Yangon Diaries
Agreed that a two-and-a-half day visit, that too only to Yangon, the most populous of the cities of Myanmar, and most of which was spent in the hotel and client's office is not enough to give a fair representation of the country. But then, no matter how much you travel, nothing ever is. So here's to an addition to the list of locations I have traveled, which according to a travel portal is only 139 cities (seems more for sure) - my first visit to Myanmar, a lesser-known and lesser-accessible neighbor of India in South Asia.
Quite frankly I did not know much about the place, apart from some bits of history and that we share some border with the Burmese. As a practice, I have stopped reading about places before visiting. These days information is cheap and the online overload just kills the sense of awe and amazement from travel experiences. I made it a point not to look up about Myanmar before starting (apart from some basic customary browsing and talking to the client of course - force of habit you see). But that little background did not prepare me for what I was getting into. There is just so much that amazed me in this trip that I am still trying to figure out how I 'feel' about it. This travelogue is more about just listing down things that happened, rather than being able to comment on them.
Getting to Yangon is possible through a hopping connection, as there are no direct flights. I am bound to Yangon with a layover at Bangkok, so the actual flying time of only about five and a half hours results in a whole day spent in travelling. Thankfully Bangkok airport has sufficient places to eat and spend time, so this is not entirely unpleasant.
The surprises start coming up the moment I land at Yangon Mingalardon International Airport. The airport is as tiny as the one in Trivendrum, Kerala. But there the similarities end. The immigration is poorly managed, and the queues are long. For a place with such limited foreign visitors as Yangon, one hardly expects to wait in a queue of foreigners.
For Indians there is visa on arrival. All you need to do is apply online in order to avoid further delays on arrival. I believe tourist visa costs US$ 50, and that is quite a bit. The currency Burmese Kyat (pronounced 'chhat') is highly devalued, so when I change some Indian rupees at the airport, I suddenly have thousands and thousands of Myanmar kyats. Although I have had such experiences in the past - even in developed countries like South Korea - it always takes a little bit of getting used to before one is comfortable paying 3,500 local bucks for a cup of coffee (this is about US$ 3 with a rate of 1 USD to 1,200 MM, so in real terms its not that bad)!
Of course, even this is a bit high as the coffee place at the office is run by a social organization, and part of the profits go to charity. In Burma, considering the standard of living, there are several of these charitable institutes, and the country depends a lot on foreign funding. It is just that, like mentioned before, it gets some getting used to shell out MM 4,500 for half a Tuna sandwich. Interestingly, there are several billboards across the city that advertise these different charitable institutions, and some are Buddhist or Christian charities.
The driver assigned to me welcomes me with a smile - which is always a good sign in an alien place, and is able to converse a bit although his English is very broken. He is wearing a Lungyee (sarong) below, and this is the second thing that takes a while getting used to. Even in the office, several men wear lungyees and it is considered part of the formal attire. Only recently people have started to dress up in full western attires. But even now lungyees rule the streets of Yangon. It is a bit unsettling at first to address an audience with men wearing lungyees.
The next one is a biggie, although it takes me a moment or two to realize this. Most cars in Myanmar are dumped here and resold from other countries like Thailand or Japan. Every fifth car is the earlier less successful version of Honda Jazz, called Fit here. So now we know where they all went!
Due to this unusual condition, most cars are right hand drive - like in Australia or Malaysia or the Britain or India. But here's the confusing piece - they drive on RIGHT side of the road, like in the US or in China. I have seen just one pick up truck with left hand drive, but other than that all vehicles seem to be right hand drive, driven on the right side of the road. Imagine what happens on a roundabout!
While none of the Burmese people find this unusual as they were born in this, they usually have no explanation why this is so. It has been like this forever - is what seems to be the general consensus. There is no way any foreigner can ever get used to this. For the entire time of my visit, I keep wondering which side to get in the car from and which door I should open to get out. Most of the time I just sit behind with eyes screwed shut, as other cars keep coming in to me from the 'wrong' side.
Maybe there is an advantage of this unique situation. None of the foreign drivers can easily drive cars in Myanmar, so if the cars are stolen most likely the thieves should be local and easier to trace. And it also locks down Burmese drivers to 'export' their skills out of the country I suppose. It is like the Mumbai local trains - all their lights and fixtures run on 110 volts, instead of 220 volts. So no one steals these as these are useless anywhere else in India!
The fact that there are no central dividers for most parts even for streets busy with flowing traffic and four lanes, makes matters worse.
