Another busy day of sightseeing here in Yangon. It began with good news that Sue’s luggage arrived late last night and she is a happy camper once again!  We all had another fabulous breakfast at the hotel before being picked up at 8:15 In order to reach the local train station where we were scheduled to take a popular tourist attraction called the “circle train”.

Near the train station we parked the car and walked through the neighborhood bordering the station where we saw everyday living. Breakfast out is very popular in Myanmar and small, family owned outdoor restaurants were everywhere. Breakfast is simple-a bowl of rice or curry, not ham and eggs. It was a fascinating insight into daily living here.

 

The circle train is actually a local, inexpensive train that people use to come into the city to their jobs and other needs. The train runs hourly and completes a 25km circular route that stops at 39 different stations picking up and dropping off people. It’s route takes you past different areas of the city and countryside and offers insight into the lives of the Burmese. A  complete route takes 3 hours, but we could get off earlier if we desired and our driver would meet us. Nyi Nyi accompanied us and provide dialog along the way, describing what we were seeing. Although it is a safe trip we were glad we had a local to guide us because of language issues. We did see the poorer side of the country and insight into how people lived in the rural areas. The experience was enhanced by locals selling food on board, vendors bringing  huge bags of produce that they hope to sell in the city. It was truly a study of everyday life in Myanmar.  We did get off the train after hour two of the three hour ride as the sights started to be repetitive.

Lunch was served at the House of Memories restaurant which is located in an old home that once housed the office of General Aung San during WWII. His office equipment is still on display there. Lunch included an interesting approach to a pumpkin soup which contained shaved pumpkin in a broth. Other dishes included tempura vegetables, an eggplant salad, sautéed vegetables, pork in a bean paste and curry chicken. Dessert was mochi (sweetened rice ball with a sugared nut inside) and fresh coconut. The meal was well received by all.

With appetites satisfied our next stop was at the local market place, which turned out to almost be overwhelming in size. There are hundreds of shops selling virtually everything one might need or want. We spent about 40 minutes wandering around looking for something we needed to have. I am always looking for a travel memory to add to my collection, be it a piece of inexpensive art or some local craft that will remind me of my visit to the area. Initially  nothing clicked  but near the end of our visit a young man stopped me to show me some watercolors of local scenes that he said he and his brother produced. Everyone claims they are the artist. Sometimes they are but it is more likely not true. I do not particularly care, I simply want the memory.  A small watercolor of some monks caught my eye and even Yvonne agreed she liked it, as it reminded us both of the sights of Myanmar. As a funny aside, as we reconnected with Gerry amd Sue (we had gone separate ways while exploring the market) We both were excited to see what the other had bought. Ironically both Gerry and I both purchased similar prints from the same artist! Great minds think alike?

The last stop of the afternoon was to see one of the largest reclining Buddhas in the country. It is 216 feet long and is an important shrine for the local people.

We returned to our hotel for a few hours before being taken to a local restaurant featuring a buffet and a cultural show of Burmese entertainment. The venue is on a floating barge patterned after the royal barge of past kings. Needless to say it was elaborate. The food was varied with an emphasis on Burmese and Indian dishes. The entertainers were mostly dancers, but there were several skits featuring a famous cultural entertainment- puppets. One particularly skit involved two persons. The first was a puppeteer, controlling a stringed puppet. The second involved a real girl who imitated being a puppet. It was quite unique and realistic. We were back at the hotel by 9 PM and eager to get to sleep as we were slated for a 4:30 AM wake-up call for our flight to Bagan, the second stop on our trip.

Before I quit I do have to relate a humorous (?) story about Myanmar cars and driving. I noted that virtually all the cars being driven were right hand drive( UK style), yet they drive on the right hand side of the road (US style). I asked our local guide why was it this way. He said that originally drivers did drive on the left hand side of the road, but recently politicians changed the rules, requiring  drivers to drive on the right side. Next will come a law that forces future cars to have the steering wheel on the left. What a mess sorting all that out!