Sunflower Hotel.. this was to be my accommodation for the next 2 nights in Yangon (and consequently my last for the trip). Located right at the heart of Yangon's very own Little India, the motel offers a decent room for $US30 a night (which Khan Ruey and I split two-ways). It does offer free wi-fi to its guests, although I must state here that internet speeds in Myanmar are abhorrently slow. Ben and Vanessa on the other hand decided to go with another of Lonely Planet's recommended cheap options for accommodation in Yangon - Beautyland Hotel II.
We met up early in the morning to indulge in what is regarded as Myanmar's national dish - the mohinga. As we sat at a stall by the alley slurping up the rich soup in our mohingas, it dawned upon me how the mohinga is to the Burmese what the nasi lemak is to us Malaysians. Both dishes are traditionally served up for breakfast; both dishes blend an array of spices, effervescing a rich, intense aroma. The nasi lemak is topped with fried peanuts and anchovies; the mohinga is topped with fried vegetables and lentil fritters - both creating that perfect meld of crunchiness and succulence. Both dishes are rather heavy for everyday breakfast, yet I can certainly imagine a Burmese defending his mohinga as would a Malaysian his nasi lemak.
Ben and I enjoying our street-side mohingas
From here, Ben and Vanessa departed back to their hotel to get a bit more sleep, as Khan Ruey and I walked seawards in search of the Botataung Paya. Given its location by the Botataung Jetty, it would make sense that these were the grounds that first received the Buddha relics that were brought to Burma from India. From the rare sight of what is believed to be Buddha's hair and body relics, to the carvings and sculptures depicting Burmese mythical stories; Khan Ruey and I spent a good hour within the awe-inspiring compounds of the pagoda. A $US3 entry fee seemed a little steep, but I'd still consider the pagoda a must-see in Yangon.
The golden stupa of Botataung Paya
We then made the walk back all the way across downtown Yangon to the Bogyoke Aung San Market to exchange our USDs for some kyats, before heading to Shan Noodle House for lunch. After a bowl of authentic Shan noodles, it was time to introduce Ben and Vanessa to the wonderfully refreshing mug of Shwe Bali lassi Khan Ruey and I had enjoyed on the first day of the trip. By the time we refreshed back at the hotels and met up again it was late in the afternoon, and the weather was far more conducive for a long walk - which is precisely what we embarked on as we (sans Vanessa) traversed the intermittent and sketchily defined walkways along the busy Pansodan Road towards Kandawgyi Lake. We arrived at the lake just in time to catch the sight of the sun setting behind the magnificent stupa of Shwedagon - naturally our next destination.
View of Shwedagon from Kandawgyi Lake at sunset
After taking a brisk stroll around the little village huts that surround the Shwedagon, Khan Ruey and I decided to concede an additional $US5 for access to the famed grounds of the pagoda; while Ben was content to just continue touring the perimeters with his camera. With the cloudless summer skies darkening to a spectacular hue of azure blue, while the floodlights illuminated the golden stupa and its dazzling adornments - the sight of the Shwedagon pagoda up close was nothing short of magical. The Shwedagon Paya represents more than just a place of worship to the Burmese - it's hallowed grounds was the scene for major political activity both before and after Myanmar's independence from the British. As fate would have it, Khan Ruey and I were also approached by a well-versed (at the very least in lingual capacity) monk, who spoke to us about the racial troubles the Burmese face today, as well his hopes for his country in the coming years.
Yours truly at the Shwedagon
The skies had morphed into absolute darkness behind a shimmering moon by the time Khan Ruey and I glanced at our watches again - realising that Ben awaited us outside the paya (for good measure, I shall remind you here that our handphones were as good as bricks in Yangon). Given the Shwedagon has four entrances, we quite naturally took the wrong one out but figured we could simply walk around the paya from entrance to entrance till we get to the right one where we were to meet Ben. Little did we realize how extensive the area of the Shwedagon Paya really is. What began as a dithering walk quickly progressed into a frenetic jog and before we knew it we were practically running the massive perimeter of the entire paya, praying that Ben would still be waiting for us. Almost half an hour later, with much credit to Ben's towering presence, we finally managed to spot him just as he was looking to board a taxi back to his hotel.
Shwedagon's glowing stupa at nightfall
From the hotel, we walked to Japan Japan (yes Yangon did have its fair share of international cuisine recommendations in Lonely Planet's guide, and we figured why not?) for dinner, before moving on to a local bar for drinks. This is where we were acquainted with one of Myanmar's locally-brewed spirits - Mandalay Rum. Ben and I, given our penchant for concocting cocktails in our leisure, were immediately taken by the peculiar taste of the rum on its own. We then added it to a glass of Coke which gave us an enjoyable drink to sip on through the night (on his following trip to Myanmar, Ben actually managed to acquire himself a bottle of Mandalay Rum for his ever-growing collection of spirits and liqueurs. It was the wee hours of the next morning when we finally alighted back to our hotels. The empty broad lanes of Sule Paya Road were starkly contrasting to the daytime bustle on the same road.
We noticed local kids playing football on an empty adjacent street with makeshift goalposts and a worn-out football. It was reminiscent of my days in primary school, when we used to play football in a similar manner - on an empty corridor with our school shoes as goalposts and a compressed aluminum can as the 'ball.' I visited the same corridor years later, and all I found was kids sitting against the walls furiously thumbing on their gaming consoles. With the impending rapid development in Yangon, I could only wonder how long before these streets suffer a similar fate..
Sule Paya during the day
Contrast shot of Sule Paya past midnight
We noticed local kids playing football on an empty adjacent street with makeshift goalposts and a worn-out football. It was reminiscent of my days in primary school, when we used to play football in a similar manner - on an empty corridor with our school shoes as goalposts and a compressed aluminum can as the 'ball.' I visited the same corridor years later, and all I found was kids sitting against the walls furiously thumbing on their gaming consoles. With the impending rapid development in Yangon, I could only wonder how long before these streets suffer a similar fate..
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