good sign. The hotel is the Clover City Center Plus booked through booking.com. It is on a side street that is part of an active business district at night. It appears to be a Muslim area and reminded AlteCocker a bit of Istanbul. But first let us deal with paying at the hotel. As is common with hotels in SE Asia, pay with a credit card and they charge you a surcharge--so the price you are quoted by booking.com is only the price if you pay cash. OK, AlteCocker knows the ropes and brought dollars to pay in cash. Guess what? They examine each dollar bill and reject any that has any sort of mark or has been folded in your wallet. My bills were pristine, but half of them--including a $100 bill got rejected for insane reasons--mind you all the money was either from the US, obtained from an ATM in Siem Reap or from a bank in Chiang Mai (where the bank examined each bill). AlteCocker was absolutely fed up with the dollar examination shit and finally told them she'd use her VISA, but they were not charging her a 3% surcharge. One wonders if VISA knows the games merchants play here. They have a big VISA sign on the desk, but, try and use your card and they then talk about charging more. AlteCocker told the dollar examiners that they could take her dollars as is or take her VISA--without the surcharge. AlteCocker told them that, if she was billed more than the $378 agreed to on booking.com, she would take it up with booking.com and her credit card company. They then quoted me an exchange rate that was shaved a bit saying it was "their" exchange rate. AlteCocker finally accepted it because she was sick of the dollar examiners and wanted to end the great payment debate. She was informed by some other Americans at the hotel that the routine was standard operating procedure in Burma. They said something about Eastern Europe. AlteCocker told them she had been to Eastern Europe--and even to Belarus--and had never run into the dollar examination routine. In fact, in Belarus, the dollar is legal currency and Belarussians routinely exchange Belarussian currency to dollars as an inflation hedge. AlteCocker supposes the Burmese were looking for counterfeit money, but have no clue what they are doing, so they reject any bill that has been the least bit folded or maybe has a mark from a pen on it. Totally nuts, but what are you going to do? Iron your bills?
After finally agreeing on a method to pay, AlteCocker headed out to check out some shops with suitcases. They seemed disinclined to bargain at all. She finally solved her suitcase crisis by buying one for $22. It will enable her to condense her packing and make the final schlepping a bit easier. She will, however, have to, sigh, pay for a second bag on Air Asia, but what are you going to do?
She skipped dinner and went up to the room to do the blog.
Checking out of Hillside 3, my throwing around of tips to the staff got an employee who helped me with the bags and hustled a songthaew for only 100 baht--less than it would have been if AlteCocker had been the hustler. The guy also helped me take the large bag down to the curb. So, sometimes, playing nice pays off. AlteCocker did SMS the realtor to let her know that she had not paid the second electric bill and to take it out of the security. The security deposit is more than ample to cover the electric bill. AlteCocker got a huffy SMS in return. No sense paying for a one week old electric bill when security will more than cover it. It is not as if AlteCocker were cheating the realtor out of a single baht. Gee!
Getting to Yangon was the easy part. Traffic here was just as bad as it was portrayed. AlteCocker's prearranged guide service met her at the exit from Customs and Immigration. No problem getting into the country. Myanmar/Burma is one half hour earlier than Thailand. Why a half hour? Who the hell knows?
The guide service AlteCocker is using for Yangon is Wayfarer Myanmar. This is a small guide service run by Myo Pyi Sone, who can be contacted at [email protected] or [email protected]. The website is currently being updated. AlteCocker found this guide service via a card handed to her by someone in the Chiang Mai Airport. She can't remember whether it was in connection with her Siem Reap side trip or her Phuket one.
The ride to the hotel was very interesting. The buses are absolutely jammed and the songthaews have people hanging out of the sides. AlteCocker was told later that the songthaew type vehicles in Myanmar are run by businesses to transport only their workers, by the way. Almost everyone wears traditional clothing. Really a different atmosphere. AlteCocker is seeing Myanmar before it becomes just another place.
