Bagan is a rural tourist town, so the local folks live in different lifestyle than the Burmese in city like Yangon.
Bagan situates in the dry region of Myanmar, so tourism becomes the main economy as crops could hardly grow.
visitors could meet some locals whose full time job is to pose for photo.
Burmese foods have influenced from neighbouring countries like China, India, Thailand and Indochina areas.
First impression of many westerners was ‘oily’ but after they learned that the layer of oil is not meant to be eaten like gravy, then they got to know the traditional cuisine in South East Asia. As a Malaysian, we can readily adapted* to the choice of food.
* the fine print is if we dare to try some of the street food.
I almost wanted to try this Burmese Farlooda, but after second thought of the water source, I rathered have a healthy stomach for the rest of my journey.
If you have one (1) US dollar and three (3) hours to spare, you could take a ride on a time capsule back to the 60s-70s on the circle line from Yangon Train Station.
The ride brings visitors to see another side of Yangon.
We walked across the street from Chaukhtatgyi Pagoda to Ngahtatgyi Paya. This temple houses an impressive seated Buddha image.
It could be the most elaborate and beautiful status in the country. Take a closer look at the semi-precious stones and gems on the statue.
The roof and backdrop were made out of beautifully carved wood.
Bogyoke Aung San Market is probably the most popular tourist shopping maketplace in Yangon.
The main building retains its colonial architecture style while the inner lanes were covered with cobblestones. It was constructed in 1926.
The market offers a (slightly) cooler venue for tourists to escape the hot afternoon.
The nearly two thousands shops showcase some local and regional merchandises. One could readily spend 3 hours and barely cover all the shops (without stopping).
The temple once stood a standing Buddha in 1907. Quoting the description from Lonely Planet, “but one day he got tired and collapsed into a heap on the floor, whereupon he was replaced with monster-sized lazy reclining buddha you see today”.
I took a closer look and not really sure if the crown is really encrusted with diamonds and gems.
There are few wet markets in Yangon. The small but busy morning market at 26th Street is within walking distance from Bogyoke Aung San Market.
The best time to visit this street market is 7 to 9am.
The market could be covered within 30 minutes but it has lots of local produces.
