Yangon: Initial Explorations

I landed in Yangon mid-afternoon on Monday September 4th.

Not long after stepping into an airport taxi, I realized something didn't feel right. It took me about ten minutes before I figured out what was wrong: almost all the steering wheels I saw were on the right... and the cars drive on the right. I asked the taxi driver about this and he said that they switched from driving on the left to driving on the right a few years back, but most cars still have their steering wheels on the right. I then recalled a conversation I had in Singapore with a friend in the car business, who said that a lot of used cars from Singapore and Japan end up in Myanmar. That explains all the right hand drive vehicles.

En route, I noticed that the sky was overcast. I was aware that this was the tail end of the rainy season. True enough, the skies opened up not long after I checked in and while I was having an early dinner at Black Hat restaurant. Returning to the hotel, I opened my Netflix app and it worked! Yes! If I was going to be marooned by rain this was the best possible outcome.

I booked two nights at the May Shan Hotel, which I selected primarily for its central location. The room cost US$30 per night through Agoda. The guide books weren't joking when they said that rooms in Myanmar were expensive relative to other places in Southeast Asia... and this was the low season with discounts of up to 50 percent. I wouldn't have paid anywhere near $30 for this room in Indonesia or Thailand, let alone $60. Don't get me wrong, though. The rooms were clean, the staff were friendly, and I knew I was paying a premium for location.

For my one full day in Yangon, I decided to wander around downtown. After breakfast at May Shan, I wandered out into the street with a vague plan to walk around the old town, make my way to Botahtaung Pagoda, wander around some more, and then finish my day at Sule Pagoda before the inevitable late afternoon downpour.

Leaving the May Shan, I wandered around Sule Pagoda. Not many cities can boast having a 2,000 year old golden pagoda in a roundabout as their main downtown landmark. Next to Sule Pagoda was Maha Bandoola Park, with the Independence Monument as its centerpiece. Around the park were all manner of colonial buildings, and they were in varying stages of upkeep, from abandoned and decaying to beautifully restored and maintained. From the park, I set off east in the vague general direction of Botahtaung Pagoda, taking in the sights and smells of the morning markets, watching morning commuters, and getting a general feel for the city. Walking in Yangon is less hazardous than Bangkok or Bali; there are fewer street vendors blocking your way than in Bangkok, and the sidewalks are much more contiguous and better maintained than in Bali. Crossing streets is hazardous, though; motorists don't necessarily observe pedestrian crossings. The best way to cross a street is to follow the locals and cross with them.

The photos in this entry record various scenes around May Shan Hotel on the day of my arrival, as well as sights seen en route to Bohtataung Pagoda the next morning.

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