Win picked us up at the Foreigners' Entrance of Shwedagon Paya, the glorious gold-gilded national symbol. Standing at 98 metres tall on a hill, it is the tallest architecture which could be seen from all corners of Yangon. Not even the modern Traders Hotel or Sakura Tower could beat its height.
Win, a gentle Burmese man with a young two year-old daughter, is a certified tour guide. In an hour, he took us around the Paya, explaining the history and culture of the Burmese.
With a little matrix, he calculated I was born on a Sunday, which is represented by the powerful Garuda. Bun is born on Tuesday, the day of the Lion, signifying honesty.
It looked like a popular destination for family picnics. Lots of local Burmese sat on shaded cool marble ground, around good spreads of silver tong-kats filled with rice, vegetables, curries and more.
If we had known, we would have prepared a basket too!
Cost (US$1 = 750 kyat):
- 300 kyat - 30 mins at internet cafe
- 1500-2000 kyat - taxi rides
- 5000 kyat - entrance fee to Shwedagon Paya
- 5000 kyat - one-hour guide by Win *star buy for today*
- 6700 kyat - lunch for two at Feel Myanmar Food, the local version of economic rice
- 1000 kyat - rickshaw rides
- 7350 kyat - road side BBQ dinner in Chinatown
- 1500 kyat - groceries from supermarket in preparation for our train ride
- US$22 - one night at White House Hotel
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