Yangon. Myanmar

Min-gala-ba! Here we are in Yangon, the former capital of Myanmar. 48 hours ago we arrived here with our three exhausted but hearty children. After a 10 hr flight from NZ, arriving early morning into Singapore we had a chance to stretch our legs taking in Chinatown, then a freshen up before heading back to Changi for our flight to Yangon.

Like many cities when you first head out to explore by foot there is so much to take in, walking is a great way to see anywhere so to be amongst the residential apartment buildings with market stalls on street kerbs it gave us a real glimpse into the everyday lives of the local Burmese. Like many cities in the developing world the streets of downtown Yangon are dirty, damp and chaotic on the surface but underneath, if you let them, they draw you in with an infectious vibrancy. Stray dogs roam, rickety rusty buses with no doors ply their route and street vendors adorn every spot imaginable but do not let this deter you, for many Burmese this is their life, they know no different, they are extremely hard workers, kind, welcoming and very curious about these five westerners. We have endured many staring eyes, given there are not many western tourists, especially any with kids! But we feel safe, everyone is polite and eager to say “hello”. We tried different street food, some we had no idea what it was but the rice noodle bowls were a firm favorite.

Day one was spent around the downtown area and a look at the port on the Yangon river, as Yangon is inland this is a major transport route for shipping. We visited Sule Pagoda (more on pagodas soon) and stumbled across Riverbank Gallery, which Matt had read about somewhere as being owned by a New Zealander so we popped into say hi. It was great to chat with Gill and Gavin who have lived here for 12 years, extremely welcoming, a wonderful gallery full of original works from Burmese artists and very tolerant of travel wary children! Do pop in and see them if you are passing through. We also spent time in a market place with mostly clothes-accessories, there are very few western brands but we spotted the occasional ‘copy’ which made us giggle such as a cap emblazoned with ‘Quicks liver’. The children discovered an amusement arcade with over 100 games/machines they had a ball, they were in their element  playing air hockey and “wii” type games with fellow gamers & sharing plenty of laughter. Great value, they purchased 24 tokens which cost approx $3NZD.

Our children were great, they followed us through the streets, negotiating their umbrellas through the low awnings and passers by, we walked many miles and they were still a bit tired. They were quiet as they observed their new surroundings and adapted to the heat, but they soon came out of their shells………

On day two we had the honour of being guided by a local connection through Matt’s work. Having an english speaking local sure made a difference and allow us to see a lot more of the city. Early morning saw us take in  Dagon, an area known for its embassies & parliament, for a traditional breakfast of Mohinga, a rice noodle soup with fish, it was delicious but I don’t think I could eat it every morning as many locals do.

The Highlight of the day was visiting Shwedagon Pagoda, it is 2500 years old and even more spectacular than expected, in fact I did get the goose bump & teary eye thing happening! It is glorious, words can not describe the brilliance of the detail that surrounds you. The pagoda is a sacred place where Buddhist have come for thousands of years, to worship and gather together with many traditions bestowed. We each had the opportunity to wet a Buddha that presented the day of the week we were born, this brings good luck. For many westerners this experience would be missed without the knowledge of a local guide, if you were to come here in the future it is highly recommended to employ the services of one. They are not expensive (about $10NZD) and add so much to the experience of a visit.

During our visit we had a sudden downpour, they occur on a frequent basis in many Asian countries however our children had never experienced this. The laughter from them was infectious “who turned the tap on” “I am soaking wet” it really was brilliant! It felt almost therapeutic to be walking barefoot through the puddles afterwards.

Our evening saw us having a stroll through Chinatown as it was being set up for the evening. We had enjoyed a rather large lunch at a BBQ duck restaurant which was delicious but boy we were full. We had no appetite for dinner, but possibly we were also put off by the chickens running around then being served on a skewer at the next stall.

Farewell Yangon you have been captivating and we are so glad to be here, who knows how the city will be in years to come when it has only been in recent years tourists have been allowed to visit.