As we got closer to downtown, it was obvious that the usual overpriced stores and shopping mall transformation has begun--not necessarily a good sign. The hotel is the Clover City Center Plus booked through booking.com. It is on a side street that is part of an active business district at night. It appears to be a Muslim area and reminded AlteCocker a bit of Istanbul. But first let us deal with paying at the hotel. As is common with hotels in SE Asia, pay with a credit card and they charge you a surcharge--so the price you are quoted by booking.com is only the price if you pay cash. OK, AlteCocker knows the ropes and brought dollars to pay in cash. Guess what? They examine each dollar bill and reject any that has any sort of mark or has been folded in your wallet. My bills were pristine, but half of them--including a $100 bill got rejected for insane reasons--mind you all the money was either from the US, obtained from an ATM in Siem Reap or from a bank in Chiang Mai (where the bank examined each bill). AlteCocker was absolutely fed up with the dollar examination shit and finally told them she'd use her VISA, but they were not charging her a 3% surcharge. One wonders if VISA knows the games merchants play here. They have a big VISA sign on the desk, but, try and use your card and they then talk about charging more. AlteCocker told the dollar examiners that they could take her dollars as is or take her VISA--without the surcharge. AlteCocker told them that, if she was billed more than the $378 agreed to on booking.com, she would take it up with booking.com and her credit card company. They then quoted me an exchange rate that was shaved a bit saying it was "their" exchange rate. AlteCocker finally accepted it because she was sick of the dollar examiners and wanted to end the great payment debate. She was informed by some other Americans at the hotel that the routine was standard operating procedure in Burma. They said something about Eastern Europe. AlteCocker told them she had been to Eastern Europe--and even to Belarus--and had never run into the dollar examination routine. In fact, in Belarus, the dollar is legal currency and Belarussians routinely exchange Belarussian currency to dollars as an inflation hedge. AlteCocker supposes the Burmese were looking for counterfeit money, but have no clue what they are doing, so they reject any bill that has been the least bit folded or maybe has a mark from a pen on it. Totally nuts, but what are you going to do? Iron your bills?
After finally agreeing on a method to pay, AlteCocker headed out to check out some shops with suitcases. They seemed disinclined to bargain at all. She finally solved her suitcase crisis by buying one for $22. It will enable her to condense her packing and make the final schlepping a bit easier. She will, however, have to, sigh, pay for a second bag on Air Asia, but what are you going to do?
She skipped dinner and went up to the room to do the blog.
January 7, 2015: Synagogue, National Museum
AlteCocker was up early because an infection on the fourth toe on her right foot kept her up. Can't tell whether it is an infection or a blister but it was painful all night. Not fun. She got up and explored her street before the guide arrived. People on upper floors often send down a bag to vendors with money. The vendor puts merchandise in the bag and the people haul it up. When buildings have many floors and no elevators, it helps to do things that way.
One thing AlteCocker observed were boys posing as novices hustling money. AlteCocker was tipped off that the boys are just beggars who dress as monks to hustle tourists. A Burmese man told me they can tell a real monk from a beggar just by looking at them. Maybe they can, but AlteCocker can't. Real monks do not hustle money. They appear on the street very early in the morning--generally going a certain route where they know they will be welcome. It is considered a blessing to provide the monks with sustanence. The boys in the monks' clothing are just beggars. Real monks would never show you a begging bowl and suggest you give them money.
Because of her inflamed toe, AlteCocker started out the day tired. She only lasted with the guide until about 2:00pm. At some point you just say "enough" for one day. The plan is to do things differently tomorrow--taking a break after lunch and then resuming when it gets cooler.
We started out trying to go to the only remaining synagogue in Yangon. Our first attempt was not successful as the caretaker was late opening it. He had throat cancer several years ago and had his voice box removed. After hanging around for a bit without success, we moved on to the Scotts Market. It is on a street named after General Aung San--the father of Aung San Sui Kyi and is also called the Bogyoke Market. The market is the usual thing with everything from valuable jewelry to food. The guide told me that there are cheaper markets in the neighborhoods. No surprise there and AlteCocker is shopped out--even though with the purchase of the new suitcase she now has room for more. It just has ceased to be interesting.
After the market, we went back to the synagogue and it was open! AlteCocker was a happy camper. It was very beautiful inside with an old Torah. There are so few Jews in Yangon that the synagogue is mostly a tourist attraction and they have a lot of trouble getting the required 10 men together to have a service. It is Orthodox. AlteCocker met the caretaker, Moses Samuels and his son, Sammy. Sammy now lives in New York and has a travel agency specializing in SE Asia/travel for Jewish people. First time AlteCocker had her photo taken with a Jewish man in a longyi--Burmese traditional man's dress! She does find it amusing that tourists buy those things. When, pray tell, will you wear that sort of clothing at home? It won't "fit" there.
