Saturday, Day 48, Summer in Asia, Thailand to Myanmar
With one last purchase of some vintage Redwing boots from the vintage floor of the Union Mall, we headed to the secondary Bangkok airport to fly to Myanmar. They seem to have a limited number of gates but have compensated with a bus system that could service a small city. Here we are climbing the stairs to the plane on the tarmac.
Our flight to Myanmar was only an hour and fifteen-minute flight, a quickie. Once in Myanmar, we saw the men wore Longyi, which is a 2-meter piece of cloth they wrap around their waist and secure in the front–it’s distinctive.
For entry, we had bought an eVisa ahead of time, so immigration was a breeze. Paul returned from the ATM with a huge wad of Kyat, and we were on our way.
Our driver said Grab has only been in Myanmar for 4 months, seems we waited to come until the time was right.
Even in the city, we were struck by how many trees there are. The driving is less chaotic than the other Asian countries we’ve visited. Like many of the counties in this part of Asia, it has had its wars (with Siam and China), and many colonial entanglements with the Japanese and British. Recent political changes happened in 2015 with democratic elections being held and a year later, the first non-military president since the coupe of 1962 was elected.
The hotel is a modern building plopped in a residential neighborhood. Our hotel is only a few blocks from true main temple….. there are monks everywhere. So much of the lifestyle in our area is based on the streets and the sidewalks. Everyone cooking, eating, selling.