Myanmar Trip 2013 - Day Eight

I woke up on the eighth morning of the trip, to some rather mixed feelings. The plaguing effects of the Moulmein toddy was all but a memory by now, but so were my pleasant experiences in Myanmar. It was our last day in Myanmar, and we were to depart Yangon at noon. Khan Ruey and I were up early that morning, and we headed north toward a couple more of Yangon's famed pagodas that house impressive buddha statues. We began with the Chaukhtatgyi Paya, where a giant reclining Buddha lies. It is said to be one of the most impressive reclining Buddhas in Myanmar, and I must add here that although the one we have in Penang is bigger, I was impressed by the intricate inscriptions and ornamental arrangements on the statue.

The reclining Buddha at Chauktatgyi Paya

Inscriptions on the Buddha's feet

We soon walked across the street to Ngahtatgyi Paya to visit the sitting Buddha which has also received its fair share of adulation across travel guides and magazines. This temple however levies a $2 entrance fee, which we did find slightly expensive in comparison given the size and quality of attractions within the paya. With the temple tour drawing to a close, all that was left was a bit of last-minute souvenir shopping, packing and checking-out of our hotels in downtown Yangon. We rendezvoused once again with Ben and Vanessa for lunch, before cabbing to the airport for our flights back to KL.

The calm, seated image of Buddha at Ngahtatgyi Paya

Before the trip, when I was applying for my leave at work, my lead engineer inquired on my vacation plans. When I mentioned to him I was going to be spending 8 days in southern Myanmar, he was appalled and spewed forth a rhetorical "why." On my flight back to KL I was certain of one thing - 8 days is not sufficient to see and explore the wonderful cities of Yangon, Moulmein and Hpa-an, let alone southern Myanmar as a whole. We had barely scratched the surface in exploring these cities, and I couldn't imagine getting tired of the place; especially the more rural Hpa-an where I'd love to have rented a bike and cycle across the surrounding villages and paddy fields and perhaps embarked on a few more hikes up its scenic mountains and hills. Our lack of time in the region also meant we had to forego the option to climb up Mt. Kyaiktyo to view the spectacular Golden Rock.

If I am blessed with such luxury in this lifetime, I'd travel back to these cities some day. Till then, these Burmese memories shall remain, sweeter than their sugar-laden drinks and desserts.

Myanmar Trip 2013 - Day Seven

A full day in Yangon, and in retrospect the most expensive day of the trip. Khan Ruey and I began the day with a trip to the Bogyoke Aung San Market for some souvenir-hunting. After some scouting around, we came across a man selling artwork made of straw. The intricacy of the work piqued us, and I ended up grabbing a few pieces of the artwork, along with a set of cards with simpler straw art on the front - for the colleagues at work.

We had planned to meet Ben and Vanessa at our hotel lobby at noon, and from there we took a short stroll to Nilar Briyani for lunch. The portions were decent, but I personally preferred the briyani we'd had in Mawlamyine. A hefty lunch, before we proceeded to graze around downtown Yangon. It wasn't long before the scorching summer heat became unbearable, and we decided to head back to our respective hotels until later in the afternoon. We met again at 5.00pm around the train station, where we boarded a cab to the northern side of Yangon. We agreed on a fee of 12000 kyat with the cabbie, for him to take us up north to see the Aung San Suu Kyi residence. Upon reaching we noticed the building was surrounded by high walls, and its entrance guarded.

Guarded walls of Suu Kyi's residence

You could imagine the disappointment in our faces at that point, until our cabbie tells us there's more. He drives us a few hundred metres away into a monastery by the lake, where we take our footwear off and proceed towards a makeshift jetty. From here, we were able to see the backyard of Aung San Suu Kyi's home - what logically would have been the point from where American citizen John Yettaw infamously trespassed upon Suu Kyi's residence a couple of weeks before her scheduled release from house arrest in 2009. 

Backyard of the Aung San Suu Kyi residence

Of course, Lake Inya itself is a spectacle to behold, and we had an excellent view of the lake,  Across the lake, we could also see the boathouse of Suu Kyi's long-time nemesis - Ne Win, who served as leader of the oppressed Burma for 26 years. Our cabbie proceeded to show us the office where Suu Kyi works, before taking us back to downtown Yangon. The sun was just about to set along the Yangon waterfront. The skies reveled in shades of pink and blue. The setting couldn't have been better. We decided to treat ourselves to dinner by the riverside at Junior Duck, a quaint restaurant next to Pansodan Jetty that serves up Chinese fare. Half-way through the dinner, we were already musing about our next activity for the night - drinks at The Strand's bar across the street.