After the successful visit to the synagogue we drove around Central Yangon very slowly because the traffic is terrible. The guide pointed out some of the buildings left from the British. Sadly some beautiful buildings have been torn down. That happens everywhere. The guide was very knowlegeable about architecture.
Lunch was at Feel Myanmar Food. AlteCocker had some sort of tempura like food dipped in a sweet and sour sauce. Before the main food arrived, we had some vegetables that you dip in what the guide described as "fish paste". It had an unusual taste. It is one of those things you taste and then don't really like it--at least in AlteCocker's instance. Give her credit for tasting. The guide ordered a very interesting dessert with a sauce made from sap from a tree--sort of like maple syrup. In the sauce was a type of rice and then some coconut--another unusual taste but not bad.
We then went to the National Museum. The most important object in the museum is the throne of the last king of Burma, Thibaw. Actually there were a series of thrones--each with a particular use--but only one remains. It is massive and the king entered from the rear and sat on the floor of the platform. The throne is not a chair but a platform. The museum also contains models of buildings that have been torn down and ceremonial clothing that must have very uncomfortable to wear. There were ethanographic sections showing the costumes of all of Burma's over 100 ethnic groups--many with their own language. Now that military rule is ending in Burma ethic tensions have reemerged. Burma is about 80% Buddhist. The largest religious minority is Muslim and there is now fighting in the provinces between Buddhists and Muslims. The Museum could have used more time, but AlteCocker's attention span had waned and it was time for a nap and to elevate her foot, so it was back to the hotel.
Dinner was at Titu's Indian Banana Leaf Restaurant just a couple of doors down from the hotel. It was not bad at all. AlteCocker had prawn (shrimp) masala. There were only two prawns but they were huge--and in the shell in the middle of the tomato sauche. The people running the restaurant were obviously Hindu--another opportunity for religious tension. Many of the Hindus in Yangon have Bangladeshi origins. Many came in during the time of the British. There are resentments. For dessert AlteCocker tried carrot halwa. It bore no relationship to the halava AlteCocker's maternal grandfather used to eat. AlteCocker ordered it simply because the name was so close to halava to see what it was. It was another new taste for her.
One thing AlteCocker observed were boys posing as novices hustling money. AlteCocker was tipped off that the boys are just beggars who dress as monks to hustle tourists. A Burmese man told me they can tell a real monk from a beggar just by looking at them. Maybe they can, but AlteCocker can't. Real monks do not hustle money. They appear on the street very early in the morning--generally going a certain route where they know they will be welcome. It is considered a blessing to provide the monks with sustanence. The boys in the monks' clothing are just beggars. Real monks would never show you a begging bowl and suggest you give them money.
Because of her inflamed toe, AlteCocker started out the day tired. She only lasted with the guide until about 2:00pm. At some point you just say "enough" for one day. The plan is to do things differently tomorrow--taking a break after lunch and then resuming when it gets cooler.
We started out trying to go to the only remaining synagogue in Yangon. Our first attempt was not successful as the caretaker was late opening it. He had throat cancer several years ago and had his voice box removed. After hanging around for a bit without success, we moved on to the Scotts Market. It is on a street named after General Aung San--the father of Aung San Sui Kyi and is also called the Bogyoke Market. The market is the usual thing with everything from valuable jewelry to food. The guide told me that there are cheaper markets in the neighborhoods. No surprise there and AlteCocker is shopped out--even though with the purchase of the new suitcase she now has room for more. It just has ceased to be interesting.
After the market, we went back to the synagogue and it was open! AlteCocker was a happy camper. It was very beautiful inside with an old Torah. There are so few Jews in Yangon that the synagogue is mostly a tourist attraction and they have a lot of trouble getting the required 10 men together to have a service. It is Orthodox. AlteCocker met the caretaker, Moses Samuels and his son, Sammy. Sammy now lives in New York and has a travel agency specializing in SE Asia/travel for Jewish people. First time AlteCocker had her photo taken with a Jewish man in a longyi--Burmese traditional man's dress! She does find it amusing that tourists buy those things. When, pray tell, will you wear that sort of clothing at home? It won't "fit" there.
