We flew out of the HK airport through Hanoi to Yangon, Burma. The flights were easy and our bags were waiting for us at baggage claim by the time we got through immigration which was a relief! We then had to exchange US dollars for Mynamar Khats. This was quite the process as they need very crisp and new US dollars.
Our arranged airport pick up was waiting for us and we headed off to Central Yangon (not without being haggled for money by a man who tried to help us with our bags). Yangon used to be the capital of Burma until a couple years ago so it is actually quite developed.
We walked over to the Schwegagon Pagoda which was absolutely stunning. There is a diamond at the top of the pagoda and with the aid of a few helpful locals, we were able to stand in different places throughout the grounds and see a different color in the diamond as we moved around. One thing weird about the temples was there were neonlights radiating from Buddhas' heads.
Some locals asked if we were from California (luckily we are because they don't really know another state!) and took a picture of us...kinda blurry hahah
Side note: Every time you eat new food, your stomach has to adjust...and mine has been adjusting for the past couple of days. The combo of new food and my malaria pills has manifested as stabbing pains in my stomach which has been really exhausting.
We were "rocked" to sleep by the sound of howling stray dogs. I don't think either of us got more than an hour of sleep with the dogs and my stomach and a flickering fluorescent light above us.
Sunday morning (today) we woke up at 4:15am to catch our flight from Yangon to Bagan which is in central Burma. Airports operate much differently here but that's expected!
We arrived at our hotel at 8:30am after a beautiful drive through Bagan. Bagan has over 4,000 temples with such a rich history. Our hotel is situated on a river so we hope to take a sunset cruise!
It is around 100+ degrees...very hot and dehydrating, especially for someone who is experiencing stomach cramps! I hope my stomach pains will subside soon so I can try some Burmese food.
We rented bikes from our hotel and biked around the temples. I'm in disbelief at the amount of temples here!! It's truly amazing.
With the heat, I got exhausted quickly (especially since I hadn't eaten since back in Hong Kong) so I headed back to the hotel to rest by the pool while Eliza went on to explore some markets.
We decided to go for a sunset river cruise and unfortunately it was cloudy. The river was very calming though and it was a cool way to see all the spires of the temples in Bagan.
After our cruise we went to Nuang U, a town close by that has the airport we flew into and had dinner at the Black Bamboo. The restaurant was literally all foreigners it was hilarious. Once Lonely Planet approves a place, all the foreigners flock.
I'm hoping my stomach cramps will subside by tomorrow! We have a full day of temples and biking (and hopefully a massage.)
Also side note, Burma isn't as cheap as I thought it would be...
Love,
Whit
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