The traffic seems terrible, even at night. I keep thinking something seems oddly missing, so I ask the local driver. He does not understand what I mean. Then it dawns on me - I am not seeing any bikes or two-wheelers on the road. The next day folks from the office confirm this. Bikes, scooters, tri-shaws of any kind are forbidden in the entire region of Yangon. What? Really? Yes, not just the downtown areas or main busy districts, bikes are not allowed across the entire state or province. This creates a huge challenge for people running offices and businesses, as the commute is solely dependent on public transport - which, at best, is unreliable. Most offices have to provide their own transport, in order to ensure people come to work on time.
I am booked in a new Novotel hotel, which is a standard business hotel, but has terrible and unreasonably expensive food and service. Consider that I pay MM 25,000 for a smelly fish curry here - whereas I can get an excellent full-course seafood dinner with beer for just MM 5,000 across the street. Anyway, it is late in the night and I am new to the place, so I retire to the room.
The next day morning is cloudy. On the way to the office, we pass the Kandawgyi Lake (pronounced "Kanoji"), famous for the water festival in April and also a place for recreation for people. The water festival has become bigger in the recent years than in the past, and in what some might say a call for the youth, it provides a platform for people to just come out and have some fun. There aren't many sources of recreation in the place anyway. This festival usually marks the Burmese new year in April. Today in August, the place is more a jogging track and walkway. You can also see groups of people doing aerobic dances each morning, just like one sees across China. This seems to be the latest fad sweeping all Asian countries, as I have seen such groups even in other countries.
The boards across the town are almost entirely written in Burmese language. It has a very similar jalebi structure as Kannada, and Wikipedia says that the two scripts are related. Most billboards have young boys and girls donning western hip-hop style clothes, which have probably considered 'modern' and 'in vogue' here but have mostly gone out of style everywhere else. The language sounds similar in tone as Thai, and is a combination of sweet and at the same time a bit nasal.
There are several small shack-like places on the pavements. I am told that these shacks are an institution in itself. Most Burmese men and young boys will spend their hours idling at these shacks, smoking and drinking tea or coffee. Kinda like addas in Kolkata. Apparently the Malaysian Teh Tarik (pulled tea) is popular here, and so is the Indian masala chai. In fact, most places to eat have this trait - they take from different cuisines and locals love them. Samosas, an Indian snack, are popular for breakfast. So are noodles. But the staple food is fish and rice. Most people I spoke with will happily have rice all three times of the day. Most people also like to try out different cuisines. The Burmese cuisine is not as popular at its Thai cuisine and considered to be rather oily and pungent by outsiders.
The client's office is within the erstwhile University campus. It seems that the military government tried to move most of the university outside of Yangon, what with all the trouble (!) students create. There are still some educational buildings within the city, but others are given to offices and private companies. People are generally very pleasant, although they seem to be less accustomed to dealing with foreigners than their neighbor Thailand. Tourists are far and few. Language is of course a huge issue, but they compensate that with broad smiles.
In the office, the folks are of course very bright, young and hungry to learn about the outside world. Not many have traveled abroad, although the nature of work I have with them makes some of them come from the Middle East. They ask intelligent questions, are curious about the answers, and I am pleasantly surprised about the amount of information they are able to take in. I am able to get along with most of them famously.
Most women, and this is another thing it takes a bit getting used to, wear sandal paste on their cheeks. This is more true for the working class, but even ladies in executive positions seem to be wearing this. Almost all women security guards, janitors and helpers at the hotel, airport, and in shops wear the paste, and that too in a particular manner. It's kind of a natural 'foundation' I suppose. Even some men seem to be wearing it, especially young guys trying to get rid of their pimples and acne.
The food in Yangon is mostly local, or localized. Several street food joints lace the walkways, just like in Bangkok - but sadly seem less hygienic. I tried one Thai joint, and it was extremely nice. The preparation was authentic Thai, and the service was excellent. But normally the visual of the street joints is not very inviting. There are several beer bars near the Novotel hotel, near a mall called Junction Square. People seem to get to these places on weekend for a round of beer.
On the first night for dinner, I am taken to a nice restaurant called Sharkys by my host. It is not related to the "Shakeys" chain, and this one is owned by a local who started as a butcher and is now a famous restaurateur featured in New York Times. There is a bakery below, and the sitting is upstairs. It is quite upmarket, and modern. The food is excellent, and is made with good and organic material. A dinner for two costs around MM 45,000 (about US$ 40).