After the successful visit to the synagogue we drove around Central Yangon very slowly because the traffic is terrible. The guide pointed out some of the buildings left from the British. Sadly some beautiful buildings have been torn down. That happens everywhere. The guide was very knowlegeable about architecture.
Lunch was at Feel Myanmar Food. AlteCocker had some sort of tempura like food dipped in a sweet and sour sauce. Before the main food arrived, we had some vegetables that you dip in what the guide described as "fish paste". It had an unusual taste. It is one of those things you taste and then don't really like it--at least in AlteCocker's instance. Give her credit for tasting. The guide ordered a very interesting dessert with a sauce made from sap from a tree--sort of like maple syrup. In the sauce was a type of rice and then some coconut--another unusual taste but not bad.
We then went to the National Museum. The most important object in the museum is the throne of the last king of Burma, Thibaw. Actually there were a series of thrones--each with a particular use--but only one remains. It is massive and the king entered from the rear and sat on the floor of the platform. The throne is not a chair but a platform. The museum also contains models of buildings that have been torn down and ceremonial clothing that must have very uncomfortable to wear. There were ethanographic sections showing the costumes of all of Burma's over 100 ethnic groups--many with their own language. Now that military rule is ending in Burma ethic tensions have reemerged. Burma is about 80% Buddhist. The largest religious minority is Muslim and there is now fighting in the provinces between Buddhists and Muslims. The Museum could have used more time, but AlteCocker's attention span had waned and it was time for a nap and to elevate her foot, so it was back to the hotel.
Dinner was at Titu's Indian Banana Leaf Restaurant just a couple of doors down from the hotel. It was not bad at all. AlteCocker had prawn (shrimp) masala. There were only two prawns but they were huge--and in the shell in the middle of the tomato sauche. The people running the restaurant were obviously Hindu--another opportunity for religious tension. Many of the Hindus in Yangon have Bangladeshi origins. Many came in during the time of the British. There are resentments. For dessert AlteCocker tried carrot halwa. It bore no relationship to the halava AlteCocker's maternal grandfather used to eat. AlteCocker ordered it simply because the name was so close to halava to see what it was. It was another new taste for her.
January 8, 2015: Swedagon Pagoda
Today was the day for the premier site in Yangon: The Shwedagon Pagoda. The stupa in the pagoda is supposed to enshrine 8 hairs from the Buddha's head. Whether it does or it doesn't, AlteCocker does not know, but that does not take away from being a gorgeous place with gold leaf constantly being sent up to the top of the pagoda in tribute by visitors. To Western eyes, all the use of gold leaf on the pagoda--and the money spent elsewhere on Buddhist sites--looks like a bad use of money when people are starving, but one cannot argue with belief. As with all faiths, take them apart and they make no sense, but if you are a believer then everything makes sense. You choose. The pagoda is one of those things you have to see if you are in Yangon. It would have, however, been even more impressive if AlteCocker had not seen all those wats in Thailand first. AlteCocker spent a little over an hour there wandering around--and seeing all the subshrines dedicated to each day of the week. You have to take your shoes and socks off when you enter, but they give you a wet cloth to wash your feet when you exit. AlteCocker's badly injured toe, really appreciated walking around in bare feet, by the way. Lots of photos were taken. It's a huge site and requires a good chunk of time.
While exiting the pagoda, a very elderly monk passed by us. AlteCocker asked if she could take his photo and he agreed. Then he wanted to examine AlteCocker's nordic walking pole. She had only one left as one had been accidentally left elsewhere (AlteCocker's propensity to leave her walking poles hither and yon means she buys cheap walking poles!). AlteCocker simply gave the walking stick to him. It had always been her intention to leave it behind as it is difficult to collapse and pack. So, the elderly Buddhist monk got it. It seemed like the right thing to do. The guide joked that AlteCocker had gained merit for her act. Heck the monk must have been 80 (or he looked as if he was). He needed it more than AlteCocker did. AlteCocker mainly was using it do to her badly inflamed toe. The toe problem will go away. Old age won't.
After the pagoda, AlteCocker needed something to eat, as she had not had breakfast. The guide has been very good about knowing where to stop to get local food--and AlteCocker is an adventurous eater. How do you know that you do not like something if you do not try it first? We stopped at Family KTV where AlteCocker had some mildly spiced tasty soup and noodles and chicken in some sort of sauce that included coconut milk--a different sort of breakfast, but good tasting. It cost only $1.80--a bargain.
