Part 1 - Bangkok & Myanmar
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Part 1 - Bangkok & Myanmar
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I was up at 8.30 to get the breakfast before 9 and it was ok, then I headed out soon after to look for flip flops and also see some temples I could see on the maps.me app which turned out to be really good as I could bookmark (pin or flag) every thing I wanted to go to and find them easier. I started with a monastery which didn't have much to see but there was a plaque in the entrance in English. I carried on past a hospital and into a market where they were selling drugs and the must have gadget in Yangon a blood pressure sensor device. Just past that was a Hindu temple which was nice from the outside but not much to see inside. Following that was a mosque but I didn't go in and then at the roundabout was a really fairly big temple so I crossed on the bridge and went inside but wasn't sure it was worth the 3 USD price so I went to see the independence square with its needle and fountains and bordering the square was also city hall, church and the high Court buildings which I couldn't go in. All in all this was a long and busy day, at the square there were students talking in English to tourists such as myself, I wasn't sure if they were trying to sell something with a long game or as they said they had a day off from college because of a holiday. They did try to get me to take a boat to see a snake or something but I had no time. the monument did have internet which was helpful so I googled the Sule pagoda at the roundabout and there were mixed views but I decided it was ok and went in putting my shoes in my bag when I took them off to enter the temple. In the pagoda there was a student as well who told me that there are Buddhas people donate to based on what day of week you were born. Not sure when I was born it was certainly something I worked out once so I had a feeling it was Wednesday but I'll check later. Having left the pagoda I was running out of time as the hostel had a 12pm checkout so I went back with quick stops at a temple, mosque, synagogue and maybe more. I got all my stuff together and left hostel to find a taxi driver outside and agreed on 3,500 Kyats (pronounced Chat) to my next hostel the pickled tea. We drove through the middle of the main park with the Shwedagon in the middle and when we arrived I didn't have change so gave the driver 4,000, but he also didn't have change but he said to wait and then went to get change from one place but they didn't have it, another place again not and again he told me to wait before finally getting the 500 MKK change which is something in England which probably wouldn't happen as the taxi driver would probably shrug and expect to get the difference as a tip. Checked into the hostel and got 1st choice of beds in the room, another person moved into the room soon after, but I went out for a walk and decided to wear shorts and see the Shwedagon the next day. Got near the park and there was a large road to cross with traffic lights. Stood there for a long time with someone coming up to me and commenting on how long the lights are before changing. I went through the park and tried to get out the other side but the park had locked gates with a lot of spikes all over so I really didn't want to risk climbing especially as it was wet. Carried on to another park which had a Happyland park and amusements where they were ready for Halloween which I didn't expect here, but the world is pretty global these days. I walked around the Shwedagon pagoda and went East along a road which had another quite large temple which I couldn't visit as I didn't have long trousers but I wandered round some other buildings which were probably just offices but looked quite special at the time. I carried on the same road east and came to a large park and through the entrance were plant shops, then a lake which was not so nice and finally a tower with good views for a small entry price. I went back down the steps and there was karaoke in a few rooms there (strange place for it). I couldn't get round easily and was originally going to go back west but the map showed me something nearby so I headed north and came to the house of General Aung San who had ruled Burma some time ago. The house was 3,000 to get in so I gave it a miss but saw the garden and a pond where one of his sons had drowned. Next I went north as I saw a market but it wasn't like I expected and I hadn't broken into street food yet so I carried on and came to a big temple which had a Giant Buddha inside - 57 foot high which I doubt many tourists know about or go to see. I walked back through the park on the walkway over the lake and got to the zoo where I found some water and didn't go in the zoo even though it was only 3,000. I carried on to another temple which was quite nice especially as a rainbow appeared, so I took a few pictures. Then there was a turtle and fish pond, another temple and finally I came back to the
Shwedagon pagoda which I wanted to walk around the way I had not done earlier but I wasn't able to so I headed back West and somehow found myself at an escalator which I took and then thinking I could go the way I wanted I ended up at the actual Pagoda having somehow missed the entry fee place. I took a few pics but then headed out and went back to the hostel as it was getting dark. Had a shower which was not so simple as I couldn't see them since every door led to a toilet but they had wet rooms so every toilet had a shower as well which meant that the toilets often have wet floors. I asked reception where to get food and they said there was some street food places nearby so I went and tried a few and it was ok and really cheap. Checked my step count and it was 30,000 for the day and I sat and chilled in the hostel as it was very quiet with one couple I talked to for a bit but they were on a different wavelength which does happen with couples sometimes (insular).
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