Suu Kyi's office

Never thought I'd spot this classic sewing machine in front of Suu Kyi's office - there's one of this in my home

Alas, it was time to sample the cocktails of Myanmar at what is widely regarded as Yangon's (if not Myanmar's) top bar; what's more on a Friday night when it is Happy Hour (5pm to 11pm) and the drinks are served at half their price. Each of us ordered a round of different cocktails, before we sat back along the bar and began sipping our cocktails (of course, there was the mandatory mooching-off from each other's glasses). Ben and I have been passionate about cocktails for a long time now, and we're often caught in intriguing discussions about mixers, consistency and aftertaste. We both agreed that the cocktails at The Strand were delicious, and the aged man behind the bar most certainly knew what he was doing - something unfortunately we have never been able to say about most of the bars we've visited in Malaysia.

Strand cocktails - Set #1

Strand cocktails - Set #2

The well-stocked bar at The Strand

Myanmar Trip 2013 - Day Six

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.

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..

Myanmar Trip 2013 - Day Five

The next morning started early for Ben, Vannessa and me. After taking a light breakfast (with some extra-sweet tea) at a local coffee shop, we took a short stroll to the banks of Salween River (Thanlwin to locals). Here, we paid a fisherman 1000 kyat/person to take us across the river to the foothills of Hpan-Pu Mountain.

Foreground: 'Bennessa'; Background: Hpan-Pu

A trip with Ben is never complete without a good hike, so the three of us decided to take a morning walk up the distinctly-shaped mountain. From the little quay on the other side of the river, we walked past a little village before arriving at the ascending pathway leading up the mountain. All through the hike, we were treated to some incredible views of Hpa-an and it's neighbouring cities. After going past a monastery and a couple of deceiving false peaks, we finally reached the peak of Hpan-Pu.

One of them falsies. Certainly wasn't deceiving the hovering eagle above

Goddess Durga?

The view from atop was quite special - the peak was towering enough above its surroundings that our view stretched far and wide on every side of the mountain; yet it was low enough for the details to be clearly visible. The tireless fishermen rowing their boats across the mighty Salween; the innocent kids diving into the river from the aforementioned quay; cattle grazing the lush, green plains; serenity under the morning sun. It was a sight to behold, and perhaps the most lasting memory of my Myanmar trip.

View of Hpa'an town from the peak of Hpan-Pu

Troubling signs of industrialization spring from afar

Shorty thereafter we left the Soe Brothers' guesthouse and bade goodbye to Hpa'an for the last time. We caught a bus back to Mawlamyine (i.e. Moulmein - I just like to use the names interchangeably). Upon reaching Mawlamyine, we decided to head back to Breeze Guest House. It was unfortunate that we didn't have much time to spend in Mawlamyine this time around as we had to depart for Yangon that night. Khan Ruey and I, having already taken the train ride from Yangon to Mawlamyine, decided to take the bus back. Ben and Vanessa on the other hand were keen on experiencing the bumpy rail ride and were to depart to Yangon by train. I recalled Raju mentioning the Chitra Pournami celebration, and how he would have loved to take us there to show me how the Burmese Hindus celebrated it. When we reached the guest house, we asked for Raju at the front desk. Within 10 minutes, a smiling Raju was at the doorstep with his tuk-tuk, ready to take us all for a quick trip to a few attractions. I informed Raju of the situation, and how we didn't have too much time in our hands. He simply smiled, and assured me he'll manage to take us to the festival (including the Chithra Pournami celebration) and dinner before directly dropping us off at the train and bus stations accordingly.

Soon enough, we arrived at the Murugan temple - Moulmein's very own Batu Caves. Hundreds of stairs lined the path to the temple at the top of the cave, and with the hordes of people walking around the temple the experience was almost reminiscent of Batu Caves during Thaipusam. Raju informed me that Hindus and non-Hindus from all over Myanmar come to the temple every year during the three-day festival. It was only the first day though, and Raju humbly declared the crowds will really grow over the next couple of days. As we walked up towards the temple, we came across a group of Burmese Tamils who were over-the-moon at the sight of a fellow Tamil boy from outside Myanmar visiting their temple. We excitedly exchanged pleasantries in Tamil, as they explained to me about their celebrations as well as the Hindu community in Myanmar as a whole. They were quick to note that their celebrations cannot compare to the Thaipusam celebrations in Batu Caves or Penang, yet they take a lot of pride in putting together a joyous celebration every year for the community in Myanmar. I still found it amazing that I was actually conversing Tamil in this trip, having been totally unaware of the existence of Tamil communities in Myanmar; let alone them passing-on our language and culture down from generation to generation.