Then it was off to the Nawaday Art Gallery, where the daughter of one of the artists runs the gallery. It is small and the chief attraction was that the gallery is adjacent to the home of a former prime minister. AlteCocker ended up buying a small water color that cost $100. Better support a starving artist than buy some junky souvenirs. The painting had to be taken out of the frame to be rolled up for transport. AlteCocker will, alas, have to pay more than she paid for the painting to have it reframed, but such is life. When she returned to the hotel, she was able to roll the picture up and place it in the same tube with the small picture she bought in Siem Reap.
Our last stop before an afternoon break was at what is called Mahapasana Cave. It is a man made auditorium hollowed out of rock that reminded AlteCocker somewhat of a basketball stadium with bleachers. However, the ground floor is used for Buddhist examinations. While the candidates are examined, the bleachers are occupied by proctors to make certain no one cheats! The room is also used for Buddhist meetings called "synods". AlteCocker has no idea whether the significance is the same as it would be for church synods in the West. Sometimes the same word can be used in different cultures to mean different things.
After some down time in the afternoon by mutual agreement, AlteCocker was picked up and taken to the Karaweik Palace. This sort of floating restaurant on Yangon's Lake has one of those cultural evenings involving dance and a buffet meal. Having seen this sort of thing in both Chiang Mai and Siem Reap, AlteCocker was not immediately sold on the deal but there really was nothing else to do in Yangon in the evening. For Myanmar, this thing was a lot of money--about $32. As usual at these things, there was a lot of food--most mediocre. The dance ranged from pedestrian to some spectacular ones--including 2 guys in an elephant suit that did an amazing elephant dance. Another memorable number involved a marionnette dancing next to a person pretending to be a marionnette. AlteCocker took some videos, as taking stills was too difficult. At the end of the evening, AlteCocker was picked up for the drive to her hotel. If you go to this event, the real star is the building itself. It looks like a palace. The guide and driver took AlteCocker to a viewpoint to get the photos. The viewpoint area closed promptly at 6:00pm and the guide did some fast talking to get the policeman to open the gate just before it got closed. AlteCocker got some nice photos. Ah, the reason for the closure of the viewpoint at sundown? The guide said that people were caught doing "more than kissing" at the viewpoint after dark. With people packed into apartments in Yangon, AlteCocker supposes young lovers do not have a lot of opportunities to do what young lovers do. Perhaps the show has moved on to another park. AlteCocker did not ask.
The internet has proven at the hotel has proven to be even more frustrating than the WOW system in Thailand. It took her about 10 tries to get enough time online to send ONE email and complete the blog. Well, AlteCocker will not have to take this much longer. She will be home in 6 days! At this point, she will be glad to visit her own bed at least temporarily and rest her inflamed toe. Of course, after a few weeks at home, she will begin to think differently.
While exiting the pagoda, a very elderly monk passed by us. AlteCocker asked if she could take his photo and he agreed. Then he wanted to examine AlteCocker's nordic walking pole. She had only one left as one had been accidentally left elsewhere (AlteCocker's propensity to leave her walking poles hither and yon means she buys cheap walking poles!). AlteCocker simply gave the walking stick to him. It had always been her intention to leave it behind as it is difficult to collapse and pack. So, the elderly Buddhist monk got it. It seemed like the right thing to do. The guide joked that AlteCocker had gained merit for her act. Heck the monk must have been 80 (or he looked as if he was). He needed it more than AlteCocker did. AlteCocker mainly was using it do to her badly inflamed toe. The toe problem will go away. Old age won't.
After the pagoda, AlteCocker needed something to eat, as she had not had breakfast. The guide has been very good about knowing where to stop to get local food--and AlteCocker is an adventurous eater. How do you know that you do not like something if you do not try it first? We stopped at Family KTV where AlteCocker had some mildly spiced tasty soup and noodles and chicken in some sort of sauce that included coconut milk--a different sort of breakfast, but good tasting. It cost only $1.80--a bargain.
Then it was off to the Nawaday Art Gallery, where the daughter of one of the artists runs the gallery. It is small and the chief attraction was that the gallery is adjacent to the home of a former prime minister. AlteCocker ended up buying a small water color that cost $100. Better support a starving artist than buy some junky souvenirs. The painting had to be taken out of the frame to be rolled up for transport. AlteCocker will, alas, have to pay more than she paid for the painting to have it reframed, but such is life. When she returned to the hotel, she was able to roll the picture up and place it in the same tube with the small picture she bought in Siem Reap.
