The next morning after my daytrip to the Golden Rock Pagoda and Bagan, I visited a local tea shop which was recommended by my driver. It was a nice little dive mom and pop shop which made for another authentic local experience. I ordered tea which was mixed with condensed milk for a nice and soothing drink. This tea was typical in most East Asian countries I visited most likely from colonial influence.
Golden Bell tea shop:
After, I wandered around the area nearby to visit some famous sites such as the Bogyoke Aung San Market and Holy Trinity Cathedral. I wanted to visit the market as I often learn a lot about local food and culture through local markets, but they were closed due to the holiday.
Bogyoke Aung San Market- This market was named after National Hero General Aung San. Originally built in 1921 by the British it was called Scott Market, named after a British colonial official in Myanmar. This local market is where food, garments, and other goods.
After, I met up with my friend for lunch. I read about this restaurant called "House of Memories."
House of Memories
This restaurant is in a historic colonial building which was the home of Dina Nath (Indian Independence Army for Burma) and his wife. It also was the first office of national hero and martyr General Aung San during World War II. The exterior appears as a tudor-style house with it's half-timbered white and black facade. The interior is elegantly decorated and there were exhibits from it's former owner Dina Nath and famous tenant General Aung San. We had a sample of various authentic local Myanmar cuisine at the restaurant.
Acacia Tea Salon
After, my friend and I visited the Acacia Tea Salon in a higher end neighborhood. It was a nice Victorian-like designed teahouse. It's whitewashed paint and colonial style interior seemed to invoke scenes of former Burmese days. It's cakes and pastries were elegantly displayed like any European cafe. There was even a movie shoot upstairs while we came. Looking around, it seemed mostly middle-upper class patrons frequented this place. Even though the country is still developing, it still showed the contrast between life in the rich and poor neighborhoods. I am not against it's establishment, because I enjoy these type of cafes, but it was just interesting to compare this place with the small local teashop I went to in the morning. I actually prefer simple mom and pop places, but once in awhile I like to splurge to get a balance of my travel experiences.
Exterior:
The next day was my last day in Yangon so I wanted to finish seeing the famous sites I didn't get to see. I hired a private car to drive me around to save time and see as much as I could before my flight in the evening.
The Strand Hotel
This classy and elegant hotel was built in 1901 during the British Colonial Period. It takes one back to the glory days of British Burma with its white-washed paint, wooden chairs and furniture, and exceptional service. The hotel is located near the Yangon River in the neighborhood filled with the best surviving colonial buildings in Yangon. Many of the buildings in the area is still occupied by shops and public services.
I wanted to experience this hotel so I had breakfast at it's famous Strand Cafe on the ground floor. I ordered an eggs benedict with a pot of English Breakfast tea. It was a unique experience as I got to experience Colonial hospitality in an authentic environment. After, I walked around the ground floor and went to some small boutiques
National Museum of Myanmar
This museum houses many historical, cultural, and artistic artifacts from it's nation's past. Unfortunately, it is housed in a crumbling, run-down, and poorly maintained and ventilated facility. The building is housed in a drab gray and pink building from the 1950's. It was so hot and I was sweating so I had a miserable time within the museum. I went quickly as I could to escape the dimly light sauna. There was only one room that was equipped with air condition machines that were working. It seems there is not much funding to maintain this museum. The museum itself had a variety of artifacts spanning from the paleolithic period to the Post-WWII era. The highlight of the museum was the Royal Throne room with a massive golden door decorated with precious jewels and gems and carved religious and historic symbols and figures. Royal scepters and ceremonial items are also on display. Unfortunately, no photos are allowed in the museum so my only pictures consist of it's unimpressive exterior and some statues.
For lunch, I went with my driver to a nice Shan Noodle shop. Shan noodle is a regional specialty from the Shan Region (Eastern state) which borders China, Thailand, and Laos. I had the famous Shan noodles ( Shan khao swé) which were thinly sliced rice noodles with minced pork, crushed peanuts, garlic, local green vegetables, onions, and a nice tasty broth and deep fried tofu. It was a nice meal and I wish I had tried more Shan dishes.
This shrine houses the remains of the last Mughal Emperor who was exiled to Yangon by the supporting the Indian rebellion of 1857. He lived his remaining years until his death in 1862. His tomb was forgotten and lost until it was rediscovered in 1991. This sacred site is near Shwedagon Pagoda, but there were not many stores or houses nearby. His tomb was made into a Muslim mosque and is mostly visited by worshippers. There were no other tourists at the site which made for a quiet and enjoyable experience. It is not as famous or grand as Shwedagon, but it is an important historic site.
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| Bahadur Shah II's tomb |
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| The Shah's wife and family members tombs |
Aung San Suu Kyi's House
This house on the road toward's the airport is one of the most famous sites in Yangon. It is where Nobel Prize Winner/ national democracy hero and current NLD MP Aung San Suu Kyi lives. This is where she was under house arrest for 15 of the 21 years during the period of 1989-2010. It is a powerful symbol and testament for her and the NLD's resistance and persistence in fighting for democracy. I wanted to go inside, but it's her private residence so no one is allowed inside. So I just took a picture from the outside while passing by.
Overall, my trip to Myanmar was exhilarating, mind-opening, and unique. I was able to learn and experience a country who is still in it's transition into a more globally connected partner due to it's political, economic, and social reforms. It's recent first free democratic elections demonstrate it's dramatic shift and determination to progress. The country still has a long way to go and many more reforms have to be made to fully flourish from it's opening to the world. There is a lot of foreign investment into construction projects, housing developments, shopping districts, and tourist facilities. These new changes are good and bad for local residents as it might cause some forced relocation and or they may not directly benefit from it's profits, but it would clean up and create a more sustainable environment. Also, jobs would be created in construction, hospitality, tourism, and other areas which provide more opportunities to many who struggle to find work. I genuinely hope Myanmar can fully develop, maintain it's democracy, and provide opportunities for it's people to thrive and benefit from it's recent entrance into the international stage.
Thank you for reading and sharing my series on Myanmar.
My next series will be my past summer trip to Laos!
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