The entrance to the temple

Ben, Vanessa and Khan Ruey with the welcoming Burmese Tamil folks at the temple (on the way up)

The reverse - yours truly with a group of curious onlooking kids. Photo credit to Ben.

Ben, Vanessa and Khan Ruey with the same folks who were overjoyed at the sight of Malaysians (on the way down)

Once we were back downstairs, Raju invited us to have some temple food served for free at the common hall. I understood what it meant to him for us to join them. I truly wished I could have sat down with the local Tamils and ate with them. It's a joy to see our Indian culture carried-on and practiced with such pride and verve, that I felt compelled to join them. But alas, time was of the essence and Ben, Vanessa and Khan Ruey weren't too keen on the idea - so I decided to gulp down a couple of 'vadais' with Raju before we proceeded to the same briyani shop Khan Ruey and I had dinner at three nights prior. Raju proceeded to drop us off at our respective stations, where I literally hugged him and thanked him profusely for all he had done for us. I had never expected to come across another Tamil-speaker during my Myanmar trip.. but how he immediately took me as he would his brother and went out of his way for us was incredible. For some reason, I was elated and proud at the thought of people like him existing in Myanmar and upholding our subtle Tamil virtues.

It was midnight by the time we reached Yangon, and Khan Ruey and I proceeded to check-in at Sunflower Hotel - another Lonely Planet guide recommendation for cheap accommodations in Yangon. Heh. This was, in many ways a pivotal point in the trip. The point where I looked back at our quaint adventures in Moulmein and Hpa-an and wondered if I'll ever get the chance to return to those wonderful towns - and looked forward to the many splendors that lied within Yangon.

Myanmar Trip 2013 - Day Four

The following morning was an early start. With our group finally assembled in one place, we decided to embark on a tour of Hpa'an's famed caves on the recommendation of the friendly Mr. Soe (who runs our accommodation in Hpa'an). For a meagre 5000 kyats/person, our guide took us on a bumpy tuk-tuk ride across the countryside to a number of Hpa'an's cave temples. The quiet villages and lush greeneries we traversed was a sight to behold - and unfortunately one that is rapidly disappearing in Malaysia.

The highlight of the tour was to be Saddan Cave, a massive cavern encroaching a placid lake. After a half-kilometre walk through the dark, damp pathways of the cave - we finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel (in a literal sense of course). Ben and Vanessa decided to take a short trip across the lake, to which a smiling old man readily obliged to take them on his boat for 500 kyats. The highlight of our experience however lied somewhere between Kyaukka Latt Paya and Lumbini Gardens. After gulping down some fresh sugarcane juice at a roadside hawker's stall, our tuk-tuk carried us from the grounds of the wonderful Kyaukka Latt Paya to the relatively underwhelming Kawgoon cave (especially considering this was the only attraction where we had to pay a 3000 kyat fee for admission). At the end of this ride, Ben realised something was amiss. It didn't take him long to recognise the absence of his camera bag (which of course included his camera, tripod along with other peripherals). We helplessly communicated this to our guide, and proceeded to continue onto the steps of Kawgoon cave. As we returned to the tuk-tuk, our guide smiled and informed us that the camera bag had fallen-off during the ride, and was found by some local villagers who were going to bring it to our next destination. To say that the look of relief on Ben's face was apparent, would be an understatement. After completing our walk through Lumbini Gardens, Ben was happily reunited with his camera bag. The whole incident was quite surreal. The honesty of the villagers, and the lengths they're willing to go for total strangers like us - I began to wonder how many places in the world still had such communities. Or perhaps, it was all simply.. divine intervention?

