Yangon on Second Day

Day 2 is visiting the mother of all pagodas in Yangon, the Shwedagon Pagoda. Shwe means Gold. So, be mesmerized by the glittering spires everywhere! Entrance fee is 10,000 kyat (Php 346.00). It is open by 4AM for the locals while foreigners can only get inside by 6AM.

You have to leave your footwear at the entrance. Socks are not even allowed. You have to start walking barefoot at the foot of the entrance stairs. Sleeveless and short skirts and above the knee dresses are not allowed. If you wear one, they do lend you a wrap-around skirt, but you must make a deposit. It took as around three hours here. We’re chill travelers and we just sat at the corner.  I took photos while Liezl sat down and watched people.

This is the biggest pagoda in Yangon and there are a lot of pilgrims from other townships. There are a lot of renovations at this time, so you’ll see blue plastic wrapping around the spires all around. There are four entrances to Shwedagon: the north, south, east and west points of the building. Most commonly used is the south entrance, because that stairway comes in off of the city’s center. This stairway has 104 steps. The west entrance has the longest of all the staircases, with 166 steps. At the north entrance, the stairway was constructed in 1460 and has 128 steps. Finally, the eastern entrance comes in off of the street bazaars below with 118 steps.

Travelling teaches you about tolerance and acceptance of different worship. 

We exited at the eastern entrance side of the gate. We got tired with the sweltering heat of the sun, and decided to eat. Just alongside the street, tables are lined up. We’re up to taste anything but some have a stinky bilgy smell, like the fish. So we decided to take chicken, noodles and shrimp. Sugarcane with lots of ice kept us refreshed.

There are still a lot of pagodas nearby but Liezl is no longer interested. She said, “kung naa diha Buddha nga dunay lahi nga posisyon nga dili ra naglingkod o naghigda, adtuan nako na!” (Unless there are other Buddhas in some amazing posture not just the reclining or the sitting one, then she might consider). Pagkanalaaaang! Not as disrespect but once you have seen Shwedagon, it’s as if you have seen and worshiped at them all. Unless you are a Buddhist and a pilgrim, there are nearby pagodas that you can visit by just walking.

Circuit Train Ride (insein line)

 And as we have a rough draft itinerary than can be rearranged or not followed at all, we decided to kill the time before sunset to take the Circuit train. We hailed a taxi to go to the Railway station. It’s on Platform 7 and you have to pay 200 kyat (Php 7) for the ticket. The train has a 30 minute- interval but considering the heat and its sluggishness, and like Filipino time, who is on time? Nah! We just sat around and watched the people walking alongside the railway. The train which is supposedly for 2:45PM arrived at 3:00PM. We boarded the first passenger car. There is a mute passenger and she sat beside me. She motioned to me saying that she disapproves of my spaghetti strap dress. I signaled to her that it is very hot and she nodded. Well that’s one thing  here, women do not wear sleeveless, particularly spaghetti strapped dress. And it’s a transgression on my part. But on the next station, there are a group of white people who joined the train. The bearded white guy went up to the driver’s seat and watched. He was given tea and showed it to his companions, who also wanted to have a sip. What indeed an adventure this kind for them!

Liezl and I were laughing thinking this is a slightly improved Philippine National Railways (PNR) version. The Home along the Riles and the rickety ride. But as compared to ours, their esteros are tolerable. There are garbage and smell, but tolerable. As the Lonely Planet warned, the circuit ride might not be a circuit afterall. Just the one-way track (going to Insein only track) that goes back again. We don’t mind though. And I’m aiming to watch the sunset.

We went outside, hail a cab and asked to be taken to Lake Kandawgyi. There is a platform in the lake that has an amazing view of the sunset with the Shwedagon pagoda as background.

We got soooo hungry by walking under the heat of the sun so we dined first at one of the restaurants inside the park and walked towards the lake.

It’s just the right moment when we got there. Then we walk to the trees facing Karawaeik Palace. The setting sun makes its golden paint glow. I was taking pictures when an old woman asked me where I’m from. Told here I’m from the Philippines and she immediately told me how wonderful Filipinas she met in one of the conferences she attended in Bangkok on disaster. She told me she is a disaster volunteer during the 2016 earthquake and she had met several women doing the same. She said she is amazed by how many disaster we Filipinos face each year. And I told her, well our biggest disaster still the post disaster management. She laughed at my honesty and nodded in agreement. We watched the sun set and she told us where to get the traditional food near the area, where she lives and introduced us to her husband who’s doing stretching at the other bench. She told me she’s 68 years old and I was surprised since she is very young looking still.

Rules should be explicit!!

The park closes at 6PM so we decided to wave goodbye and walked our way towards the hotel.

We spotted a tea house on our way from the airport to our hotel and we decided to try it for dinner. Try the World famous Modern Tea Shop along 91 Tamwe Road, Yangon.  One of the best local tea shops int he city. Teh tea culture have developed during the colonial era and much more during the military rule. This is where the locals discuss politics, literature and economy. 

They have a funny ‘sliding’ waiter, he slides his slippers on the tile floors while getting the orders. Ask for the English menu and order. They are included in the Time Magazine Article (April 2012), “Five Reason to Visit Yangon’ and they have that article printed in a big tarp! :D

They are so full of people and too busy serving them that they would not even change their menu with their now increased prices. Their menu is too old, it's already tattered! 
You can try their mohinkhar (traditional noodle and fish soup) and other traditional noodles from other state like Shan noodles. You can ask their local dishes or ask for the bestsellers. 

We walked back to our hotel and called it a day.