My theme this year is Burma AKA Myanmar. I used to live in Laos, so I looked forward to returning to Southeast Asia. I spent a little over three weeks exploring this country, learning a bit about its culture: its history, religion, and language. I thought others might enjoy some of what I learned and see some of what I saw.
Yangon is a city of beautiful contrasts. Markets flourish along the crowded sidewalks, but they do have sidewalks, so that’s a huge improvement from Mandalay where every step could plunge you into a sewer or oncoming traffic.
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| Everything from Shoes. . . |
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| to Dessert is for Sale on the Streets of Yangon |
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| View from a Pedestrian Over Crossing |
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| View from the Other Direction |
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| Some Buildings from the Colonial Period |
I’m not a city person, but I do enjoy the kinetic excitement once in a while. Yangon didn’t disappoint.
Question: What do you know about the xylophone in the Strand Hotel?
T Authors such as Maugham, Kipling and Orwell were entertained by the music from the xylophone in the Strand lobby. (The Strand opened in 1901, and has hosted these notables along with hundred of others. I’m buying this history, so I can know more about one of the most famous hotels in the world.)
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| Collector Item |
NOW what do you know about Yangon?
T/F 1. The Mons were the earliest inhabitants of the area now called Yangon.
T/F 2. In the eighteen hundreds, the Burmese fought the British and won the battle of Yangon
Answers tomorrow.
Hi Lee – it must be wonderful to visit .. and looks like a slightly out of the way place, that was once of great importance. Love the market atmosphere .. the foods and the shoes …
Mons were the peoples of Yangon and the Brits defeated the Burmese in that first war .. it's been a wonderful series .. cheers Hilary
Nice ad colourful all the way!
I do love all the colors. Says a lot about a place. And I can't believe it's Y already. Where did April go?
I do not like the sound of Mandalay without sidewalks! I would definitely end up in a sewer 🙂 Those are very colourful shoes.
Tasha
Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)
I agree with Michelle! This might be the most vibrant visit on your A to Z tour.
Julie
I love anything multi-colored… the shoe display is a visual feast!
I love all the colors in the market, but the dessert looks a little scary…
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ClarabelleRant
Hi superstar, celebrity author and well cool storyteller, Lee aka the Lee with the hat and sunglasses, Lee,
Great post! Thanks for sharing! Following!
Thanks for this. Yangon a minute, I forgot what else I was going to type. Probably something really awesome. Never mind.
Thanks, Lee.
Gary 🙂
Gorgeous photos. I love Asian markets! What on earth was in those big pots that they were serving for dessert?
So colorful! Thanks for sharing the photos.
Yvonne
That would be a cool place to go exploring in.
How cool is that! A famous xylophone.
Looks like a great city! I love the different views and the bright colors. 🙂
~Jess
What a great city.
Those shoes look so cool. I want every single pair!
I can't believe this is Y! Just like I can't believe I was ever in Yangon. It was only last November, but it seems a lifetime ago.
I really hope the Burmese won that. It would have put our noses out of joint because we thought we were better than everyone else.
I don't know about walking through a big city where anything can happen…
Elizabeth Mueller
AtoZ 2015
My Little Pony
I wonder about the sanitation of those big vats of desserts. I like seeing the big cities, but I also find them intimidating on occasion.
Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
A Faraway View
Yay Yangon! And yay one more day.
The markets look so fun. I'm not even a big shopper but I just love those colors.
Great post! So are the desserts tapioca pudding, which is popular in Thailand and also sold in little dessert cups at a fast food Vietnamese chain in Hawaii?? I noticed the pic of "shoes" which are also the preferred footwear in Hawaii – we call em "slippahs" and we have many different styles of them! Even for weddings!
Maui Jungalow
Although I'm not into living in a big city, they are fun to visit for a day or two. Yangon looks like an energetic, colorful place!
I'm not a big shopper, but those markets look so enticing. Maybe it's the fact that they're right out in the open air, or maybe it's all the bright colours and the mish-mash of offerings, I don't know, but they are SO much more inviting than malls.
Are those spices and foods in that first picture? Smells delicious. (I don't do cities very well either.)
I really don't like the noise and crowds of cities though I might enjoy walking through that market. Both true today.
The colonial building in the last picture is very imposing.
Annalisa, writing A-Z vignettes, at Wake Up, Eat, Write, Sleep
I enjoy the hustle and bustle of a city. Yangon looks lovely and colorful. I'll buy a dessert on the street.
Wow, the colors are so amazing!!!
What struck me most was all the color! What a dazzling place.
I love all of the colors there. I wish more places were as colorful as Burma.
Look at all those shoes. I love shoes. And desserts – yummy. More fabulous pictures. Looks like a great place to visit.
the environment is very inviting… so much culture in one place.
Great photos. As Alex said, it looks very colourful.
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Out of Africa – Topics from A to Z
It looks like a great blend of old and new. And very colorful.