Kyaukkanlatt Pagoda - perched upon a limestone karst tower at the center of a lake

Entrance to Yathebyan Cave

Seated Buddha inside Kawgoon Cave

The lake surrounded by the caverns of Saddan Cave

For dinner, we decided to return to San Ma Tau restaurant. My stomach was recovering well from the shady-toddy experience two days earlier. That night, back at the Soe Brother's motel I pondered the events of the trip thus far, and what it had in store for us in the coming days. I was, after all; at the halfway point of my trip.

Myanmar Trip 2013 - Day Three

After a good night's sleep at the Breeze Guest House, we packed our bags the next morning and left on foot in search of the bus stop from where to board a bus to Hpa'an. Expecting it to be some sort of a local landmark, we went about asking locals for directions to the bus stop, yet different people gave us conflicting instructions on how to get there - some even assuring us it wasn't within walking distance. Khan Ruey and I decided to keep our faith in the Lonely Planet guidebook and continued walking along the city streets. As we fumbled over the map trying to get our bearings right, we met a Malay-speaking Burmese man who identified himself as Ismail. After a short yet interesting chat in Malay, he left us with proper directions to the bus stop.

Not long after we noticed a bus pulling to a halt in front of a little hut. After confirming that the bus was headed to Hpa'an and purchasing our tickets for a nominal fee from the hut, we finally left Moulmein with a large group of Burmese locals headed in the same direction. I managed to catch some sleep along the ride, amidst the friendly chatter of the locals. Soon enough we were in the sleepy town of Hpa'an, stopping right in front of a restaurant with a sign that read San Ma Tau - the name rang a bell. I quickly flipped through the Lonely Planet guidebook, and realized that it was the top-recommended eatery in Hpa'an. What is more - it was lunch time! Now given that I was still suffering from the aftermath of the toddy from the previous night, I was forced to limit my food choices - a real pity given Khan Ruey's glowing testimony of the food after our meal.

From the cheap options listed on the guidebook, we decided to go with Soe Brothers Guesthouse for our accommodation in Hpa'an. After checking-in, we simply waited for nightfall, especially since my diarrhoea wasn't getting any better. Regardless, we were all set for the rendenvous with Ben and Vanessa at the clock tower later that night. Just then we heard a knock on our door. Ben and Vanessa had found us! At that point I could only wonder if Hpa'an was really that small a city, or if Khan Ruey and I were that predictable. So no dramatic rendezvous then. We were all assembled in Hpa'an as planned. Vanessa, being the designated first-aider for the trip supplied me with some loperamides to ease my bowels and some paracetamol to bring down the fever I developed over the day. For dinner, we ended up at San Ma Tau - again.

The iconic Hpa'an Clock Tower - our supposed rendezvous point in the city

In retrospect, this was perhaps the least eventful day of our trip in terms of sightseeing. Perhaps it served as an essential break for me to hasten my recovery process. That damn toddy.

Myanmar Trip 2013 - Day Two

"By the old Moulmein pagoda,

Looking eastward to the sea,

There's a Burma girl a-settin,

and I know she thinks o' me."

Such are the opening lines to Kipling's classic poem, Mandalay. Moulmein (or Mawlamyine to locals) was the first British capital of Burma. The old city lies at the mouth of the Salween River, and serves as the capital of Mon State.

I woke up many a time on that train ride to Moulmein, initially to the sounds of the carriages crashing incessantly against the iron rails beneath; then to the plethora of smells that engulfed us as people got on and off the train; and finally to a beautiful sunrise. We arrived at the iconic Moulmein Railway Station around 9.00am, and then made our way via motorcycle taxis to one of the cheap accommodations recommended on the Lonely Planet guidebook - Breeze Guest House.

The little guest house is strategically located along Strand Road, facing the Andaman Sea. After a quick bath and some breakfast at Help Grandmother and Grandfather Restaurant (they literally have these words splayed across their facade), we sought some guidance from the Breeze front desk for places of interest around the city. This is when we met Raju - our amazing Moulmein guide and perhaps the most unforgettable Burmese we came across during the course of our trip. The beauty of it was this - Raju immediately recognised me as a Tamil-speaker, and struck up a conversation with me in our native language (well if I were nitpicky, native to our ancestry). Prior to the trip, I definitely would not have expected to be communicating with a Burmese local in Tamil. Raju the guide then proceeded to take us around Moulmein on his tuktuk, as we visited the many pagodas and caves in and around the old city.