The second day in Yangon begins bright and sunny, but the weather is unreliable, just like the local politics. While we drive to work, talks get to a point where I ask about the upcoming general elections in November. There is an uneasiness about this. Although it is expected that the political conditions are more conducive for a real democracy than they ever were, things are not that simple.
Aung San Suu Kyi, the most popular leader and daughter of their 'father of nation', is currently in her 70's, and although popular and forceful, she has not given any indications about policy and governance, nor does she have a clear successor. Meanwhile, the army is hoping that the results of elections are favorable to them, so that they continue doing what they were doing and wield power. The iron fist of former generals has already become visible in ousting the current speaker of the assembly and in purging of the ranks of the ruling party.
Anyway, these things matter little to the person on street, as he continues to struggle with prices and transportation and constant flooding and basic amenities and paying a fortune for a decent meal. During the day, it gets hot and humid, with clouds hanging above. We sweat even in the air conditioned office. But there are sporadic showers in the afternoon and things cool down by the evening. I am told by the locals that since this is my first visit, I must go around seeing the places of attraction in Yangon.
The only place of attraction, apart from the lake, that I visit in this trip is the Shwedagon pagoda. Anyway Yangon does not have much in terms of places of interest. For that one has to visit Mandalay, capital of the last fallen kingdom. Of course, we know Mandalay more for its prison during the British Rule, where Lokmanya Tilak - a famous and influential leader of the national congress at that time (before it all became the Gandhi story) - was imprisoned, and where he wrote the scholarly treatise - called Gita Rahasya - on Bhagwad Gita. How ironic it is, that the British imprisoned Tilak, who hailed from the small town of Ratnagiri in Konkan, Maharashtra in a prison at Mandalay, and then took the Burmese king from Mandalay and put him under house arrest in a house atop a hill in Ratnagiri.
Coming back to Yangon, the Shwedagon pagoda is a huge 16th century Buddhist temple, famously known as the Golden Pagoda. The base of the pagoda is laced with gold bricks, and people donate gold here for maintenance and upkeep. The top of the pagoda is said to have 4,000 diamonds and 2,000 rubies. In short, it is very shiny.
Visiting the pagoda in the evening is a very pleasant experience. The entrance to the pagoda is guarded by two huge white and golden Chinthe - famous man-lion figures from Asian myths. You can climb the pagoda from any of the four directions, and there are escalators that take you three flights to the place. The first sight of the pagoda from up close, even though you keep seeing it from far while you are driving around the city, is a moment of awe. It can be compared to seeing the pyramids from far in Cairo and then finally going to visit them from close. It just takes your breath away for a moment.
The pagoda is all golden and shiny and shimmering, and in the evening it bathes in the fluorescent halogens. When I reach the pagoda, it has just stopped raining and so the weather is perfect. There is a walking path around the pagoda, with the usual praying wheels and places to lit the lamps. There are several smaller structures around the main cone of the pagoda. At each of the four ends, they have relics of the four different Buddhas. It is all calming and silent, apart from the sound of a gong that people occasionally ring. At different corners there are large groups of locals sitting and chanting slowly, and that transports you to an entirely different era and world.
Spiritual or not, this is bound to make one feel more peaceful and calm. The mind starts to wander over the world and an alien thought rings in -- for a country often infamous for being the least developed in this region, with abject poverty and limited means, -- here lies a pile of gold, not buried but in full display and splendor and even approval of those who need sustenance. Strange indeed are the ways of the world !!
On the way back, I stop by at the Junction mall. It is a small seedy shopping arcade, similar to the ones we had in Mumbai a decade ago. The ground floor is crammed with shops selling gems and jewelry, but they are all closed by now as it is post eight thirty in the evening. In Yangon, all businesses shut shop around this time. The mall has hardly anything else, so I wander off on the road, catch some nice roadside Thai dinner that I mentioned about earlier, and then return to the hotel and prepare for the next day, which is a working weekend for me.
The Saturday should have less traffic on the road, but that difference is marginal. At the office, the canteen is closed, so we are required to drive outside the university campus for lunch. There is a local "Indian" restaurant, which serves passable north Indian dishes - which, wrongly, include chicken tikka masala, and that gives me ample fodder to regale / bore my hosts with how most dishes on the menu are not really Indian. They suffer me as Indian or not, the chicken tikka masala seems to be a favorite, as are the other imports from Indian cuisine here - like dosas and samosas.
