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spoonbender | profile | all galleries >> Galleries >> Yangon tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Yangon

What a nice city. When I got there, my taxi driver from the airport asked me how long I was planning on stayig in Yangon, and I said four days. He told me this was silly. I could see all the sights in one day, he said. I suppose he was right in terms of seeing the sights. But Yangon is a great city to just hang out in. It's got a nice South Asian feel to it, a very bustling, exciting street life, lots of good food stalls, tea stalls, little temples, markets, nice wide boulevards, crazy-hectic side streets and alleys, beautiful old colonial architecture gone to rot in the sun.

One thing I was very surprised to find was all the tea stalls along the streets that turn play Thai heavy metal at night, with young kids sitting in tiny plastic stools, nodding along to the power ballads and playing air guitar. A very very nice city.

This gallery is just street scenes. I have another one for the temples.

On my second day in town, I decided to take a stroll up to 54 University Avenue, the address given in LP for the detained Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. I was assured by a tout who glued himself to my side one day in Yangon that I would not be able to get anywhere near her house. I said, "What are they going to do?" He said, "There are soldiers. They won't let you near it." He was not exactly right. You can walk right past her house, or at least what I imagine must be her house. You can walk across University Avenue no problem. I did. I passed 55 University Avenue, which was a not particularly grand villa on the side of the street across from Inya Lake, on which Ms. Suu Kyi's villa is said to sit. So, I figured if 55 is to my left, 54 must be to my right. But there was no marking, no obvious driveway. Just a lot of unkempt shrubs and trees and a HUGE banner, in Burmese so of course I have no idea what it said. The soldiers man little retractable gates, two soliders on each side of the road. As I approached them I motioned, asking, as best I could, if I could continue walking. They motioned that they had no problem with my walking past.

I then reached into my bag and pulled out my rather large Canon digital SLR. THIS got their full attention and they became quite animated, letting me know very seriously that there would be no photography. So, I smiled and returned the camera to my bag. Just past her house is a small temple. I went back there and took some pictures and on my way out, through the trees, I snapped a couple pictures of the soldiers on the street. Honestly, they don't look too serious. I've seen far more meanacing barricads in Colombo and even in Hanoi.

So, that was my Suu Kyi quest. It ended in failure. You cannot see her villa, at all. Possibly if you got on a boat and floated out into Inya Lake.
One half the contingent of visible soldiers guarding Suu Kyi's villa.
One half the contingent of visible soldiers guarding Suu Kyi's villa.
Nice apartment building
Nice apartment building
This girl was strikingly beautiful. A great smile. I fell a litlte bit in love with her as I passed her.
This girl was strikingly beautiful. A great smile. I fell a litlte bit in love with her as I passed her.
A great face
A great face
And another
And another
These guys were jamming in a little booth in a morning vegetable market  as it was closing up for the day
These guys were jamming in a little booth in a morning vegetable market as it was closing up for the day
She was a seller at the market
She was a seller at the market
Covered stairway in a monastery
Covered stairway in a monastery
Not much official banking in Myanmar. This building is on Bank Street -- could just as easily be called Ghost Street
Not much official banking in Myanmar. This building is on Bank Street -- could just as easily be called Ghost Street
This is a popular Southeast Asian game. I've seen it in Laos and Thailand as well.
This is a popular Southeast Asian game. I've seen it in Laos and Thailand as well.
Volleyball, but they can only use their feet or their heads
Volleyball, but they can only use their feet or their heads
Street scene shot from my balcony at the Sunflower Hotel -- a GREAT hotel
Street scene shot from my balcony at the Sunflower Hotel -- a GREAT hotel
Out on Strand Road, early one morning
Out on Strand Road, early one morning
Mass transit
Mass transit
Little shack by the river
Little shack by the river
In a temple, somewhere
In a temple, somewhere
A monastery
A monastery
Outside a temple, you can buy offerings
Outside a temple, you can buy offerings
Street food seller's baby
Street food seller's baby
Hanging out
Hanging out
Blue
Blue
Krispy Kreme, Yangon style
Krispy Kreme, Yangon style
Night shot
Night shot
Shop selling temple stuff, litlte statues, oil lamps, etc.
Shop selling temple stuff, litlte statues, oil lamps, etc.
Street cleaner cart and a guy selling these really cool little toys
Street cleaner cart and a guy selling these really cool little toys
Street stall at night
Street stall at night
Shoe seller, after dark
Shoe seller, after dark
Sign on a Masoleum with three tombs: U Thant's, the last king's wife, and a writer named U Lun
Sign on a Masoleum with three tombs: U Thant's, the last king's wife, and a writer named U Lun
Bananas, photographed form my balcony
Bananas, photographed form my balcony
Street food, also from my balcony
Street food, also from my balcony
Apartment building, at night
Apartment building, at night
This was a very cool temple, on the way to Shwedagon
This was a very cool temple, on the way to Shwedagon
I think she's texting
I think she's texting
g6/31/233431/3/72922679.oDNVMJl2.jpg Novices on their morning collection
Novices on their morning collection
Nice old colonial building
Nice old colonial building
Beautiful color, alleyway
Beautiful color, alleyway
Alley shot
Alley shot
I really loved Yangon's alleys
I really loved Yangon's alleys
Shake
Shake
Nice colors
Nice colors
Sri Kali temple
Sri Kali temple
Sri Kali gopuram getting a cleaning
Sri Kali gopuram getting a cleaning
Pigeons on Sri Kali
Pigeons on Sri Kali
Street sweeper
Street sweeper
Torturing pigeons
Torturing pigeons
Shot from my balcony
Shot from my balcony
Ugly American, bathed in pink. The curtains in my hotel were this strange color, giving a brothelesque feel to the place
Ugly American, bathed in pink. The curtains in my hotel were this strange color, giving a brothelesque feel to the place
Out my window
Out my window
Happy World Amusement Park, across from Shwedagon
Happy World Amusement Park, across from Shwedagon
Interior of an eating house, that seemed to also be a temple of some sort. I had Shan noodles here.
Interior of an eating house, that seemed to also be a temple of some sort. I had Shan noodles here.