In search of an Empire.Siam,Burma and Singapore.

[drron]

So pictures of the pagoda and those surrounding it-

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[drron]

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[drron]

Now this is a sacred Bo tree planted in 2005.It is said that it began to rain 4 hours after it was planted.looks like it hasn't rained since-

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Now that is one very proud father.He would ask his daughter questions in English and she answered in English.She is 4.After I took this photo the father got his phone out,stopped a woman and got her to take a photo of the 3 of us.I think you get the message.the Burmese people are very friendly.At the moment they are just as interested in us as we of them.
One of the stalls outside was thinking of the Burmese birds-

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back to the roadworks.A few minutes before midday and they were keeping aussie hours and all having lunch.The women were in a group away from the men and as I passed they all waved,said mingalaba and possibly wanted me to share their lunch but mrsdrron was waiting so I had to press on.

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Now just how many can you fit on a local bus?

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And these are the tamarind candies that were well received by young and old alike.about 10 small bags in the big bag which cost me 1000k-probably paying above the real price but well worth it from the enjoyment I got out of that $1 investment.

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So back to the hotel.A nice cold shower,lunch then an afternoon dip in the pool as our time in Bagan comes to an end.

 

[drron]

Monday morning and a nice fine day.But no balloons.When checking out the fellow beside me is telling the agent that his balloon flight was cancelled this morning.Checkout as seems to be the case in Burma does take a while.But by 0930 we are on our way to the airport.Have to go through a checkpoint and money changes hands-cash,no receipt.

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After we have been checked in we have a sticker put on our shirts and just have to sit in the checkin area.There are shops and money changers but they are closed.The domestic airlines have their mission statements nice and concise-

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The departure time comes around and we are still in the checkin area.About 5 minutes later we are directed to security.Both here and Yangon domestic departure my new knee does not set off the scanner.Is it really working?We are to leave by Gate 1-

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Very secure.

 

[drron]

K7263. NYU-RGN. ETD-1105. Leave gate-1141. Take off-1143.
ETA-1225. Land-1309. At stand-1312.
Now there are no allocated seats.called free seating which translates as free for all.We are bussed to the plane even though it is just over 50 metres from the gate.We end up in seats 2A,C meaning nearly last off on the rear loading ATR.

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Lunch is served.A roll with a microscopic bit of tinned tuna and a cake-

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Get into the baggage area and it is bedlam.A plane arrived just before us and another just after.Bags are dumped at the door.I get our first bag and notice the second under a pile of others on the trolley so take the first one to mrsdrron.get back to the door and a fellow is setting off with our other bag.He was quite small,I quite large so no trouble relieving him of possession.
It is advised that you would have your baggage tags checked as leaving the area but that didn't happen.Once more though you need your bags x-rayed before you leave the terminal.
A quick taxi ride to the Chatrium hotelThe taxi probably had another 6 fares before it fell apart but hey it got us there.
Review of Chatrium here-
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....-and-reviews/chatrium-hotel-yangon-65276.html

 

[RooFlyer]

It really is beautiful.Finished in 1102 and sponsored by kings Anawrahta and Kyansittha.

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At the bottom of this side of the temple they have a fenced off puddle so you can photograph the reflection.Unfortunately there was a large Chinese group with one fellow taking each of their cameras/phones and taking several pics with each.No one else was going to get a turn for some time so I just took an off centre pic which gives you an idea-
...<snip>.

Did you notice the "see how its built" 'window'? Illustrating that the temple is just solid stonework.

 

[drron]

Yes and it really was I think the highlight of Bagan temples.And to think it was done over 900 years ago.
When I first got to Bagan I must say I was on the side of UNESCO in denying World heritage Status.But what you learn here is that many of these pagodas are active sites of worship.That surely means that they must undertake necessary repairs and renovations and if the spire falls off in an earthquake it is only right it is restored.
The museum,palace and Aureum tower though.

