Yangon is like stepping in to a time warp. Burma’s largest city is filled with street markets, crumbling colonial mansions and ramshackle deserted government buildings. There are no motorcycles, no ATMs, no large department stores and no fast food chains. The only foreign currency accepted is US $. Hotel accommodations are limited, Internet access is slow and power outages are common. There is a sense of sadness in people’s eyes, maybe from years of oppression. The country has been isolated for the past 5 decades and only recently became open for tourists.
So why bother visiting? To see the most elaborate and amazing Stupas , Pagoda’s and religious monuments in SE Asia. We begin our tour at the 2k year old Sule Paya Temple which sits in the middle of a traffic roundabout and is purported to house a couple of strands of Buddha’s hair.
Next stop was the Chaukhtatgyl Buddha or reclining Buddha which is larger than the reclining Buddha in Bangkok. It is located in a large warehouse that the British were originally building as a train station until they discovered the head of an ancient Buddha and all construction was halted to honor the sacred space.
The real draw for tourists and a yearly pilgrimage for all Burmese, is the Schwedagon Paya which is visible from almost anywhere in the city. It is like a Disneyland for Buddhists! Originally built between the 6th and 10th centuries, the Stupa is 323ft tall from the base and sits on top of a mountain that pilgrims get to via elaborate staircases or elevator. As the sun sets on the layers of gold leaf, the dome and very top of the Stupa change colors with the light and reflections from the jewels and diamonds encrusted at the top. The entire complex is breathtaking at dusk.
View outside our hotel:
DMZ releasing a ‘wish’ sparrow for good luck outside the Sule Paya temple.
Tea shops on the street-everyone sits at child size tables.
Drug of choice? Betel leaves
Schwedagon Paya:
Crazy monks on Stupa picking up loose solid gold tiles.