Our last stop before an afternoon break was at what is called Mahapasana Cave. It is a man made auditorium hollowed out of rock that reminded AlteCocker somewhat of a basketball stadium with bleachers. However, the ground floor is used for Buddhist examinations. While the candidates are examined, the bleachers are occupied by proctors to make certain no one cheats! The room is also used for Buddhist meetings called "synods". AlteCocker has no idea whether the significance is the same as it would be for church synods in the West. Sometimes the same word can be used in different cultures to mean different things.
After some down time in the afternoon by mutual agreement, AlteCocker was picked up and taken to the Karaweik Palace. This sort of floating restaurant on Yangon's Lake has one of those cultural evenings involving dance and a buffet meal. Having seen this sort of thing in both Chiang Mai and Siem Reap, AlteCocker was not immediately sold on the deal but there really was nothing else to do in Yangon in the evening. For Myanmar, this thing was a lot of money--about $32. As usual at these things, there was a lot of food--most mediocre. The dance ranged from pedestrian to some spectacular ones--including 2 guys in an elephant suit that did an amazing elephant dance. Another memorable number involved a marionnette dancing next to a person pretending to be a marionnette. AlteCocker took some videos, as taking stills was too difficult. At the end of the evening, AlteCocker was picked up for the drive to her hotel. If you go to this event, the real star is the building itself. It looks like a palace. The guide and driver took AlteCocker to a viewpoint to get the photos. The viewpoint area closed promptly at 6:00pm and the guide did some fast talking to get the policeman to open the gate just before it got closed. AlteCocker got some nice photos. Ah, the reason for the closure of the viewpoint at sundown? The guide said that people were caught doing "more than kissing" at the viewpoint after dark. With people packed into apartments in Yangon, AlteCocker supposes young lovers do not have a lot of opportunities to do what young lovers do. Perhaps the show has moved on to another park. AlteCocker did not ask.
The internet has proven at the hotel has proven to be even more frustrating than the WOW system in Thailand. It took her about 10 tries to get enough time online to send ONE email and complete the blog. Well, AlteCocker will not have to take this much longer. She will be home in 6 days! At this point, she will be glad to visit her own bed at least temporarily and rest her inflamed toe. Of course, after a few weeks at home, she will begin to think differently.
January 9, 2015: Too Much Shopping
This has been a day of record shopping. AlteCocker began the day with a trip to Aung San Suu Kyi's house. To get a photo you have to look through the a crack where the fence is on a hinge. AlteCocker had a prime opportunity for a better photo when the postman came and the door was open. No dice. AlteCocker wasn't fast enough. Grr! The caretaker closed the gate right in my face. Now AlteCocker did not expect to get in the house as Suu Kyi lives there when she is in town (she wasn't). You would think they would have been a bit nicer. It is the central headquarters of the National League for Democracy whee Suu Kyi was held incommunicado by Myanmar's military regime from 1989 to 2010. Apparently they don't want photos. One would think with Suu Kyi's fame they would be a bit more liberal. So, AlteCocker got one photo through the crack. That was it. There is really nothing to see.
Then it was off to Trish Gallery. This gallery had an exhibition of the work of Mon Thet. This artist was the father of the woman who ran the Nawaday Art Gallery visited on January 8th. As previously mentioned, AlteCocker bought a watercolor there. The woman mentioned that her father had some oil paintings at the Trish Gallery on a special exhibition that were only $150. AlteCocker liked what she saw and bought a painting of Yangon. The woman who runs the Trish Gallery, Patricia Pun, took the painting out of its large frame for AlteCocker and put it in a box for ease of suitcase schlepping. First large purchase.
AlteCocker then moved on to do more damage at Augustines' Souvenir Shop. This is antiques, not a souvenir shop of the t-shirt variety. The place looks like a junk shop from the outside. It is not a junk shop. AlteCocker is no connosieur of antiques--or paintings for that matter. She walked around and then she spotted marionnettes. If you are an avid reader of this blog, you know AlteCocker is nuts about puppets (see Chiang Mai blog for December). Hoo boy! AlteCocker spent $150 for a marionnette of Garuda (the very ugly mount of Vishnu in Hindu mythology). The damn thing is huge. It did fit in the suitcase AlteCocker bought 2 days ago but the suitcase is now packed as tightly as the other one. Lord help her if she buys a toothpick in Bangkok. Maybe there's a Post Office near the hotel. Another box to be shipped? Oh no. AlteCocker badly needs to stop shopping and go home.