In the evening, it is pouring like crazy. It seems like storm, hot and humid and still heavy showers. The roads are flooded and the traffic is crazy. Against good judgement, we decide to go to downtown, get stuck in traffic, but finally reach a restaurant that serves buffet. The selection and taste is quite marginal, but it appears to be a local favorite. There is a separate Japanese section, which tells you how popular the Japanese cuisine is in here. People gorge on sushi and sashimi along with miso soup like they invented it. It is quite good though, so I don't mind the indulgence.
In the end, I buy some customary food supplies from a nearby grocery store, some jade trinkets just to tick the box, and head back. This has been a most interesting short visit, and I look forward to more. As it is, there was hardly anything that I could explore this time. That we will keep for the next time. The general impression of the short visit is that although it is not a 'Swasdikha' of Bangkok or 'Selamat Pagi' of KL, but a 'Mingalabar' of Yangon would do just fine!
- Peace
Shreekant
30 August 2015
 |
| Jade stone trinkets at a Yangon market |
 |
| Burmese script on a T-shirt |
 |
| Different ethnic groups in Myanmar and their traditional costumes |
Getting to Yangon is possible through a hopping connection, as there are no direct flights. I am bound to Yangon with a layover at Bangkok, so the actual flying time of only about five and a half hours results in a whole day spent in travelling. Thankfully Bangkok airport has sufficient places to eat and spend time, so this is not entirely unpleasant.
The surprises start coming up the moment I land at Yangon Mingalardon International Airport. The airport is as tiny as the one in Trivendrum, Kerala. But there the similarities end. The immigration is poorly managed, and the queues are long. For a place with such limited foreign visitors as Yangon, one hardly expects to wait in a queue of foreigners.
For Indians there is visa on arrival. All you need to do is apply online in order to avoid further delays on arrival. I believe tourist visa costs US$ 50, and that is quite a bit. The currency Burmese Kyat (pronounced 'chhat') is highly devalued, so when I change some Indian rupees at the airport, I suddenly have thousands and thousands of Myanmar kyats. Although I have had such experiences in the past - even in developed countries like South Korea - it always takes a little bit of getting used to before one is comfortable paying 3,500 local bucks for a cup of coffee (this is about US$ 3 with a rate of 1 USD to 1,200 MM, so in real terms its not that bad)!
Of course, even this is a bit high as the coffee place at the office is run by a social organization, and part of the profits go to charity. In Burma, considering the standard of living, there are several of these charitable institutes, and the country depends a lot on foreign funding. It is just that, like mentioned before, it gets some getting used to shell out MM 4,500 for half a Tuna sandwich. Interestingly, there are several billboards across the city that advertise these different charitable institutions, and some are Buddhist or Christian charities.
 |
| Lungyees everywhere |
The next one is a biggie, although it takes me a moment or two to realize this. Most cars in Myanmar are dumped here and resold from other countries like Thailand or Japan. Every fifth car is the earlier less successful version of Honda Jazz, called Fit here. So now we know where they all went!
Due to this unusual condition, most cars are right hand drive - like in Australia or Malaysia or the Britain or India. But here's the confusing piece - they drive on RIGHT side of the road, like in the US or in China. I have seen just one pick up truck with left hand drive, but other than that all vehicles seem to be right hand drive, driven on the right side of the road. Imagine what happens on a roundabout!
While none of the Burmese people find this unusual as they were born in this, they usually have no explanation why this is so. It has been like this forever - is what seems to be the general consensus. There is no way any foreigner can ever get used to this. For the entire time of my visit, I keep wondering which side to get in the car from and which door I should open to get out. Most of the time I just sit behind with eyes screwed shut, as other cars keep coming in to me from the 'wrong' side.
Maybe there is an advantage of this unique situation. None of the foreign drivers can easily drive cars in Myanmar, so if the cars are stolen most likely the thieves should be local and easier to trace. And it also locks down Burmese drivers to 'export' their skills out of the country I suppose. It is like the Mumbai local trains - all their lights and fixtures run on 110 volts, instead of 220 volts. So no one steals these as these are useless anywhere else in India!
The fact that there are no central dividers for most parts even for streets busy with flowing traffic and four lanes, makes matters worse.
The traffic seems terrible, even at night. I keep thinking something seems oddly missing, so I ask the local driver. He does not understand what I mean. Then it dawns on me - I am not seeing any bikes or two-wheelers on the road. The next day folks from the office confirm this. Bikes, scooters, tri-shaws of any kind are forbidden in the entire region of Yangon. What? Really? Yes, not just the downtown areas or main busy districts, bikes are not allowed across the entire state or province. This creates a huge challenge for people running offices and businesses, as the commute is solely dependent on public transport - which, at best, is unreliable. Most offices have to provide their own transport, in order to ensure people come to work on time.
