The Democratic Republic of the People of the Union of Myanmar (or something like that) - Yangon

Known to most as Burma, Myanmar is a truly exciting place to see. We spent four days in the country, split between Yangon, Bagan, and bus rides. Here's a summary of what we did in Yangon, some advice if you visit, fun facts, and some of our favorite pictures.

Day 1

• Arrive in Yangon ~6:00pm by air
• Meet Fate's cousin and her expat friends at The Lab Wine and Bar
• Continue drinking at Vista Bar with a view of Shwedagon Pagoda
• Sleep at the Grand United Hotel (Ahlone Branch)

Day 2

• Shwedagon Pagoda tour
• Lunch at Rangoon Teahouse
• Two art galleries in downtown
• Walk through of some backstreets
• Some fancy expat filled coffee place
• Overnight bus to Bagan (JJ Express)

Things to know if you visit

Yangon is going through so much change right now that its amazing to witness. Unlike most of the touristy Asian cities (Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai), Yangon is still under developed. But money is flooding in. So you get to see:

• Monks praying and then monks on their Samsung Note 3s taking selfies
• Railway cars from the time of the British colonialism side by side with brand new Hyundai Sante Fe's
• SIM cards for $1.50 but the data speeds are non-existent
• Locals using ground tree bark for sunscreen while expats spend $5 for a cocktail. 
• And rent... out of control. Expats easily pay $1,600 a month for an apartment that from the outside looks like project, but dirtier. Inside, its perfectly spacious and kept clean by a housemaid.

Fun facts

• Skynet (Terminator) has taken over. They make the satellite dishes sold across Myanmar.
• Communal water cups around pagodas are available for the brave.
• The Yangon Aung Mingalar bus station bathrooms don't have any lights... so carry a flashlight or use your phone's flash.
• JJ Express bus had Bollywood, K-Pop, and J-Pop (unconfirmed) music videos.
• You can get a SIM card for $1.50 without any ID check. First time reading an Economist article that was actually relevant to our lives.
• We met a kid in Yangon who claimed to speak six languages. Incredible sales pitch (that worked) for selling postcards. 
• Shwedagon Pagoda's free wifi comes in handy for monks when they make their circles. 

Summary of Pictures

Eggplant salad on a bed of oil. Very good without the oil :)

Tea leaf salad

Mohinga - a rice noodle and fish soup, thought to be the national dish of Myanmar

Rooftop bar in Yangon, you get no skyline view but the majestic Shwedagon pagoda! I'll take it. 

Taking a casual walk in near 100 degree heat to got to the pagoda. Never melted so bad. 

It's okay to have umbrellas in the sunshine, I'm in Asia. 

There were escalators up to the pagoda.

We learned you should walk in a circle with your right hand towards towards the pagoda. 100 degrees, challenge accepted.

Seems beautiful until at night the giant roaches come out all over the ground.

Main downtown, leftover British colonial buildings.

My cousin took us to an art gallery

A random Indian guy told us 'Namaste' because he was so happy to see his people.

NBD right?

Really fun to walk in the downtown streets. We were also informed when it rains the rats and bugs come up to the apts.

Mohit is buying a SIM for $1.50 while there was tons of laughing by these guys.