There are lots of old colonial buildings which are very rundown but then a lot of other buildings in the city are also run down. The country is about to boom and will then change forever but it has not quite happened yet. The people are lovely and so friendly and helpful and unassuming. They really seem to welcome visitors to their country, are still not spoiled by tourism and do not hassle you.
There were 12 in our tour group and we all got on well. We did the usual tourist circuit of Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake, with several internal fights between places. Myanmar is a vast country and having touched its surface I would love to go back to see the really out of the way spots. Early civilisations flourished here and the area was influenced and fought over through the centuries by various rival factions from India, Siam, The Mongols and various European nations including the British.
Pictures of the Secretariat. Closed and in desperate need of renovation. Rumour is that it may be turned into an upmarket hotel.
Sunset over the Irrawaddy River at the port in Yangon. The river has lots of little long tail ferries which criss cross the river between the big ships.
This is the home of Ang Sang Suu Kyi in Yangon and where she was imprisonned for many years.
The Shwezigon Pagoda just after sunset. Myanmar's most important Buddhist temple. Note the new moon in the picture.
On the last night back in Yangon.... Happy hour cocktails at The Strand hotel on the waterfront. Yangon's equivalent to Raffles! Smoking is still allowed in the bar for tradition. But surprisingly most places in Myanmar are no smoking, and you don't see many locals smoking either.
The Secreteriat is an amazing building - just huge. When I was there photos of it were supposedly banned but the guards on the gate were happy to get out of the way so we could get a clear shot!
ReplyDelete