This is the Sule Pagoda that occupies the city center. According to legend it was built before the Shwedagon Pagoda during the time of Buddha making it over 2,500 years old. It serves as a focal point of both Yangon and Burmese politics. It served as a rallying point for both the 1988 uprisings and 2007 Saffron Revolution.
In the next block is the City Hall.
There is also a Baptist church on the square.
Independence Monument sits in the middle of Mahabandoola Park. This is where the locals celebrate their independence from Britain on January 4, 1948.
A colonial building downtown.
We wandered the streets observing all the street vendors and took a side alley with 100's of people and vendors of all types. I love doing this and emerging myself in the local culture. There were several opportunities for me to try various new food items. I checked with the tour director and made sure they were safe. No stomach problems yet!
A man carrying his wares on portable tables. If you motioned for him to stop, he just sat them down and you buy what you wanted then he picked it back up and moved on.
A street restaurant.
Monk novices unloading and getting ready to go out and seek donations.
A man making betel nut chews. These are sold as a pshcosimatic stimulant and can be very addictive. They take a betel leave, smear on some slate lime paste (yep folks that is the slate rock not lime fruit); sprinkle on some spices such as cardamom, saffron, turmeric; then add a sprinkle of tobacco with a small Areca nut. Roll it up in a small wad and then chew on it for a while.
YES! I chewed one. It wasn't bad tasting and No I didn't have any side effects. Darn!
An interesting old colonial building.
This lady was making various jelled foods. I got some coconut milk jelly sticks to eat and they were very tasty. Helped get the betel nut taste out of my mouth.
The coconut jelly is in the middle.
This lady was making small meat pastry pies. Ate a chicken one and it was delicious.
The old Minister's building built in 1902. Site of the massacre of Aung San and 6 cabinet ministers on July 19, 1947.
A modern apartment building.
Pictures of more street vendors.
Wet green tea is sold to be chewed.
Eggs and potatoes
You could buy most any type of food:
Raw beef complete with flies,
Seafood
Fresh and dried fish,
eels (no I didn't have any of these),
Chicken,
and vegetables. This lady was carrying her fruit on a yoke and would stop to make a sale when summoned.
Young nun trainees singing and seeking donations.
Weighing out the sale.
These young boys were covered in black dust as they bagged charcoal to be sold.
Great balancing on her head.
The market was an exciting experience. I can't begin to describe the atmosphere with all the different activities, sounds and smells. People were friendly and openly shared their their wares with us as our tour leader would stop and explain what we were seeing and getting us the opportunity to try several. I now have the reputation of trying most anything that is offered.
After the market we went to the Strand Hotel which is one of the oldest in Yangon built in 1901. It is one of the most luxurious in Asia and has had some very famous guests over the years. We stopped in to cool off as it was already over 90 and have a drink.
Xylophone player in the lobby.
After the strand we went to the Boguoke Aung San Market (Scott Market). It was built in 1926 and has hundreds of booths.
A chemist shop (drug store). The majority of the people in Myanmar don't have any type of health coverage and there is no government supported health care so most of them rely on natural remedies.
Don't worry, even though the sign says "No Camera", the shop owner gave me permission to take this photo.
Found this very interesting. These are school busses. The kids are picked up in the back of these small trucks and taken to school. And they fuss about our busses at home not having seat belts!
After lunch and a short rest period, we went to see the Chaukhtatgyi Pagoda, home to one of Burma's most revered reclining Buddhas. Begun in 1899, the massive image of the elegant Buddha resting on its side is more than 200 feet long and over 75 feet high.
Smaller reclining Buddha
One of the traditional practices is to paint your face with a yellowish paste made from the ground bark of the Thanaka tree. Mainly women use it but men also participate in the practice. Phyo demonstrated how the paste was made by rubbing the tree bark on a damp stone then she painted my face for me.
It is much more visible on their darker skin.
The next post covers our visit to the rural village of Dala.
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