Qatar Airways
I am surprised by how amazing Qatar Airways is! In economy class, the food was amazing (and constant), the seats were comfortable and easy to fall asleep in, we all got a pretty complimentary bag with spare socks, ear plugs, an eye mask, and a toothbrush and toothpaste. My 2nd flight from Doha to Bangkok had so much turbulence but it was wild to see what looked like a small sandstorm as we flew over the middle east, to then a spectacle of thunderstorms as we flew over India. I enjoyed the views all while enjoying a complimentary cup of orange juice :) I also think they take pride in the smoothness of their landings. They were by far the smoothest I've ever experienced. The only seemingly uncomfortable thing I encountered was at Doha airport, where they had an exclusive "male-only" lounge for men to relax in sans women. There was no female-only lounge (I searched for one for about a minute, and then it hit me).
Bangkok
Back in my old stomping grounds! It is crazy, it has been 5 years since I've been here and the woman at the front desk REMEMBERED me. Also so interesting to see that what was once a free day trip the hostel hosted to a floating market (refer to my "survived my first week" post back in 2012!) now has a price in a new book they made of excursions to choose from. I got lucky it was free back then! She even informed her former coworker and said "Celine is back, remember her?" to which he, just by my name, replied: "OF COURSE I remember her!"
Besides that, Bangkok has just been a rest-stop for me before heading over to Yangon. I love it here though, and the sky is actually blue unlike February 2012. The rainy season doesn't seem so bad here, and (knock on wood) - where are the mosquitoes?
As soon as I arrived I hurried to a 7/11 to buy myself a large bottle of water which goes for 45 cents here, and a small street food stand where I got a large chicken pad thai for only $1.50. YUM! Spent the rest of the day napping, but also befriending a lot of new travelers. This is where suddenly I felt out of place for the first time - every conversation I heard was "I graduated from Uni last year" "I don't know what I want to do with my life" "I'm thinking of maybe going back to school" "I' just turned 22" - with conversations about whereto next in the widely popular backpacker circuit - mixes of either Northern Thailand, Southern Thailand, Vietnam or Cambodia. Bangkok really is the jump-off point for travelers who are just beginning Southeast Asia or who have just finished school. One 22 year old boy asked me, "Oh, Myanmar? Is there really THAT much to do there?" - Um. Yes.
 |
| $1.50! |
My last full day here I fell for a scam, ha! They are good here. The difference this time though is, I laugh at how clever they are and how much I paid for something now, whereas looking back at my 23 year old self in Thailand for the first time in 2012 I probably would have cried and been furious. Thai locals will be so nice, give you an amazing deal for something and it is genuine, but they will hook their friends up no matter what. I got a great price for a tuktuk ride to send me over to a pier where a 1 hour boat ride would take me to Bangkok's "floating market." The driver was so nice with the price, I believed him in his "deal" when he said booking a boat at the pier is cheaper. He dropped me off and guided me to the boat guide. Well it turns out this "floating market" was.... not what I was expecting.
 |
| Expectation |
VS.
 |
| Reality |
It was.... one little boat trying to sell me bananas, mangos, magnets, bags and water all for about 10x the actual price. It wasn't until the seller rowed up to me and said, "Floating market," that I realized that... that was it. That's allllll I was getting. Not to mention the boat ride was 40 minutes, not an hour. Wow Thailand !!! This is the one country I have been to where opportunities to get scammed are just endless, and you easily fall for them. Five years ago I cried in frustration, five years later, I laugh. :)
I did manage to stroll through the Flower Market, which was a beautifully hectic sight of hundreds of sellers, and not just selling flowers.
 |
| Chillin with chili |
After that I walked to Bangkok's Chinatown, although nothing I had here compared to the dim sum and other Chinese food I had while in Penang, Malaysia... Still rated as my #1 top Chinese food experience (ever).
Actually, my entire experience being back in Bangkok has inspired me to come up with a comparitive list of Backpacking in your early 20s vs. your late 20s (with photo illustrations!) Maybe if I have time this will make an appearance on the blog...
Actually, my entire experience being back in Bangkok has inspired me to come up with a comparitive list of Backpacking in your early 20s vs. your late 20s (with photo illustrations!) Maybe if I have time this will make an appearance on the blog...
I left the following morning (4am pick-up) for a quick flight to my real destination, Myanmar...
Yangon
It's official, I have been completely mesmerized by Yangon. It is such an eclectic mix of different cultures - indian people here, chinese, southeast asian, buddhists, muslims, smaller lesser known religions/faiths, you name it. All men here wear the sarong on a daily basis. All women here wear yellow powder on their faces. The streets are old colonial buildings with plants growing out of the old windows and paint peeling off, clothes hanging to dry, balcony watchers everywhere - that alone reminded me sooooo much of Havana, Cuba! I almost felt like I had returned there, but with different locals. And of course, you also have your classic small plastic chairs outside lining the streets with street food stands. No smell of incense here.