I am booked in a new Novotel hotel, which is a standard business hotel, but has terrible and unreasonably expensive food and service. Consider that I pay MM 25,000 for a smelly fish curry here - whereas I can get an excellent full-course seafood dinner with beer for just MM 5,000 across the street. Anyway, it is late in the night and I am new to the place, so I retire to the room.
The next day morning is cloudy. On the way to the office, we pass the Kandawgyi Lake (pronounced "Kanoji"), famous for the water festival in April and also a place for recreation for people. The water festival has become bigger in the recent years than in the past, and in what some might say a call for the youth, it provides a platform for people to just come out and have some fun. There aren't many sources of recreation in the place anyway. This festival usually marks the Burmese new year in April. Today in August, the place is more a jogging track and walkway. You can also see groups of people doing aerobic dances each morning, just like one sees across China. This seems to be the latest fad sweeping all Asian countries, as I have seen such groups even in other countries.
The boards across the town are almost entirely written in Burmese language. It has a very similar jalebi structure as Kannada, and Wikipedia says that the two scripts are related. Most billboards have young boys and girls donning western hip-hop style clothes, which have probably considered 'modern' and 'in vogue' here but have mostly gone out of style everywhere else. The language sounds similar in tone as Thai, and is a combination of sweet and at the same time a bit nasal.
There are several small shack-like places on the pavements. I am told that these shacks are an institution in itself. Most Burmese men and young boys will spend their hours idling at these shacks, smoking and drinking tea or coffee. Kinda like addas in Kolkata. Apparently the Malaysian Teh Tarik (pulled tea) is popular here, and so is the Indian masala chai. In fact, most places to eat have this trait - they take from different cuisines and locals love them. Samosas, an Indian snack, are popular for breakfast. So are noodles. But the staple food is fish and rice. Most people I spoke with will happily have rice all three times of the day. Most people also like to try out different cuisines. The Burmese cuisine is not as popular at its Thai cuisine and considered to be rather oily and pungent by outsiders.
The client's office is within the erstwhile University campus. It seems that the military government tried to move most of the university outside of Yangon, what with all the trouble (!) students create. There are still some educational buildings within the city, but others are given to offices and private companies. People are generally very pleasant, although they seem to be less accustomed to dealing with foreigners than their neighbor Thailand. Tourists are far and few. Language is of course a huge issue, but they compensate that with broad smiles.
In the office, the folks are of course very bright, young and hungry to learn about the outside world. Not many have traveled abroad, although the nature of work I have with them makes some of them come from the Middle East. They ask intelligent questions, are curious about the answers, and I am pleasantly surprised about the amount of information they are able to take in. I am able to get along with most of them famously.
Most women, and this is another thing it takes a bit getting used to, wear sandal paste on their cheeks. This is more true for the working class, but even ladies in executive positions seem to be wearing this. Almost all women security guards, janitors and helpers at the hotel, airport, and in shops wear the paste, and that too in a particular manner. It's kind of a natural 'foundation' I suppose. Even some men seem to be wearing it, especially young guys trying to get rid of their pimples and acne.
The food in Yangon is mostly local, or localized. Several street food joints lace the walkways, just like in Bangkok - but sadly seem less hygienic. I tried one Thai joint, and it was extremely nice. The preparation was authentic Thai, and the service was excellent. But normally the visual of the street joints is not very inviting. There are several beer bars near the Novotel hotel, near a mall called Junction Square. People seem to get to these places on weekend for a round of beer.
On the first night for dinner, I am taken to a nice restaurant called Sharkys by my host. It is not related to the "Shakeys" chain, and this one is owned by a local who started as a butcher and is now a famous restaurateur featured in New York Times. There is a bakery below, and the sitting is upstairs. It is quite upmarket, and modern. The food is excellent, and is made with good and organic material. A dinner for two costs around MM 45,000 (about US$ 40).
 |
| Grilled Organic Chicken Sharky's |
Aung San Suu Kyi, the most popular leader and daughter of their 'father of nation', is currently in her 70's, and although popular and forceful, she has not given any indications about policy and governance, nor does she have a clear successor. Meanwhile, the army is hoping that the results of elections are favorable to them, so that they continue doing what they were doing and wield power. The iron fist of former generals has already become visible in ousting the current speaker of the assembly and in purging of the ranks of the ruling party.
