Today we had a plan to go to Shwedagon Pagon. All trip for about 2 km we made by foot and got some kind of city-tour.
Only on second day we realized that there are no motorbikes in the city, all traffic consist of cars, jeeps, trucks and buses. Some of trucks and cars came from different times and countries, and some are hand made by local engineers.
The same difference with an architecture — old colonial buildings, mostly used as government buildings and surround with barbed wire; empty highrise condominiums, the tenants left them after Burma was banned by US; colorful low-rise residential buildings, completely occupied with locals; luxury private houses with gardens (also surround by barbed wire). But no one mendicant shack. A lot of new buildings and a lot of construction.
All pedestrian walks occupied with endless market, for sale: fruits, jeans, viagra, rubies, newspapers, some strange and huge devices, dvd, glasses, etc.
Betel stalls located with distance 50 meter from each other, the roller men works with rubber gloves.
With every 50 meters located stalls with pots of drinking water, nobody selling this water, but everybody can drink it.
Thais with proud telling the stories, that they had such a tradition (in Nan province they still trying to keep it alive). Cosy pots with drinking water spread of all around Myanmar, even on Inle lake we saw bamboo piles with ceramic pots.
Both, men and women wear skirts, longyi or sarong. Young boys and girls sometimes mix modern t-shirt with Metallica pictures with traditional longyi — looks very funny.
Women and children wear special powder on their faces and arms, the powder traditionally getting from some local tree. Sometimes they make funny ornaments with this powder on their faces, looks very funny and very pretty.
Like every city in South-East Asia, Yangon full of open air street cafes and eatery places. Pretty small table, couple of stools, pot of green tea and small cups. We ordered local carry with rice, the boy brought the food in a second with extra plates of salad, soup, fresh and preserved vegetables. It cost nothing (600 kiat per person) and taste was wonderful.
