Day 3 in Myanmar

The day began nice and slow, again a restless sleep had left deep dark shadows under my eyes, and I bathed and dressed ready to hit the streets of Yangon. Breakfast was a joke! Weird chicken sausages that looked raw with pale, almost white, scrambled eggs. Not being able to stomach gluten, I unfortunately had to add it to my diet on this trip, as like most Asian countries all you can find in the shops and food stalls that look remotely safe is sweet bread. After eating 3 pieces with butter the taste made me recall the first time I’d ever stepped foot in Asia.

It was whilst I was completing my teaching degree, I was twenty one and had agreed to undertake a two week teaching practice in Wu Han China. Never ever having stepped foot overseas....what the fuck was I thinking choosing a remote city in China as my first adventure? Anyway to cut a long, but boring story short, I absolutely hated it, and my Aunty Anna to this day still reminds me of that comment! I barely survived my two week stint and made up some excuse about a sick family member to get home early. Something I felt guilty about at the time but was later very happy about. I vowed never to return to China again! Funny hey? Having now lived in Asia nearly ten years and China for over seven I can definitely eat my words and sadly regurgitate them, over and over again!

Day 3 was going to be a simple one. Head to Bogyoke Ang Sung market, which was in walking distance, and take some photos whilst looking at the merchandise. I had been formulating a little plan/dream for the future, the night before and realised the market trip would be a fun way to do a little research. After that I had planned to head somewhere for lunch and then meet Ben, my friend from the night before, for drinks and dinner at the lake near his place.

Finding the market proved easy, it was crossing the main road with a barricaded medium strip that was hard. I found an overhead pass that gave me access to the second floor of the market. Spying a few westerners hanging over the balcony I realised it was the correct market and meandered along the walkway. Grabbing my camera I snapped a few shots of a young seamstresses sewing Longyis and other garments for locals and tourists to purchase. A Longyi is a sheet of cloth widely worn in Burma. It is worn around the waist, running to the feet. It is held in place by folding fabric over without a knot. Both men and woman wear this garment although the female version is decorative whilst the men’s is usually chequered and shirt like.

Walking around the market I came across some children who were donned in pink robes of monk attire. They were running around the landing with a mischievous spirit I couldn’t help but smile. I quickly snapped a few pictures, mostly with their backs turned to me. Somehow I just didn’t want to spoil their fun and games. Descending the stairs I opted not to view the rest of what the market had to offer. Why not? I hear you whinge, because it is just another Asian market, with venders haggling the same merchandise found all over the continent and I had become immune to them.

On my way back to the hotel I decided to visit the Rangoon Teahouse again. Uh hah, I know you’re thinking that this girl is not a real tourist, sampling the local authentic cuisine, but hey bordering on the age of thirty nine and living the last decade of it in Asia, western haunts have become more exotic and a welcomed comfort to daily life in the east. I sauntered up the familiar stairs and found the same little booth I had previously inhabited. By the way part of the reason for this choice of restaurant was also my love of tea.

Upon sitting down and perusing the menu, I opted for an iced Kyat Saint tea. A local tea with two thirds tea, one part evaporated milk and one part condensed milk. Errrrrrrgh! Might be your initial thought but one must realise an acquired taste forms after living in places like Vietnam and China for so many years. Why is evaporated milk used? Well it’s an alternative to normal milk in Asian countries where previously dairy was hard to come by. Tinned milk was imported from Europe and used to imitate the fresh version.

After a tea or two I became hungry I decided to be adventurous and try the pickled tea salad, Lahpet, apparently a local cuisine. When it arrived at my table alongside my long bottle of Myanmar beer I was inquisitive. Shaped like a stack of pancakes I discovered it was layers of nuts, broad beans, cabbage, tomato and chilli with a layer or thick green pickled tea leaf leaves on top. Here goes..... I thought as I took a mouthful. Woooh! Frigging amazing! Like a Thai salad with nuts and then this spicy green sauce, which were those pickled tea leaves! I love it! Devouring the salad and Mandalay beer to cool the spiciness I messaged Ben to see what time and location to meet. 8:30pm Blue Galaxy Bar near the lake. I googled the location and paid the bill.

Outside the restaurant I grabbed a cab, showing them the location on my mobile. "Yes I know the place" “4000 Kayt okay?” “Yes" I replied. Jumping in the taxi feeling a little tipsy after a few Mandalay beers a slight thought entered my head. Are you sure you want to get a random taxi to middle of nowhere in a foreign country by your lonesome Kelly Jean?

After an approximate 30-minute taxi ride we came across the Blue Galaxy bar, the neon lights were beaming in the taxi and as he did a U turn, as I fumbled for my wallet. Paying the bill and jumping out onto the street I realised, how very Vietnam it felt and I was suddenly transported back to my days in HCMC. Standing at the bar’s entrance I looked for Ben. Hmmmmm….no sign of him. Was he usually late or prompt? I wasn’t sure, as my memories of him were of him with his partner Dawn, a couple who hung out with the Sanlitun crew of teachers. Time ticked on and five minutes to nine I thought something isn’t right. Not wanting to continue standing out the front of a bar, that looked like a stripper joint in Thailand, I hailed a taxi. Unfortunately I couldn’t message Ben they had no wifi.

Apparently there had been two bars of the same name, one on one side of the lake the other on the other side. Ben hadn’t sent me the correct name thus I had just found the first bar of same name that had appeared on google maps, which in fact was the wrong one!

Thankful I had made it back to my hotel bed safe, I apologised to Ben and he did the same to me. I packed my bags for the next day and rolled into bed. I had tried, and I had survived, I thought to myself before nodding off for the night.

#photography #yangon #Streetlife #Myanmar #day3