The bus finally stopped at the bus station on the outskirts of Yangon at 4am. We sat in a small restaurant and waited until a more sociable hour. The restaurant was busy and we are certain it operated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The whole place reminded us of India. Not so much of India now but more in the past when most of India was really quite grubby!
We drank coffee and tea whilst the restaurant TV played an English football match. We asked directions to the local bus to take us downtown. Bus 36. We walked to the main road, flagged down bus 36 and climbed on. We spoke to the driver and he spoke to us but neither had a clue what each other said. In a few minutes the bus pulled into a bus station. The driver then pointed at another number 36 and said something in a very polite manner that we think meant ...
"You need that bus over there, you have been going the wrong way. Did you not notice my bus was empty and not in service? Try again ... English tourists!"
We got the correct 36 bus to the centre. We jumped out at the last stop, Sule Pagoda. A few minutes walk from the Sule Pagoda was our backpackers. Separate dorms for the night, male and female, as hotel rooms are quite pricey!
We dropped our bags, took on free coffee, orange squash and water and hit the town for some exploring. Yangon feels a bit like India in the centre too, with a number of mosques and brightly coloured Hindu temples. We have also seen a number of large gold stupas rising into the sky and many old colonial buildings. Tomorrow we are waiting to investigate further.
For lunch today we found a Myanmar pickled tea rice salad which we thoroughly enjoyed. Continuing our walk, we found various markets, a Chinatown and an area a bit like a little India. As the day came to a close we watched the sunset over the Yangon River. Very nice indeed!
We searched for street food but came across a cosy little restaurant where we ate a delicious dish of rice and vegetables in some kind of gravy. Across the street we heard announcements being made, so we went to take a look.
Well, we are not exactly sure what was happening but we believe it was a religious event. There was a red carpet, various cameras and screens and lots of people sitting on mats. We were called in to the area and given food and something to drink. We didn't really know what to do as no one could really explain. We sat and copied everyone else. Everyone turned towards the red carpet and showed respect by holding their hands in prayer. A monk was escorted down the isle with a procession of flags, bells and conch shell bugles. A special seat was delivered to the monk and he sat and began praying with everyone copying his words.
We stayed and listened to his calming voice and laughter before we had to leave. We need to find out more from someone ...
