The Roaming Hat

My mum and I spent only a day in Bagan. It was my first time there and I wanted to make the most of it with the limited time we had. We arrived by flight in the morning. It was a very comfortable flight. I don't know what type of plane it was, but it flew low enough that I could make out farms below on the ground. I imagined farmers were just getting ready for their day. Myanmar is a dusty place. Even from up in the skies it was evident the amount of soil degradation that was happening there. I could make out clouds of dust blowing about, rivers stained permanently brown, and the lack of tree cover. I suppose the hills are more forested, but the plains are little more than dust bowls. This was confirmed two days later when I travelled overland by train from Mandalay to Yangon. I spent the hour lazily watching the turbines of the plane. It was almost meditative, setting a tone for my entry into Bagan. The descent into Nyaung U airport (Bagan's nearest airport) was sp

View of the Bagan plain from one of the ruins Bagan is on the itinerary of many tourists visiting Myanmar. Initially I was a bit hesitant on adding Bagan to my list of places to see because I wasn't too keen on crowds. But being interested in Buddhist history and architecture I decided not to skip this place. I am really glad I took that decision. Bagan was spectacular! Bagan is often called Myanmar's Angkor Wat. While not as touristy or grand, it is still stunning in its own way. Bagan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in central Myanmar, flanked by the Irrawady River on one side. It is home to more than 3000 pagodas built between the 9th to 11th centuries. It is said that at its zenith, the Bagan plain had more than 10,000 Buddhist pagodas and monasteries! It is a dry and dusty place with pagodas dotting the landscape. It is impossible to see each and every pagoda in Bagan. They all have similarities while managing to remain unique. A popular thing to do

Mid--day sun over the Shwedagon I have created three blog posts for the Shwedagon Pagoda itself. I found it utterly mesmerizing, and simply could not stop staring at it. I am probably not the only one who thinks this way. Many visitors who have been there report being dazzled by the Shwedagon. I took many photos of the place, and this post will have more photos than text! Little shrines to the Buddha everywhere you turn  This tree was grown from a cutting from the original Bodhi tree that the Buddha gained enlightenment under The Singu Min Bell There is an interesting story associated with the Singu Min Bell. This bell is more than 300 years old and weighs about 25 tons. It is said that in 1825, the British took it from the Pagoda as spoils of war during the first Anglo-Burmese War. But the bell was so heavy, that the British ship which was carrying the bell sank! Any attempts to salvage the bell by the British ended up being unsuccessful. A Burmese group even

Location:   The Shwedagon Pagoda is located in the south of Yangon on the Singuttara Hill in Dagon Township. It is a huge complex and has four entrances. The most popular entrances are the southern and eastern entrances. All entrances except the eastern entrance have an elevator and an escalator. The Shwedagon Pagoda - As viewed from one of the many prayer pavillions The Shwedagon Pagoda is a popular tourist destination in Myanmar and also an important place of worship for Myanmar Buddhists. It forms an important part of Burmese culture, folklore, and identity. It is said to be over 2500 years old and is believed to house relics of the four Buddhas of the present aeon. It has witnessed the evolution of Myanmar over the centuries. From a historical perspective the Shwedagon Pagoda was most likely built by the Mon people around the 6th-10th centuries AD. Over the centuries, subsequent dynasties left their mark on the pagoda by rebuilding and expanding it. It received royal

A trip to Yangon is not complete without a visit to the glittering golden Shwedagon Pagoda. It is the pride of Myanmar. Even if you don't see anything else in your trip to Myanmar and spend all day lazing at your hotel, at least do not miss the Shwedagon. The Shwedagon Pagoda is a Buddhist temple built on a hill. The Burmese say it is more than 2000 years old, and contains some of the Buddha's relics. It is an important place of worship for Burmese Buddhists and a popular tourist destination as well. It is a complex with many ornate shrines, Buddha statues, and a giant  stupa  (Buddhist shrine) in the centre covered with gold and precious stones. The pagoda rests on a hill in Dagon township, and is easily reached by public transport and taxis. We took YBS bus #12 from Sule Pagoda to Shwedagon pagoda. It cost us 200 Kyat (0.20 SGD) per person and it was a short 15 minute ride. We asked the locals which stop to get down at. The walk from the bus stop to Shwedagon took a

Central Fire Station Downtown Yangon in the evening with Sule pagoda in the distance Most travellers to Yangon generally stay in one of the three districts- Bahan/Dagon, Airport area, or Downtown. Bahan and Dagon are more upscale areas with nicer hotels. Many embassies are found there, and the famous Shwedagon Pagoda and Inya Lake are also found in this area. Downtown Yangon is where there are more budget options. Many backpackers and budget travellers stay here. I found plenty of hostels, budget hotels, money changers, pharmacies, and street food options here. There are also many travel agents who do tour and bus/train/flight ticket bookings at a pretty low cost. Not only that, downtown Yangon is where the old British colonial-era buildings are located at. Majority of the attractions from the Yangon City Heritage List are located in this area. We stayed at East Hotel in Downtown Yangon, which was right opposite a big mall called Sule Square. We found getting into and

Hot milk at a street stall Stalls selling Indian style meat and fish dishes are abundant Freshly made Naan in a Tandoor Piping hot Pooris Street food in Yangon is delicious and cheap. I stayed in the downtown area of Yangon. This area is cheaper and has more street food options than slightly more upscale neighbourhoods like Bahan or Dagon. A lot of hostels, money changers, and travel agents are also located in downtown Yangon. Apart from that, downtown Yangon is where you can see different ethnic groups living side by side. This area is old, dirty, and shabby but it is a fascinating place. The food in Burma is heavily influenced by Indian and Thai cuisine, and to some extent Chinese cuisine too. There is a good balance of meat dishes and also vegetarian food. I prefer to eat vegetarian as much as possible, especially while travelling. I had no trouble finding vegetarian food options in Myanmar. Anawrahta road, Latha township, and Strand Road are some popular p

Colourful Lanterns and Buddhist flags swing from one side to another This area features good street food and cheap shopping. We saw a lot of monks going on almsround in the morning Downtown Yangon is where most of the non-Bamars congregate. The two main ethnic groups living in downtown Yangon, apart from the Bamars, are Indians and Chinese. The Chinese part of downtown Yangon is located near Latha township, which is close to the dockyards, and has a lot of interesting sights to see. Most of the open air markets and night markets are located in this area.  The Indian part of Yangon, Little India, stretches along Anawrahta Road. Here you see Indian origin people, both Hindus and Muslims living side by side. They usually operate pharmacies, book stalls, or restaurants. We met many Tamil speaking residents, and we were pleasantly surprised to see Tamil Hindu temples in the place. The temples are built by the Vishwakarma (Goldsmith) community in Dravidian (South Indian) s