Myanmar - The first impression.

 Bangkok - Yangon (23-May-2012)

Bozo at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. ((: He's such an ardent fan of traveling!

 That was our first meal in Yangon, and a first taste of how awesome the Burmese were. Numerous dishes on that table were 'presents' which they did not charge us for, and we were quite obliged to finish up. I wouldn't say that everything was to our liking, including the preserved vegetables (something like bamboo shoots?). Salty, sour, & a touch of spice. Slightly like the Korean's kimchi, & no, we did not enjoy that, though we did finish it, forcibly, for courtesy's sake.

 I truly believe that Yangon deserved more attention than what I'd paid to it. What few photographs taken, but the bustling city really possesses a life force of its own, that cannot be described in mere words. It was likely a culture shock. It's indescribable how Yangon takes on this unique mix of South Asian and Southeast Asian streak in it. The abundance of liveliness in this compact city is, in my opinion, too much for it to bear.

 Religion, very much a center of the Burmese life, manifests itself in, literally, the heart of Yangon, in the form of Sule Pagoda (above). A closer alternative to Shwedagon Paya which lies further afield (admission fee stands at a hefty US$5/person for foreigners at Shwedagon). I'm not in agreement of that sort of fees imposed on visitors to a religious monument... 

On a separate note, my first taste of Myanmar was in conclusion, a pleasant one. Yangon is not a place to take your average picturesque postcard photographs, but one to snap photos that tell a story. Neither is it a place that'll charm you at first glance (what with the illegal street money changers, constant overcrowding and the nauseating ditches with their unique brew of filth), but if you assimilated into what it has to offer, chances are that you'll be truly smitten by this city pulsating with its unique form of vibrancy.