Event free exit from Burma – arrived at KL – spent the best part of two hours getting baggage and then through KL traffic (awash with diplomats for APEC).
Set off promptly from Istana to Chinatown, where we bought some watches, a new suitcase for me and some cotton shirts for me.
Back to hotel with the loot, then off again for Golden Triangle (Jalan Alor) Hawkers stands, where we tried steamed balls, satays and dim sum very cheaply – beer cost much more than food !!
Home via traditional 7Eleven to get biscuits for Daiso.
The photographs from this part of this day are pictures 47 to 51 in this Flickr album – click here or below:
A placeholder piece which shows the full itinerary and has links to the albums of all our photographs for this trip can be found by clicking here or the link below:
[Then] on downtown to see old colonial buildings – City Hall, Rolls Building, High Court near Sule Pagoda and then Pansodan (Phayre) Street.
Drove on to Chinatown and the bustle to see the beautiful synagogue (Musmeah Yeshua) before heading out of town along Embassy road, where we saw more colonial buildings.
The photographs from this part of this day are pictures 35 to 46 in this Flickr album – click here or below:
A placeholder piece which shows the full itinerary and has links to the albums of all our photographs for this trip can be found by clicking here or the link below:
Set off quite early for Bago. Stopped briefly at the Taukkyan War Cemetery. Then a short stop at a simply ghastly government run hotel for over-priced farce with a saga behind getting a straw.
First stop, the market, where I bought bought lots of cheap watches and Janie dispensed loads of pens.
Next to Shwemawdaw Pagoda – bigger than the Shwedagon, but not so attractive. Next to the Shwethalyang Buddah – enormous reclining Buddha (55 m x 6 m)…
Then on to Kha Khat Wain Kyaung , lovely monastery where they were so keen to feed us, we had to eat some sweet meats.
Avoided “three coach” restaurant and tried new place, Yadanar Garden – opened only three days ago and we were the first foreign customers. Kyaw supervised the cooking and doled out loads of advice while doing so. We tasted good “nasi, goring” and cashews, fried pork, water convolvulus (vegetable), chicken and cashews and long gooey pork with spring onion. Very good.
Then on to Yangon Green Elephant shop (did not buy), Scott [Bogyoke Aung San] market – bought the rattan bamboo mats there instead, plus some earrings for Daiso
Driver, Maung Maung vanished on us, but we finally found him and got to the Chaukhtatgyi reclining Buddha ([seemed to us] smaller than Bago?– but said bigger! [66m])
Daisy examines Chaukhtatgyi’s feet
Back to hotel for wash and scrub, and then bought Japanese lacquerware at Elephant concession in hotel before going to Strand Hotel for dinner (chicken, salad, shrimp salad, chicken, curry, mutton curry, fried noodles and western chocolate sweet…really sweet.
The photographs from this day are pictures 09 to 34 in this Flickr album – click here or below:
A placeholder piece which shows the full itinerary and has links to the albums of all our photographs for this trip can be found by clicking here or the link below:
Slight delay, but got to Yangon in time to check back in to Inya Lake and then Shwedagon Pagoda in all its evening glory. Once days are faded in the humidity, humid evening heat, we returned to the hotel,
…bathed properly (hurrah) then off for dinner at Yuzana Garden, joined by Gareth Lloyd [agent] (EPL) for drink. We ate belly pork “almost May style” and roast duck. Tried to slag off Kyaw, but it didn’t work!!!
The photographs from this part of this day are pictures 01 to 08 in this Flickr album – click here or below:
A placeholder piece which shows the full itinerary and has links to the albums of all our photographs for this trip can be found by clicking here or the link below:
Rose early, flew to Mandalay and checked in at Sedona. First day of touring – The Mahamuni Pagoda with its bazaars on all sides and gold leaf covering of the image. A generous local invited Ged Ladd [Me] to apply some of his gold leaf to the Buddha. (See headline image also shown below). We see monks and nuns in the grounds and touch, healing Khmer statues.
This couple wedding-feasting at Eternal Restaurant
Eat at Eternal Restaurant with pork bun and Tom Yum soup and fine Chinese broccoli and not much else of note. Then on to see a factory where the gold leaf hammering is done. Daisy [Janie] dispensed pens with reckless abandon. Then onto the grounds of the Old Palace, now containing a somewhat gaudy replica. (The British “did a Wurtzburg” on the original at the end of World War II).
Daisy surveying the “Old” Palace
Then onto Shwenandaw Monastery (part of the old palace, which had been built and moved “MFI/IKEA style”) with fine, old wood, carvings…
Atumashi – stunning on the outside…...while the naffness of this game show Buddha has to be seen live for the full effect
…and then on to Kuthodaw Pagoda, with amazing tombstone-like slabs of Buddhist Scriptures. There the local girls told Janie how pretty I am (as usual). Across the way to the Sandamuni Pagoda, where the unfortunately named U-Khanti translated, Pali scriptures into Burmese.
Ian politely tells Khaw that we are “pagodad out” now
Home for a quick siesta before going up to the Mandalay Hill to watch the sunset
Sedona for siesta
Another short break before going across the road for a Burmese meal at Pyigyimon Restaurant – mostly notable for a superb lentil soup and “sandal leather” beef – the curry sauces were good.
A placeholder piece which shows the full itinerary and has links to the albums of all our photographs for this trip can be found by clicking here or the link below:
Monday 2 November 1998 – Left London in morning. Flew day/night to Kuala Lumpur, then transit on to Rangoon arriving mid morning 3 November.
Tuesday 3 November 1998 – Tired and travel weary. Met by Ko Kyaw, our guide. Slept afternoon – rose early evening. Looked around Hotel [Inya Lake] – dined in “Grill” restaurant. Tried varied Burmese menu, including chicken salad, tomato salad, mango pickle, shrimp condiment, chicken curry, snapper & shrimp, vegetable vermicelli, mixed vegetables, mung bean soup, and Burmese tea.
We must have been seriously travel weary when we arrived in Yangon, as we didn’t take a single, solitary photograph that day. In our defence, we knew that we would be returning to Yangon later in our trip.
A placeholder piece which shows the full itinerary and has links to the albums of all our photographs for this trip can be found by clicking here or the link below:
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