Yangon and Essen and traffic in Myanmar

After our first night at Shivam we move into a hostel in downtown. We landed in exactly the right neighborhood :) Street kitchens, market stalls, tea kitchens, and multi-cultural. It's not as bustling and diverse as Bangkok, but maybe that's not a bad thing. And the city is surprisingly clean! I'm particularly happy about that. They've already put out garbage cans here. The south should maybe take a lesson from that.

What sets Yangon apart and what makes it different from other Southeast Asian cities is the ban on motorized two-wheelers. Yes, you heard that right. An Asian city without scooters. Whoaaat? This completely changes the whole cityscape. Of course, there are a lot more taxis and buses driving through the city, and if you have your own mode of transportation, it's a bicycle. These are often modified to transport people. A small sidecar with a folding chair has been added. I'm seeing these things here for the first time. And 95% of the cars are white. Somehow that makes sense in a country with so much sunshine, but it's very noticeable in Yangon.

In this context, I can also say something in general about traffic in Myanmar. They drive aggressively and recklessly. In Thailand, despite driving on the left, we were pleasantly surprised by the traffic because scooters and cars drive responsibly and are very considerate of pedestrians. Of course, the basic principle there is "whoever brakes loses", and if I'm standing at the side of the road waiting for someone to let me cross, I will grow old and gray. But once you're on the road, the vehicles slow down or move aside. That's not the case in Myanmar! I got that impression in Kawthaung when I crossed my first road, and that impression was reinforced. Nobody stops for a pedestrian. They just keep driving. At first, we were really shocked, and I was almost tempted to try if they would actually run me over. But I'm not that eager to die! When passing vehicles or people, they honk (which I could practice on our scooter tour through Myeik), but avoiding or even braking is not an option. And since there are no pedestrian crossings, we can't avoid crossing 8-lane roads, especially in Yangon. Lane by lane, and when a bus whizzes past me and I pull my toes in my flip-flops, I have to flinch for a moment and hold on to Max's hand. But you get used to it, and after all, everyone does it. But it's not cool...

There are many Indians living in Yangon, which is naturally reflected in the culinary offerings. Since I really like Indian food, this city immediately appeals to me. So we go to an Indian place for lunch and have Biryani. A classic Indian rice dish with lamb. I'm having it for the first time and I'm really impressed! Rice and meat are layered alternately in a pot and simmered over the fire. This allows the lamb flavor to permeate the whole dish and it tastes really delicious!
What you see most often on the street are stalls selling Indian sweets, curries, pancakes, and crepes (of course, in Asian style), fried snacks (I think they are onion rings, chicken parts, chicken feet, shrimp, crabs), dried fish in various variations, vegetables, and fruits. However, the meaning of curries is different here than, for example, in Thailand. They are various dishes, similar to stews, presented in aluminum trays or bowls at the roadside. They consist of meat (usually of lesser quality), fish, offal, 100-year-old eggs, or pickled vegetables. You get rice and choose one, two, or three of these curries. Then you get a small portion served in a small saucer-like bowl. Along with the grayish soup and raw vegetables with a spicy brown-gray sauce.

Another trend is bakeries. However, there, only sweet pastries and sometimes really indulgent cakes are available.

One thing that can be said about the food in Myanmar in general is that it is much less spicy than in Thailand, but a lot of oil is used in cooking. Sometimes the food is literally dripping. The stomach must like that... In addition, vegetables are often pickled, which tastes strange and interesting at first. We mostly ate that in the south of Myanmar. The cuisine in Yangon is already different again, but since Myanmar is a multi-ethnic state, you can't really talk about THE Burmese cuisine. It varies greatly from region to region. So we still have a lot to discover :-)

In Yangon, we spend the day walking around and exploring. We visit several pagodas, such as the Sule Pagoda, which is in our neighborhood, and we visit parks and lakes in the city center. When we visit a mall, it becomes clear to us again how much people here love sweet pastries. The mall is mostly made up of cosmetic shops and pastry shops. My theory: Eat fattening food and then contour to look slim again.

We also try a piece of cake. Chocolate banana :) Max wants something savory afterwards and gets a cheese stick and something with ham from the bakery. Problem: All the pastries are made with a soft sweet dough. Most of them are filled with pudding. Max was so happy to find a cheese stick (there is no cheese here, at most processed cheese) and then it turns out to be sweet. Well, the craving for savory food can probably only be satisfied again in March.

Of course, the main attraction, namely the Shwedagon Pagoda, must not be missed. We specifically visit it in the afternoon to see it in daylight, at sunset, and illuminated. The sun sets at 5:30 pm. The pagoda is truly impressive and surrounded by other pagodas, temples, statues, etc. The huge square around the pagoda is filled with buildings, and each individual structure is already a sight to behold. I think it will take us an hour to go around the pagoda just once because there is so much to see. And I see the youngest monk so far. He is probably barely 3 years old.

On Friday evening, we take the bus to the beach at 10 o'clock. I'm really looking forward to a few days at the beach :) We booked a hut right by the sea. No internet and a few hours of electricity per day. The journey takes about 6 hours for 240 km. It's almost fast ;-)