The more 'outdoorsy' Sleeping Buddha

Somewhere between these pagoda excursions, Raju brought us for some street-side toddy to cool ourselves off a little after hours walking under striking sunlight. It was a first for me, and my initial impression of the drink was pretty good. Little did I know what was about to follow..

My first experience with toddy - delicious yet laced with monstrous repercussions

After spending some time observing the sun set over a picturesque view of the city from the balcony of the Kyaik-Than-Lan Pagoda, Raju recommended a restaurant close to the Breeze for some excellent briyani (served with a Burmese twist).

The Kyaik-Than-Lan Pagoda

Sunset by the Moulmein pagoda

A hefty meal later, we strolled back to the guest house to call it a night. Now you recall that glass of toddy I had earlier that afternoon? Well it finally kicked in. No, it was not alcohol-induced light-headedness let alone cognitive impairment. The impact was bigger than that.. and longer-lasting. Here came the rumbling, churning aftermath that messed my stomach (and by virtue of its intensity, myself) for the next two days of the trip. Toddy-induced diarrhoea.

Myanmar Trip 2013 - Day One

Subsequent to the memorable Mensa Heritage trip in 2012 (covering Singapore, Tanjung Piai, Johor Bahru, Kluang, Kota Bharu, Sungai Kolok), I was looking forward to another trip with the same group of travelmates. Hence when the idea for a trip up north to Myanmar came around, I quickly pounced on it. After some pondering, it was finally decided that we would be covering Southern Myanmar - namely Yangon, Moulmein and Hpa'an.

Our pre-trip preparations then involved securing flight tickets to Yangon, getting our visas from the Burmese Embassy, exchanging some ringgit for US Dollars, frequenting Myanmar restaurants in KL to get a feel for their food, and just chilling and bumming till the day of departure.

With some last-minute change of plans, our trip suddenly had an interesting edge to it. Khan Ruey and I were to depart first to Yangon and make our way to Moulmein, then Hpa'an where we would then have to somehow meet up with Ben & Vannessa who departed from KL a couple of days later. Given that our phones would not work in Myanmar and internet access is scarce, the entire scenario had something of a Mission Impossible-feel to it. Unperturbed, we fixed plans to rendezvous at the Hpa'an Clock Tower at 9.00pm (local time) on the 22nd of April.

Come the morning of the 20th of April, Khan Ruey and I made our way in the wee hours of the morning to LCCT. With check-in and pre-flight formalities all complete, I slowly took a little blueberry muffin out of my backpack (which I grabbed moments earlier off a pastry shop at the terminal) and passed it to Khan Ruey, wishing him "Happy Birthday!" I personally figured it was pretty amazing that he was able to forego a day of warm greetings, well-wishes and perhaps even a surprise or two for a trip to a land of relative obscurity.

Slightly over an hour later we were in Yangon International Airport, where we exchanged our first kyats and took a cab to Downtown Yangon. The plan was to secure a night train to Moulmein, and spend the rest of the time looking around Yangon. Our cab dropped us off at the Bogyoke Aung San Market, which we figured made for a good reference point from where we could make our way on foot. Out came the Lonely Planet guidebook, with which we navigated down the street to the Yangon Railway Station.

Bogyoke Aung San Market - Our starting point in Yangon

One of the things that we learnt prior to the trip was that the Burmese only dealt with mint-condition US Dollars. The same applied to the railway station, that didn't have change either. Given that we weren't able to get the smaller denomination USDs in pristine condition before the trip in Malaysia, we had to then walk around downtown Yangon looking for change. Luckily for us we found hotel guest desks that were willing to provide us with mint-condition $5s and $10s. We then proceeded to have lunch at a hotel restaurant, which we figured had reasonable prices on the menu.

Gettin' a taste of the local beer (although I must reiterate I'm not a big fan of beers)

Replenished, we then made our way back to the railway station and secured our tickets for the night train. It was barely 1.00pm in the afternoon, as the sun was blazing above us (as it was for pretty much the entire trip..). With time to kill, Khan Ruey and I decided to commence on Lonely Planet's downtown walking tour. What made my experience all the more daunting was the fact that I was lugging a trolley bag all around Yangon's unforgiving pavements. The highlight of the 'tour' (perhaps in large part due to the weather itself) was our short stop at Shwe Bali for some excellent ice-blended yoghurt. Soon came the night, and we were off to Moulmein on what must have been the bumpiest train ride I have ever been on.

Train ticket to Moulmein

Sule Paya