We have a long and full day ahead of us touring the city of Yangon, so we make sure that we rake full advantage of the buffet breakfast that is included with the room. After over filling ourselves, we meet up with our guide for the day and begin our tour. Our first stop is at the Botataung Pagoda. It was originally built over 2,000 years ago when relics of the Buddha were brought from India (escorted by 1,000 military leaders), but was accidentally bombed during World War Two.
The unusual aspect of this pagoda is that the zedi (or the stupa) is hollow and you can walk through it. The zigzag walkway inside is covered with thousands of small pieces of mirror and at the core are the revered relics. Devotees come and pray in front of it and throw money through the gate.
Outside the stupa are various other halls containing other important religious images. We wander from one to the other, checking them out.
Outside the grounds of the pagoda are numerous stalls that line the street selling various items, in particular fruits, for followers to present as offerings in the pagoda. There are also many people offering up caged birds that for a fee you can free (but all that happens is that they catch other birds so other people can pay to free them). From the Pagoda we head down Strand Road for a quick visit to the famous Strand Hotel. We will come here again later for a drink.
From the hotel we walk across the busy, dusty street to go and take a look at the docks from where the ferryboats and water taxis take people across and up and down the Yangon River. There are lots of people just hanging around - seems like many people have nothing to do.
The next stop is at the Sule Pagoda, right in the center of the downtown part of the city. The Pagoda stands tall as a key city landmark right in the center of a chaotic roundabout. Devotees and visitors alike take their lives into their own (or maybe Buddha or God's) hands as they dash across, weaving between the onrushing traffic that has no respect for pedestrians.
This pagoda was also supposedly built over 2,000 years ago, but it has been rebuilt and renovated so many times, it is hard to say what has been built when. It is said that it houses one of the hairs of the Buddha. It is 46 meters tall and is completely surrounded by shops that sell religious and non-religious goods and services. Once inside, we take a look around watching the many visitors praying and making their offerings. We make our own offering, buying some gold leaf that is sent up to the center of the stupa by a small cable car.
From the pagoda, after a quick look at the colonial City Hall, we head over to the western part of Strand Road to the Kheng Hock Keong Chinese Temple, the largest in Yangon and over 100 years old. It is supported by a Hokkien Association. While Elaine goes in and prays, we take a look around. It is very busy as it is still the Chinese New Year period.
It is now time for lunch. We decide to head out of the city center to the Green Elephant Restaurant. It is an excellent choice and we have an excellent meal for five people, including drinks, for less than $25. And this is an up-market restaurant.
The first stop after lunch is at the Na-Gar glass factory. Based on all the glass piled up everywhere (it looks like scrap, but we are told that it is stockpile), this place must have been a round for a while. We get a demonstration of how they blow glass the old fashioned way and then take a look at the shop.
The prices are good and some of the styles are nifty, but the quality is poor so we do not end up getting anything. But it was fun looking at some of the old stuff they had in the shop, such as the ancient car sitting in the back corner behinds stacks of glasses and other junk.
We decide to see if there are any shops that can offer us any other ideas for things to buy. We are taken to one shop, but it is a bit of a disappointment. The selection is not bad, but the prices are outrageous. At least we get some snacks and tea. We also have the opportunity to change some money - at the black market rate and not the official rate.
The next stop is at the Chaukhtatgyi Pagoda, which houses a huge reclining Buddha. It is housed in a huge metal-roofed shed and it takes some time to wander around the whole figure.
Down the back of the pagoda is a monastery, Ashay Tawya, which we slowly walk around. It is a huge complex and it is filled with monks from young to old. We spot small boys in one room, loudly chanting.
The monks are friendly and welcome us in to take a look at their quarters. They are simple and modest.
The next to last stop is at the Kandawgyi (or Royal) Lake. We take a stroll down to the waters edge and have a look at the impossible concrete reproduction of a royal barge. In the opposite direction we get a good look at the golden spire of the Shwedagon Pagoda standing majestically at the top of the hill overlooking the lake.
And we head off there for our last stop of the day. We spend quite some time here at this pagoda taking a look around. We also want to stay until sunset and dusk to see golden stupa lit up against the dark sky. But first, after paying our entrance fees, we need to take the long walk up the many steps to the platform upon which the stupa rests.
And you emerge from the covered walkway onto the platform which is a hive of activity and bursting with color, in particular gold. The best way to see and enjoy the place is to simply join in the crowd that is slowing walking around the stupa and in and amongst the other many smaller stupas, statutes, temples, shrines and images that dot the complex. People are doing everything, from praying, giving offerings and poring water over images to socialising to simply just relaxing. We come across a group of people that have formed a moving wall as they slowing make their way around the stupa sweeping the floor.
There is always work going on to restore and keep up the monument.
We slowly make our way around taking it all in. At one point we stop and buy some gold leaf to add to one of the many Buddha images.
And, of course, after donating money or doing something that makes merit, the bells must be rung. And this place is full of bells, of all sizes.
We also find the corner devoted to the day of the week that we are born on. It turns out that many of us were born on the same day, so we go in and pay our respects by poring water over the image. We have to count carefully, as we are supposed to pour a number of cups that corresponds to our age.
We stay until the sun sets. While the sun set itself is not too impressive, ...
... the effect on the gold leaf covered stupa (as of 1997, it has apparently accumulated over 53 metric tonnes of gold leaf) is awesome. With the darkening sky behind it, the glittering gold stupa stands out in all its glory.
We have to make our way around the stupa one more time, just to take in how it looks, literally, under this different light. It is just too bad that we cannot see from here the diamond and jewel encrusted orb at the top of the stupa. At the very top is a 76 carat diamond.
With regret, as we could have stayed there hours, we leave the stupa behind and descend down through the long, dark stair way to the bottom of the pagoda. From here we have one last look back up towards the stupa as it stands all lit up.
Once back at the hotel, after our eleven hour day of sightseeing in the hot and dusty streets of Yangon, we decide that we deserve a drink in the bar. Once appropriately refreshed, we head out for dinner. We decide to go to a Thai restaurant that has been suggested to us. It is a short walk and we have a very meal at the local place. And it is also a good price, costing just a few dollars for the three of us.