Anyway, these things matter little to the person on street, as he continues to struggle with prices and transportation and constant flooding and basic amenities and paying a fortune for a decent meal. During the day, it gets hot and humid, with clouds hanging above. We sweat even in the air conditioned office. But there are sporadic showers in the afternoon and things cool down by the evening. I am told by the locals that since this is my first visit, I must go around seeing the places of attraction in Yangon.
The only place of attraction, apart from the lake, that I visit in this trip is the Shwedagon pagoda. Anyway Yangon does not have much in terms of places of interest. For that one has to visit Mandalay, capital of the last fallen kingdom. Of course, we know Mandalay more for its prison during the British Rule, where Lokmanya Tilak - a famous and influential leader of the national congress at that time (before it all became the Gandhi story) - was imprisoned, and where he wrote the scholarly treatise - called Gita Rahasya - on Bhagwad Gita. How ironic it is, that the British imprisoned Tilak, who hailed from the small town of Ratnagiri in Konkan, Maharashtra in a prison at Mandalay, and then took the Burmese king from Mandalay and put him under house arrest in a house atop a hill in Ratnagiri.
Coming back to Yangon, the Shwedagon pagoda is a huge 16th century Buddhist temple, famously known as the Golden Pagoda. The base of the pagoda is laced with gold bricks, and people donate gold here for maintenance and upkeep. The top of the pagoda is said to have 4,000 diamonds and 2,000 rubies. In short, it is very shiny.
 |
| Shwedagon Pagoda at night |
 |
| Golden engravings at the Pagoda |
Visiting the pagoda in the evening is a very pleasant experience. The entrance to the pagoda is guarded by two huge white and golden Chinthe - famous man-lion figures from Asian myths. You can climb the pagoda from any of the four directions, and there are escalators that take you three flights to the place. The first sight of the pagoda from up close, even though you keep seeing it from far while you are driving around the city, is a moment of awe. It can be compared to seeing the pyramids from far in Cairo and then finally going to visit them from close. It just takes your breath away for a moment.
 |
| Chinthe at the Pagoda's sides |
 |
| The Northern Entrance of the Golden Pagoda |
 |
| Golden stairway to golden heaven |
Spiritual or not, this is bound to make one feel more peaceful and calm. The mind starts to wander over the world and an alien thought rings in -- for a country often infamous for being the least developed in this region, with abject poverty and limited means, -- here lies a pile of gold, not buried but in full display and splendor and even approval of those who need sustenance. Strange indeed are the ways of the world !!
On the way back, I stop by at the Junction mall. It is a small seedy shopping arcade, similar to the ones we had in Mumbai a decade ago. The ground floor is crammed with shops selling gems and jewelry, but they are all closed by now as it is post eight thirty in the evening. In Yangon, all businesses shut shop around this time. The mall has hardly anything else, so I wander off on the road, catch some nice roadside Thai dinner that I mentioned about earlier, and then return to the hotel and prepare for the next day, which is a working weekend for me.
The Saturday should have less traffic on the road, but that difference is marginal. At the office, the canteen is closed, so we are required to drive outside the university campus for lunch. There is a local "Indian" restaurant, which serves passable north Indian dishes - which, wrongly, include chicken tikka masala, and that gives me ample fodder to regale / bore my hosts with how most dishes on the menu are not really Indian. They suffer me as Indian or not, the chicken tikka masala seems to be a favorite, as are the other imports from Indian cuisine here - like dosas and samosas.
In the evening, it is pouring like crazy. It seems like storm, hot and humid and still heavy showers. The roads are flooded and the traffic is crazy. Against good judgement, we decide to go to downtown, get stuck in traffic, but finally reach a restaurant that serves buffet. The selection and taste is quite marginal, but it appears to be a local favorite. There is a separate Japanese section, which tells you how popular the Japanese cuisine is in here. People gorge on sushi and sashimi along with miso soup like they invented it. It is quite good though, so I don't mind the indulgence.
In the end, I buy some customary food supplies from a nearby grocery store, some jade trinkets just to tick the box, and head back. This has been a most interesting short visit, and I look forward to more. As it is, there was hardly anything that I could explore this time. That we will keep for the next time. The general impression of the short visit is that although it is not a 'Swasdikha' of Bangkok or 'Selamat Pagi' of KL, but a 'Mingalabar' of Yangon would do just fine!
- Peace
Shreekant
30 August 2015
Comments