Knitted Architecture in Yangon - PhotoHUnt

PhotoHunt theme : Knitted/Architecture

a row of Victorian styled buildings in Yangon

Strolling along the streets of Yangon near my hotel, I was fascinated by the Burmese architecture which is heavily influenced by its proximity to China and India. Interwoven with spiritual, religious and political messages, Myanmar is home to some of the world's most magnificent buildings.

Wandering into a couple of side streets, I found some old, still thriving and not artificially made markets. They are a unique characteristic of Myanmar.

One market was built in 1905 and has 1156 shops. I enjoyed checking out the fresh produce and discovering more about the diet of the local folks.

Many of the items sold at these markets are not available in our modern supermarkets. The people from these very closely knitted social communities have their own ways of coping with the changing world. Without much help from the authorities, they manage to run their business and raise families.

In the afternoon, my guide brought us to one of Myanmar's famous landmarks. Every visitor to Myanmar must visit the spectacular Shwedagon Pagoda. I stood in awe of this bejewelled, golden beauty. I will write a special post on it.

The floating Karaweik Hall Restaurant @Yangon, Myanmar - PhotoHunt

PhotoHunt theme : Stellar/Advertising

On the last evening of our Myanmar trip, we were treated to a buffet dinner on the floating Karaweik Hall Restaurant. Designed like a huge royal barge, this restaurant on Kandawgyi (Royal) Lake is one of the landmarks of Yangon. This modern architecture of a mythical bird with a melodious cry is gilded with gold. Designed by Myanmar architect U Ngwe Hlaing, it was constructed in 1972.

At the entrance to the restaurant, we were met by dancers dressed in their beautiful traditional costumes. We took many photos with them. Inside the Karaweik Hall, it is decorated with Myanmar Arts and Handicrafts.

Karaweik Hall serves daily buffet lunch and dinner comprising Myanmar, Japanese, Chinese and Western cuisine. Traditional dance performances are held here from 6.30 pm and lasts for 3 hours.

I think this is the only place in Yangon to see a cultural performance with puppet show, different dances and music. The costumes were amazing especially for the dance of the peacocks and the elephant dance. I enjoyed the cultural show immensely.

Busloads of tourists come here for their meals. Due to the huge number, they cut queues and jostled with one another for the food. The food was pretty bad. I had to buy some bread at the supermarket before I returned to my hotel.

This restaurant did not receive stellar ratings in the guides that I read. Tourists can see lots of magazines and hotels in Myanmar advertising for this restaurant though.

Note : I have lots of beautiful photos to upload but I have reached the limit of my photo storage in Blogger. If I am not willing to pay for photo storage, I would have to close my blog. :(

Morning Walk in Yangon - WW

Local people eating noodles for breakfast on a street in Yangon.

After a hearty breakfast buffet in my hotel, I went for a morning walk around the streets. There were many street vendors selling all types of stuff or providing services. 

My breakfast - noodle in a 5-star hotel

Street stalls selling breakfast in the narrow lanes 

A local phone booth

A teenager selling noodles in a corner of the street. After 5 years of compulsory education, many parents could not afford to keep their children in school due to financial difficulties. Education was not free.  Teenagers like him have to work at an early age.

A driver waiting for passengers .... This is the public transport for the locals.

Street vendors selling newspaper and tabloids. After Myanmar abolished media censorship in August 2012, many tabloids are sold openly on the streets these days. Reporters jailed under the junta are also freed from their long prison sentences.

This is one of a number of dramatic changes former general Thein Sein has overseen since taking office last year.

Myanmar Day 1 - WW

Recently, I travelled to Myanmar for a holiday. This sovereign state is the 2nd largest country in Southeast Asia and is bordered by China, Laos, India, Bangladesh and Thailand. It has a population of over 60 million. It gained independence in 1948 but from 1962 to 2011, it was under military rule.

I was in Yangon, the former capital of Myanmar, for 5 days.Yangon, with a population of over 6 million, is the country's largest city and the most important commercial centre although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006.

Although Yangon's infrastructure is undeveloped compared to those of other major cities in Southeast Asia, it has the largest number of colonial buildings, most of them are decaying due to through poor maintenance and not keeping up with its increasing population.

We stayed at the Parkroyal Yangon Hotel, located 30 minutes from Yangon International Airport and right in the heart of the city's cultural attractions.

Our hotel room was spacious with two Queen-sized beds. The hotel's WiFi is good considering how hard it is to get phone signals or internet connection once we were out. There is totally no auto roam service for Singtel subscribers. A SIM card costs 25,000 kyat (US$20, S$39).

On our first night, we had dinner at Padonamar Restaurant which is located in an old colonial style house with a large garden. We had to eat indoors because the tables in the garden were fully occupied. This fine dining restaurant serves Myanmar and Thai cuisine to expatriates and busloads of tourists.

There was a photo on the wall showing Cliff Richard dined here. :)

Steamed white rice comes in bamboo containers. We were served the popular lentil soup that was commonly offered throughout our stay. I like the nutty taste of this soup. We tried Myanmar curries despite being told Myanmar curries are “swimming“ in cooking oil. :P

There is this age old tradition of Myanmar hospitality : “the more oil in the curry the more welcome you are”! There was only a little oil in the curries we ordered. Fortunately. :)

What we ate at Padonmar Restaurant. I doubt it is cholesterol free. :P

Note : A valid passport with entry visa is required for all visitors. A tourist visa allows a stay of 28 days extendable for an additional 14 days.