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24-05-08
Bangkok airport was huge and lovely…everything was so well-maintained and technologically
advanced. They had escalators that not only went up and down but straight as well. To top that, there
were small open cars to take passengers from one end to the other, and one could hire them for a price
if the way was too long for a walk. We didn’t have much time at transit so got through our formalities
quickly and proceeded for departure. There was a young Asian male who I’d noticed at Kol airport and
I was surprised to find him waiting for the Yangon flight as well. But I didn’t approach him and never
did get the chance to talk to him cos after he boarded, I never saw him again. The flight to Yagon on
Thai took an hour and it was a very pleasant flight. The Yangon airport was really impressive too-
newly built and fine by any standards. The only thing missing was a large crowd and shops-duty free
or otherwise..more of this on the return trip.
The hotel we were to stay in had sent a car for us and we were met by a very polite driver who
barely spoke English. I was really impressed when I asked if he had water in the car. He didn’t, but
stopped on the way to buy a bottle of mineral water for which he refused to take money. The courtesy
with which he was dealing with a first time visitor has left a lasting impression on me.
Our hotel was one of the better medium-range ones in Yangon and had possibly 3-star standards
though international standards are not applied here. The lobby was friendly and the room comfortable.
Since our timings had been rather odd and because mine had been a long trip to take after having been
ill for a bit, the rest of the day was spent lazing in the room. Managed to catch a short nap but thought
the day was too precious to be wasted. So we went out in the evening after exchanging a 100 dollars
for Burmese kyats. We went downtown to the Super One supermarket and I got myself a cap and a
skirt. All the stuff they sold looked absolutely appealing and the prices were pretty reasonable- except
for the readymade tops which I found were almost entirely imported from Thailand and cost quite a lot
of Burmese kyats. The value of their currency is so low it is almost impossible to find anything below
a 1000K. But with the Indian rupee worth around 25K, the exchange rate was friendly and that was a
huge help.
Didn’t have that long a time at the store cos they closed rather early- it must’ve been around
6:30 when we walked out and were not allowed back in. this trend, I was told, was a recent one, a post-
Nargis one, to be more specific. But the streets remained alive and there were people moving around
on foot. On the sidewalks were small open shops selling Burmese food which were prepared there in
the open and they put up small tables and chairs on the street. I had a chance to eat a hearty Burmese
Mohenga for 2000K at one of these places and I treasure that experience more than any other meal I
had at all the more exotic locations during my entire stay. Back at the hotel, I took a long and luxurious
bath, relaxing in the warm tub perfumed with the beautiful scent of the hotel’s flowered soap. With the
healthy appetite I had taken with me, I still showed up at the dining hall at night for a glass of wine and
some light snack. The bar was alive by then and we decided to step in for the English covers by the
professional band playing there- I think they were called ‘The Rainbow’. They did some very widely
popular numbers and were quite good tho I suspect their lyrics were written in Burmese!! Opted for
some coke as we sat at the counter making small talk with other guests and the locals. There were a
few people on the dance floor and a specially adept guy who danced with different ladies to a few of
the songs. I later learnt that he was the dance instructor who practiced at night with his students while
lounging in the bar- he was pretty good! I stayed put on my barstool, drinking a local Cola just taking
in the people and the relaxed atmosphere- a deceptively calm and prosperous feel within the walls of
25-05-08
The Sunday plan was to take a trip to Irrewady delta, the worst hit area and visit some relief camps to
actually assess the situation. But we learnt that the delta was a full 5-hour trip from Yangon and that
entry to the relief camps were a highly restricted affair. The plan had to be shelved and we made our
way to the Shwedagon Pagoda- the single most religious place in the country, just a few minutes’ walk
from our hotel. Legend has it that two brothers brought eight hairs of the Buddha to be enshrined in
this sacred location, inaugurating the Shwedagon Pagoda. We had to pay a 7000K ($6) entry fee while
it was free for locals, at the Southern entrance from which an elevator took us up to the main platform.
We got a guide to accompany us and though there were some stories I didn’t quite get because of the
language barrier, it was a good thing to have him around- there were a lot of things we would not have
understood had he not been there. The guide cost 5000K.
The Pagoda was busy and friendly and there were people milling all over the place. We were
told there was an even larger crowd as it was a Sunday and a holiday. There were devotees praying at
the foot of their favourite statue- there are reportedly more than 2000 Buddha idols. Then there were
those who’d come as families or in a group with their lunches, or their small tea kettles and cups,
sitting down for lazy chats. The Burmese have an 8-day week, the conventional Wednesday divided
into two…and an animal for each of these days. At the Pagoda too, there were eight shrines at the foot
of the stupa for each day of the week, each with its own Buddha, where people prayed at the shrine of
the days of their births.
Two favorite objects of devotion were umbrellas and gold leaves. Small umbrellas were offered
to the Buddha, to shade him from the harsh sun and gold leaves were rubbed on the idols. Many people
also poured water on the statues in the open to cool them down and put them in a favourable mood
before submitting their supplications. Major donations have been made to the Pagoda by devotees from
all the world over time and many smaller Pagodas and shrines have come up within the platform, as
have water containers, umbrellas and others. On the way back, we decided to walk down the stairs of
the Eastern walkway with its shops selling curios and interesting souvenirs. I managed to get a few
small souvenirs with a local friend bargaining for me. Although the shopkeepers are friendly and pretty
honest, most cannot resist the chance of naming a slightly higher price than usual when they find out
you’re a foreigner. This was specially true in my case, because most of them spoke openly in Burmese-
I must look absolutely like one, judging by the number of times this happened- and on finding I cant
understand them, gleefully proceed to price their ware in dollars.