Shopping
My first stop after dropping things off at my hostel was Bogyoke Market, a huge market in the middle of Yangon that runs daily. There was one store in particular that really struck me, a place that sold all sorts of tapestries, weavings, clothes, table runners, etc. made by the Chin People (who life in the northwest of Myanmar, near Bangladesh). The owners of the store were so friendly, they dressed me up in things and asked me if I wanted a picture taken, not forcing me to buy anything at all. Everything was so beautifully crafted. I wound up falling in love with a blue hand-embroidered bag I found and will be using it as a day bag for the remainder of my travels.
Halfway into my shopping was when 4 cute little monk-training boys came to sing at every shop-front. After I left Bogyoke market, still mesmerized by all the streets, the mixture of people, I ran into more of these little monks-in-training. It was lunch time for them and I asked the street food vendor if I could take a photograph of her stall and the kids and she accepted with a smile.
Food - Yangon's Tea Houses
Everything is sooooooo cheap and the locals are so kind - I went to this tiny local tea house yesterday and the owner wanted me to try everything. I attached a pic of the food I was given. A morning glory soup was actually free and everytime it was near empty these little boys that worked there would come by to constantly refill it. This meal, in this picture, cost me $2 USD. TWO! The only things that I did not trust and couldn't get myself to eat were the raw vegetables, probably washed with local water. The fishcakes were also a little cold, but I ate them anyway (whoops).
Night markets (...and the rainy season)
My first night in Yangon I went out with a bunch of other travelers staying at my hostel - we were an interesting mix: One Swedish, one Indian, one Canadian, one Austrian, one Australian, and me. Everyone from somewhere different. We walked to a little night market area to get some food for dinner, when suddenly there was a monsoon-like downpour. The rainy season is very sporadic - you have no idea when it will hit or for how long. We stayed under this little tented area for 1.5 hours and waited for the rain to stop, all while enjoying a few Andaman beers (local beer in Myanmar). The prices of beers and hard alcohol are also astounding. 1 USD is 1,000 Kyat (Myanmar currency). You can understand why/how my mind was blown by these prices:
Shwedagon Pagoda
Un. Real. This place was completely mind-blowing, and far more beautiful than I imagined. Photos of it simply do not do it justice in its grandeur and spirituality that surrounds it. It is the biggest (and I believe the oldest?) gold Padoga in the entire world. It is surrounded by 12 different buddhas that are marked by a day of the week and it correlates to the day of the week you were born on - you go to a "thursday" one for example, and cover the buddha in holy water and you will receive a blessing. People here do this every day. There were amazing little bells on every peak, which can be music to the ears when the winds are heavy. It was such a jaw-dropping sight. Definitely an amazing place in all of Myanmar.
A familiar face
Who knew that a friend I had made five years ago while in Vietnam would be a friend I see five years later, living in Yangon!! (James - also featured in photos on this blog!! [see "miraculous mui ne" post]) - James is half Burmese half English, and moved here because he wanted to go back to his routes and has now been teaching english here for 2.5 years.
He brought me to an amazing rooftop bar with an incredible view of the Shwedagon pagoda off in the distance (pic above), took me to Jana Mon Restaurant which specialized in Mon people cuisine (delicious - a standout dish was "banana leaf salad", took me out to play some pool -- something we did while in Hoi An, Vietnam together and he wanted a rematch, he won -- ...And then a great surprise was that tonight also happened to be the night of the final MMA (mixed martial arts) battle between the two finalists: A russian american against a burmese !! They were battling it out for THE Championship, and the match took place here in Yangon!! WOW there was not a single place that wasn't watching this game. Every TV, restaurant, street food stand, had this playing on a screen. Eyes fixed, breaths held, hearts racing. The myanmar fighter wound up winning, it was awesome!!
Where I am now
I'm still in Yangon, but taking an overnight bus to Bagan tomorrow night. Tomorrow James will take me to the outskirts of Yangon to visit a few nearby villages before I have to head off to the train station. Bagan is where I will see the landscape of 1,000 temples and pagodas. You can rent a bike or motorbike to explore the entire area, as there can be a lot of ground to cover. I can sense that the rest of Myanmar will be very promising, full of excitement and new eye-opening experiences, places, and people...
It's official, I have been completely mesmerized by Yangon. It is such an eclectic mix of different cultures - indian people here, chinese, southeast asian, buddhists, muslims, smaller lesser known religions/faiths, you name it. All men here wear the sarong on a daily basis. All women here wear yellow powder on their faces. The streets are old colonial buildings with plants growing out of the old windows and paint peeling off, clothes hanging to dry, balcony watchers everywhere - that alone reminded me sooooo much of Havana, Cuba! I almost felt like I had returned there, but with different locals. And of course, you also have your classic small plastic chairs outside lining the streets with street food stands. No smell of incense here.
Shopping
My first stop after dropping things off at my hostel was Bogyoke Market, a huge market in the middle of Yangon that runs daily. There was one store in particular that really struck me, a place that sold all sorts of tapestries, weavings, clothes, table runners, etc. made by the Chin People (who life in the northwest of Myanmar, near Bangladesh). The owners of the store were so friendly, they dressed me up in things and asked me if I wanted a picture taken, not forcing me to buy anything at all. Everything was so beautifully crafted. I wound up falling in love with a blue hand-embroidered bag I found and will be using it as a day bag for the remainder of my travels.