So now the return to Yangon.We booked an executive room with lake and pagoda views.the views were indeed good.That night-

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Then in the morning-

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After brekkie we caught the hotel's complimentary shuttle to the Shwedagon pagoda.Even the first sight is spectacular-

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[drron]

This is just one of the covered entry sets of stairs to the pagoda-

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We however got the lift.You have to go through security-1 for males and 1 for females.mrsdrron got caught behind a group of nuns-

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Everyone set the machine off but just kept walking.From the top level great views including back to our hotel-

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Very colourful-

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[drron]

This place is full of Buddhas of every size plus some colourful frescoes-

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[drron]

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[drron]

Again met with some people who use TA but really didn't get the message.One woman who only brought $US20 in cash,everything was going to be by card.Another couple who refused to pay to go around the Shwedagon pagoda thinking it was a scam.No you do have to pay-8000 kyat at present.
It is well worth it.It isn't just the main towere but many really interesting buildings as well as people watching.Continued my collecting of good karma.

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[drron]

Again special areas for each day.here is Thursday and mrsdrron's an I being both Sunday's child-

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[drron]

We then walked back to the Chatrium.Went out the back door.Well OK just the entrance opposite to where all the tourists are let off.Amazing the stairways to access the pagoda.And all lined by stalls-

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So you leave the well maintained entrance and come out onto this street.Buildings also not quite as magnificent-

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Sad sight.Many such cages with different birds.You pay to let them go.Probably only for them to get caught again.

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[drron]

Lots of monasteries on the street so a lot of monks.but mainly people going about their ordinary business-

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And this was a woman selling cups of corn to feed the pigeons-

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And a nice looking curry restaurant.A pity about the amount of oil-

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[drron]

So to the monasteries.most were large and appeared in much better shape than the buildings the ordinary folk live in-

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And another temple-

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[drron]

Always a good idea to look back-

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Time for lunch-

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Had to watch out for the manhole covers on the way back-

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Then this interesting old teak home going to ruin.Wonder who lived here in the time of the British-

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Thought I might drop in for afternoon tea-

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[drron]

Been a while since a sunset hasn't it?

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[drron]

Then it was time for happy hour.here is another spread-

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A similar spread is put on for afternoon tea so with breakfast also included you really didn't have to spend anything extra on food.The wines were Argentinian-chardy and shiraz.Quite drinkable.
However they were giving a 15% discount on their Japanese restaurant so we decided to eat there.First some edamame and sashimi along with complimentary little fish-

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Then salmon and flying fish roe,scallops in garlic sauce-really yummy-and tori karage.

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Was pretty good so we went back the next night and had the sushi and scallops as well as the suikiyaki-

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Not too bad.Then at checkout they gave us an extra $US8.50 of each meal.No idea why but I didn't argue.So they turned out to be quite cheap.

 

[drron]

Wednesday and our last day in Burma.I caught the shuttle to Scott's Market.Went over the overpass and turned right towards the hospital and cathedral-

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As I came off the overpass there was a guy with a basket full of sparrows.He asked if I wanted to make a bird lucky.I looked at them with my today just aint your day look and walked on.Turned left at the hospital which had a whole line of local busses outside-

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Now local busses do not follow a definite route or timetable.They always have a guy hanging onto the door yelling their destination and presumably fare.They also have to beat the other guys to a bus stop.pictures like that above should make you wary.Burma ranks number 124 of countries in deaths per 10000 vehicles.Deaths on the roads have gone up 150% in the last 4 years.40% of deaths are those on a 2 wheeled vehicle.

About half way down the block is the central market with cheap stalls outside and slightly more upmarket in a building.But Australian shoes.Hmmmm.

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If you want some cheap trinkets then this is the place.much better prices than at Scott's market.A wooden bangle which in Bagan you had to bargain to get them down to $!-1000K here was 100K.A stone bangle that they wouldn't come below $2 here was 200K.Of course not great quality but no worse than the quality on the street.
Here is how the relatively well off live in Yangon-

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at the next corner a hindu temple-

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[drron]

I couldn't resist a shot of the pigeons on the overhead wire-

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Midway down the next block I came to the central wet market.fascinating.The street outside-

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Inside a series of small laneways-

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You can see everything here.death row-

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Not a peep out of the chickens as they are quickly beheaded-

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These I was told were young goats-

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