I really did not know what to expect of Myanmar or Burma. I always wanted to come here but felt kind of uneasy about the whole idea. And after first day in Yangon it still feels strange and certainly different than any place else... All looks familiar but somehow surprising.
Heavy traffic but no mopeds or motorbikes, usually South East Asians' favourites. Cars drive of the right but most of them have steering wheels also on the right so made for driving on the left. Then in the five-million former capital of a fifty-million inhabitants' country there is no skyscrapers, but you can still admire past glory of early 20th century colonial buildings. One of them, the Ministers' Building, former home and administrative seat of the British Burma is completely abandoned and surrounded by barbed wire since 1972 - not a great view as it covers the entire block in the downtown area. But the city is still great to walk around, watch busy street life and experience back alleys. However unexpectedly this lively town by day comes almost to a standstill after sunset, as streets are only lit by passing cars and shops having their own power generators. The night market has lot to offer but certainly less then its other regional equivalents. But then you enter a supermarket and you have all you would wish for, even 1$ half a litre bottle of gin or whisky. My hotel room has flat screen tv but only one channel (Fox Movies if you ask). Finally, the people. All appear excited to see more tourists, always greet you with a wide smile, shout 'hello' and always happy to pose for a photo. But for me they also seem somehow tired and less enthusiastic, similarly like Indians... I hope in the next days I will see more of real Myanmar, as it feels there is much more to it then one can initially see, the good and the unexpected...
Heavy traffic but no mopeds or motorbikes, usually South East Asians' favourites. Cars drive of the right but most of them have steering wheels also on the right so made for driving on the left. Then in the five-million former capital of a fifty-million inhabitants' country there is no skyscrapers, but you can still admire past glory of early 20th century colonial buildings. One of them, the Ministers' Building, former home and administrative seat of the British Burma is completely abandoned and surrounded by barbed wire since 1972 - not a great view as it covers the entire block in the downtown area. But the city is still great to walk around, watch busy street life and experience back alleys. However unexpectedly this lively town by day comes almost to a standstill after sunset, as streets are only lit by passing cars and shops having their own power generators. The night market has lot to offer but certainly less then its other regional equivalents. But then you enter a supermarket and you have all you would wish for, even 1$ half a litre bottle of gin or whisky. My hotel room has flat screen tv but only one channel (Fox Movies if you ask). Finally, the people. All appear excited to see more tourists, always greet you with a wide smile, shout 'hello' and always happy to pose for a photo. But for me they also seem somehow tired and less enthusiastic, similarly like Indians... I hope in the next days I will see more of real Myanmar, as it feels there is much more to it then one can initially see, the good and the unexpected...
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