Halfway into my shopping was when 4 cute little monk-training boys came to sing at every shop-front. After I left Bogyoke market, still mesmerized by all the streets, the mixture of people, I ran into more of these little monks-in-training. It was lunch time for them and I asked the street food vendor if I could take a photograph of her stall and the kids and she accepted with a smile.
Food - Yangon's Tea Houses
Everything is sooooooo cheap and the locals are so kind - I went to this tiny local tea house yesterday and the owner wanted me to try everything. I attached a pic of the food I was given. A morning glory soup was actually free and everytime it was near empty these little boys that worked there would come by to constantly refill it. This meal, in this picture, cost me $2 USD. TWO! The only things that I did not trust and couldn't get myself to eat were the raw vegetables, probably washed with local water. The fishcakes were also a little cold, but I ate them anyway (whoops).
Night markets (...and the rainy season)
My first night in Yangon I went out with a bunch of other travelers staying at my hostel - we were an interesting mix: One Swedish, one Indian, one Canadian, one Austrian, one Australian, and me. Everyone from somewhere different. We walked to a little night market area to get some food for dinner, when suddenly there was a monsoon-like downpour. The rainy season is very sporadic - you have no idea when it will hit or for how long. We stayed under this little tented area for 1.5 hours and waited for the rain to stop, all while enjoying a few Andaman beers (local beer in Myanmar). The prices of beers and hard alcohol are also astounding. 1 USD is 1,000 Kyat (Myanmar currency). You can understand why/how my mind was blown by these prices:
 |
| I REPEAT: $1.35 AND $2.40 FOR BIG BOTTLES OF WHISKEY |
 |
| When in rainy season, look for the roof-covered street stands!! |
Shwedagon Pagoda
Un. Real. This place was completely mind-blowing, and far more beautiful than I imagined. Photos of it simply do not do it justice in its grandeur and spirituality that surrounds it. It is the biggest (and I believe the oldest?) gold Padoga in the entire world. It is surrounded by 12 different buddhas that are marked by a day of the week and it correlates to the day of the week you were born on - you go to a "thursday" one for example, and cover the buddha in holy water and you will receive a blessing. People here do this every day. There were amazing little bells on every peak, which can be music to the ears when the winds are heavy. It was such a jaw-dropping sight. Definitely an amazing place in all of Myanmar.
A familiar face
Who knew that a friend I had made five years ago while in Vietnam would be a friend I see five years later, living in Yangon!! (James - also featured in photos on this blog!! [see "miraculous mui ne" post]) - James is half Burmese half English, and moved here because he wanted to go back to his routes and has now been teaching english here for 2.5 years.
He brought me to an amazing rooftop bar with an incredible view of the Shwedagon pagoda off in the distance (pic above), took me to Jana Mon Restaurant which specialized in Mon people cuisine (delicious - a standout dish was "banana leaf salad", took me out to play some pool -- something we did while in Hoi An, Vietnam together and he wanted a rematch, he won -- ...And then a great surprise was that tonight also happened to be the night of the final MMA (mixed martial arts) battle between the two finalists: A russian american against a burmese !! They were battling it out for THE Championship, and the match took place here in Yangon!! WOW there was not a single place that wasn't watching this game. Every TV, restaurant, street food stand, had this playing on a screen. Eyes fixed, breaths held, hearts racing. The myanmar fighter wound up winning, it was awesome!!
Where I am now
I'm still in Yangon, but taking an overnight bus to Bagan tomorrow night. Tomorrow James will take me to the outskirts of Yangon to visit a few nearby villages before I have to head off to the train station. Bagan is where I will see the landscape of 1,000 temples and pagodas. You can rent a bike or motorbike to explore the entire area, as there can be a lot of ground to cover. I can sense that the rest of Myanmar will be very promising, full of excitement and new eye-opening experiences, places, and people...
6 comments:
OMG ma cherie, I was so fascinated by just reading about your first couple days' experience, from Doha to Bangkok and all the way to Yangon before your heading over to Banan, that I wanted to keep reading!!! I went through a series of reactions as I went along your narrative: like, poo-pooed the Doha airport "men only" lounge policy (despicable, but to be expected...), was endeared that they recognized you at the hostel and also chuckled at that "cute" scam in Bangkok (ha, those guys with the trusting tourists!), was again endeared that you were welcomed by the friend you met 5 yrs ago, had all my visual and olfactory senses awakened with your Yangon descriptions... I was literally transported. You have the great advantage of already several years' travel experience, and of maturity beyond your years that comes from both much grief and much happiness. So, ENJOY it all all the more. With much much love, mammmma💖
amazing Beanie ! Can't believe the lady remembered you and you met your friend James!! Beautiful photos and narrative ! Love youuuuuuuuu
Celine what a wonderful trip! great blog, I love how you narrate this adventure in such an exotic land. Keep enjoying this beautiful journey.
Sounds like you're off to a wonderful start, Celine! Your detailed descriptions are so tangible. Can't wait to experience it all first hand by your side. Keep on, keeping on! <3
Thanks for sharing with us.
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