- Day 1 – Yangon’s Circular Railway
- Day 2 – Touring Yangon
- Day 3 – On the Irrawaddy River – Bhamo & the 2nd Defile
- Day 4 – Kyun Daw & Katha
- Day 5 – Katha & Tigyang
- Day 6 – Kya Hnyat & Kottet Orphanage
- Day 7 – Kyauk Myaung
- Day 8 – Mingun & the U-Bein Bridge
- Day 9 – Mandalay
- Day 10 – Sagaing
- Day 11 – Shwe Pyi Thar & a Puppet Show
- Day 12 – Magical Bagan
- Day 13 & 14 – Back in Yangon
- Heading home – a layover trip to the Great Wall of China at Mutianyu
In the morning, it was time to say goodbye to the Avalon Myanmar and her crew as well as some of our group that were continuing on to Inle Lake.
After a short flight to Yangon and once settled in at the hotel, it was time for a visit to Kandawgyi Lake. This artificial lake was built by the British as a reservoir and has a boardwalk that runs along the southern and western sides of the lake.
Well, sort of. They’re in the process of rebuilding the boardwalk, much of which is in horrible disrepair. The part that’s been done is really nice, the other part not so much…
Unfortunately, that meant walking around the lake on the sidewalk. Not as nice an experience…
The Karaweik Palace is a concrete replica of a royal barge. It contains a restaurant and is the only place in Yangon offering a cultural show.
In the calm waters of the lake, there are some nice reflections to be had.
This is the as far as you can go without a reservation in the restaurant…
Past the palace, there were a number of bars and restaurants along the lake. You have to get a chuckle from these mini food trucks…
Elephants are very much part of the Burmese culture and history. The white elephants (whether albino or leucistic) were considered by all of the kings to be the most valuable – owning one was a source of power.
After dinner I headed out to photograph the Sule Pagoda at night. From the overpass you get a great view of the pagoda and the constant traffic.
From this photo the light trails show you how they drive – lanes are just a suggestion!
The next morning I headed out towards ChinaTown to check it out.
A hardware store in ChinaTown selling experienced tools…
I happened upon some sort of parade…
Lots of fresh veggies for sale…
And Chinese Lanterns…
This was the very busy 26th Street. Like many others, it’s a “market” street, unlike many others it’s not pedestrian only.
The street is very crowded, with produce for sale on both sides of the road and in the middle and a lot of people.
When a vehicle comes, the chairs and boxes get moved out of the way and the people clear a path.
The produce stays in the way (remember the train tracks?).
And so ends my time in Myanmar. All that’s left is a long flight home and my layover trip to the Great Wall of China at Mutianyu…
