The idea of flying to MYanmar is not just because I can get the cheapest ticket but Myanmar has in my wishlist already, so before exploring a very far away countries, I better understand and feel the ASEAN Countries first. Some friends tell that the culture are more or less the same between one to another in Indo Chine / Mekong Countries but I do not want to skip a moment of being local in those countries anyway. I must tell you that my typical travel style is like hit and run, the itinerary is exactly very rush one. But I keep enjoying the adventure style that I prefered, maybe because my day off is not too much, so I only can travel with 'hit and run' style (rushing)
Oh well, my flight from Kuala Lumpur to Yangon was the first flight by Air Asia AK502 around 6 am. Flight was so pleasant one and arrive safely in Yangon Internation Airport (RGN). It is just a small airport like in Phnom Penh, Cambodia or Hanoi, VN in term of the size I guess. Soon as we reached out the ground, we try to search for an airport free wifi *_* hihi...and exactly we found one that works very well and fast. In fact, we found the que in the immigration checking point was too long so we looked for the electric socket for charging our mobile devices. Yes we found it behind the information desk. Thus, we were too busy to plug in our battery for our phone charging while chatting hahaha...all of us. Oh wait, then I went to the toilet and I met a Toilet Valet, a lady, with a thick square powder swipe on her cheek, first I think owh she probably in her break time and put that powder on her cheek. such as a relaxing time because I am aware the kind of powder in my country is called a cool powder but we only use it at home yet it makes our face more cold and feel fresh after use it. Well I continued, after the queing was almost finished, we approached the immigration check point, we all noticed that all immigration officers are Women !! Wow, they are very kind, they smile, make a kind conversation to us and it is absolutely given a very kind impression to this country, a good strategy of the Burmesse government (smile). So that after we got our passport stamping, we directly went to the bank inside the terminal for changing the USD to Kyat, the Local Currency. At the time the currency was 1 USD = 1200 kyat. What a surprise that we see those ladies at the bank cashier also put the similar powder on their cheek, wew, what is that mean ? Then we are hurry open the uncle google to get more informations about that, we found it, it is called Thanaka powder hmmm good. Okay then, we are done with the money exchange activities, now we have to find the Airport Taxi Counter to order it and took us to our hotel in the downtown Yangon. Walking out from the exit door terminal we found again another unique culture, all men there outside were wearing sarong / longyi and it amazed us. I compared with my country, men also wearing sarong IF they are at home, do a lazy thing like watching television or they go to pray at the nearby mosque, these are only two common things in my country for a man wearing sarong. So it was a big surprise for us to see a different one but anyway this is it, time for us to explore things here within '2' days.
Taxi ride to the down town seems far because of the traffic along the way and the road we were passing by was not a big one. Heading up to down town can capture it clearly that so many dirty buidlings with no maintanance and perhaps empty, are spread everywhere in the downtown. Wew, it is to bad seeing the fact of Central Yangon was impressed me as a fihthy city just because of the not maintennce / empty apartments, buidling in the city that looks so creepy, too bad. We finally arrived at our guest house at Botataung Pagoda Rd. It is exactly in the heart of Yangon Central, very close to Bogyoke Market, Sule Pagoda, easy to go to Shwedagon Pagoda, Kandawgyi Lake imposing Karaweik a replica of a Royal barge, also many restaurants to eat and small shopping centres. So first day in Yangon was we went shopping to Bogyoke Market (it is named as Scott Market as well). Before heading the shopping area we try find a local cuisine restauran there are plenty of it but I choose Lucky Seven Restaurant as recommended by Trip Advisor (after reading the comment in Trip Advisor site). It is exactly could be reached out by foot. Very easy to find, we stop to ask people and they can speak english, wew it is good to safe our energy at least for later, no need to much effort in the way of communication. Okay then we arrived safely at Lucky Seven Tea House at 49th Street. Hmmm....hungry for sure, we absolutely ordered some local cuisine: Mohinga (it is local porridge), Plain Boiled Pea Rice, Prata bread wth chicken (because of the Indian influenced), a portion of vegie lumpia and a noodle milk. All food are reccommended and it is nice to be shared. The drink of course the Local Tea that is a free refill one. Price was cheap K 4650 for 4 person. Hmmm...nice lunchie for us surely.
Woohoo afterour bellu were pretty full, we were heading to the Bogyoke Aung San / Scott Market by taxi, we pay K2500. And the traffic jam in the city is also soooo miserable. But we still fine we can have a look through the window for the surrounding, look at their local bus, cars. Ohw buses here that I was noticed were not a comfortable one but that is the fact, we choose taking a cab rather than the bus is a lucky one. Well, we were here at Bogyoke Market, finally, this is a heaven to shop a lot for gift and souvenirs to go home. It is just a local market with many shops sells many things and inside also there is a traditional market oh wait, if i would like to compare it is like Jatinegara Market in my country or probably like Senen Market but a little bit small. And fyi, we have walked along inside and outside back and forth until the legs feel pain hihihi..and we were trapped there because of the rain hikksss...to bad we cannot walk on the street to see other places nearby and the very bad traffic jam exactly arise on the street in fornt of the market. Luckily, one of my friend found Yakun Kaya Toast Shop at the small mall at the end of the bogyoke market (beside) and It is a modern mall but smallest one. We were connecting to the world again as there is a free wifi at Yakun Kaya that works well and fast, great place to relax our legs and wait for the traffic and rain more friendly to us. We ordered some hot drinks and kaya toast, need to heat our body as the heavy rain falls outside. We also checked this mall, we go inside, there is a connecting door from Yakun Kaya to the mall entrance and direct to Citimart supermarket, it is a modern supermarket, we check out upstairs, this is a proper mall for someone who like shopping with fix price branded clothing and conveniently one, as this mall are fully euqipped with a very convenient air conditioning. So we were here waiting for the rain stop but no sign of it hiksss...we finally must go back to our hostel because it was dark already. But well, this Mall still open and there are people come and go visiting it, Yakun Kaya Toast still busy too. We are totally hungy but we knew there are some restaurants nearby our hostel so we do not to be worry about. Many taxis parked in front of the Mall, without a haggle we jump into the taxi for K3000 to Bota Taung Rd. Tired ? of course. The taxi driver drove very fast to our hostel, maybe it is already evening around 8 pm so the road is quite empty. We directly went to the resaturant just in front our hostel, Malaysia Kitchen Restaurant. It is still opened. We can find Malay cuisine here and of course the hot meals !!! Outside was cold we need some food to warm up. The owner is very kind man, he speaks Malay / Indonesian, food was nice, we spent K8500 here for 4 of us, great, a very nice dinner. Then we went back to our hostel only just a throw stone away from the restaurant, just across the road and here we go at the hotel already. We are hurry cleaned ourselves and slept as tomorrow must wake up in the morning to continue exploring Yangon Town.
-to be continued-