After the unexpected major shopping, AlteCocker went to the house of General Aung San. He is Aung San Suu Kyi's father. He was assassinated when she was a small child. Suu Kyi had two brothers. One leads a normal life. The other drowned in the pool adjacent to the house, which AlteCocker found very sad. Because of General Aung San's role in Burmese independence he was regarded as a hero. During military rule, mention of him was largely suppressed in the media.
After a break for rest, futile attempts at catching the blog up and figuring out the packing (and over packing), AlteCocker was picked up for a sunset cruise on the Yangon River. This meant another, yikes, buffet meal. The cruise she took advertises "fantastic toilets" (see the website link in the previous sentence). AlteCocker did not bother to check them out. The buffet was not as enormous as the one on the previous evening, but was very good complete with large shrimp--which the Burmese call "prawns". Shrimp/prawns--whatever they are, they were very good. AlteCocker got a few photos of the sunset and relaxed. Lots of locals were on the cruise--which should be a good recommendation if you decide to go. Basically the cruise goes up and down the river. AlteCocker cannot say that the views were all that stunning, but it is always nice to see a city from its river.
Pick up tomorrow is at 9:45am for her 1:00pm flight to Bangkok. The trip blog will continue here after which she will go HOME!
Then it was off to Trish Gallery. This gallery had an exhibition of the work of Mon Thet. This artist was the father of the woman who ran the Nawaday Art Gallery visited on January 8th. As previously mentioned, AlteCocker bought a watercolor there. The woman mentioned that her father had some oil paintings at the Trish Gallery on a special exhibition that were only $150. AlteCocker liked what she saw and bought a painting of Yangon. The woman who runs the Trish Gallery, Patricia Pun, took the painting out of its large frame for AlteCocker and put it in a box for ease of suitcase schlepping. First large purchase.
AlteCocker then moved on to do more damage at Augustines' Souvenir Shop. This is antiques, not a souvenir shop of the t-shirt variety. The place looks like a junk shop from the outside. It is not a junk shop. AlteCocker is no connosieur of antiques--or paintings for that matter. She walked around and then she spotted marionnettes. If you are an avid reader of this blog, you know AlteCocker is nuts about puppets (see Chiang Mai blog for December). Hoo boy! AlteCocker spent $150 for a marionnette of Garuda (the very ugly mount of Vishnu in Hindu mythology). The damn thing is huge. It did fit in the suitcase AlteCocker bought 2 days ago but the suitcase is now packed as tightly as the other one. Lord help her if she buys a toothpick in Bangkok. Maybe there's a Post Office near the hotel. Another box to be shipped? Oh no. AlteCocker badly needs to stop shopping and go home.
After the unexpected major shopping, AlteCocker went to the house of General Aung San. He is Aung San Suu Kyi's father. He was assassinated when she was a small child. Suu Kyi had two brothers. One leads a normal life. The other drowned in the pool adjacent to the house, which AlteCocker found very sad. Because of General Aung San's role in Burmese independence he was regarded as a hero. During military rule, mention of him was largely suppressed in the media.
After a break for rest, futile attempts at catching the blog up and figuring out the packing (and over packing), AlteCocker was picked up for a sunset cruise on the Yangon River. This meant another, yikes, buffet meal. The cruise she took advertises "fantastic toilets" (see the website link in the previous sentence). AlteCocker did not bother to check them out. The buffet was not as enormous as the one on the previous evening, but was very good complete with large shrimp--which the Burmese call "prawns". Shrimp/prawns--whatever they are, they were very good. AlteCocker got a few photos of the sunset and relaxed. Lots of locals were on the cruise--which should be a good recommendation if you decide to go. Basically the cruise goes up and down the river. AlteCocker cannot say that the views were all that stunning, but it is always nice to see a city from its river.
Pick up tomorrow is at 9:45am for her 1:00pm flight to Bangkok. The trip blog will continue here after which she will go HOME!