Yagon (maynmar/Burma)

So here we were Yangon, Myanmar.  My number one destination I had wanted to visit when I planned my big trip.  A country that had through its own policies and international sanctions been separated from the rest of the world for the last 20 years, only in the last 2 years had the international tourism boycott been lifted. 

We didn’t have any set plans for Yangon, most of the main trips where to see this temple or pagoda… and to be honest after 2+ months we were a bit templed out :/   So we just headed out for a walking trip recommend in the lonely planet, with the main focus being the “Strand” for a good English tea.  

As we hit the streets it was like walking into some post 90s beat em up game, the ones where you walk down the street and have to fight of the various baddies.  The pavement was cracked and giant holes, and red blood splatters everywhere on the ground, the local men looked like vampires with red bloody, broken teeth… no don’t worry we haven’t gone to some civil war country where death lurks at every corner.  

They all chew a strange root & herb mixture that goes red and build saliva, so they are constantly spitting and I mean constantly!! Me and Ems had to dodge on a couple of occasion as giant bloody red phlegm balls hurtled towards our feet… GROSS!!  We also both seemed a bit of a tourist sight for the locals I think as they seemed transfixed on us, staring at us as we walked past... maybe it was my bright blonde hair and Ems vibrant red… or maybe it was Ems hot pants ;-D No where had we seen any reference that Ems would need to cover her knees and shoulders, however this seemed to be what was needed so we quickly headed to the market… after a cup of tea J

Ems to my surprise agreed to join me in a samosa from a dirty grotty street trader… Unfortunately this bit of bravery did not turn out well for her as she fell ill for the following day and we postponed our trip to Inle Lake by a day.  

The next day we got our taxi and headed toward the bus station… and wow the bus station was mental, it put Bangkok to shame for craziness… 100s of old beat up buses, shiny new ones, gutted ones, vehicle carcasses, dirt roads, rubbish, random stalls, shops, touts shouting at the buses, horns blaring, taxi drivers shouting…  Chaos!!!

Our first impression on Myanmar… Well it was definitely the first country that we had suffered from real culture shock, you could not easily put your finger on why it was.. the spitting, the dirt, the staring all played apart but there was something more, not sure what that more was yet…