In the streets of Rangoon …
Colonial building in Rangoon
Like many former British colony in the East, Rangoon today known as Yangon reminds me of Delhi. Walking around the historical quarter are a number of colonial style buildings unfortunately many has fallen into decrepitude but one can just imagine how it could have been like during its heydays.
In the historical quarter
To get that bygone era feeling is to start the historic walk from the Mahabandoola gardens behind the Sule Paya, where sometime you can see fortune-tellers offering their services in hand reading, prediction, astrology and so on. These esoteric sciences seem to be quite popular among the Burmese people.
Fortune tellers along Mahabandoola gardens
For decades Rangoon has always been a melting pot of migrants from all Asia. Unlike other Burmese cities, Rangoon is multicultural with Indian, Chinese and Muslim quarters each with their houses of worship, temples, mosques and Christian churches. The streets are numbered so you certainly won’t get lost and even if you do all you have to do is follow the numbers or just take a ride in one of the unique trishaws parked along the outer streets of down town. Most are either asleep waiting for clients or chattering away with fellow trishaws. They seem eager to speak English even if they can’t, either way sign language where you want to go, bargain the price (a must) and there you are … Riding the trishaw in the streets of Rangoon can be quite an experience.
Riding the trishaw in the streets of Rangoon
But I much prefer walking around the many streets and get lost in different quarters with their own distinctive flavour. Such as when I come into this Chinese temple where I see people playing local games.
playing traditional game
Or watching locals playing chinlone traditional ball game in the Muslim quarter. It is quite impressive to watch these players dancing around elegantly using their legs, shoulders, feet and heads trying to keep the rattan ball off the ground.
Chinlone traditional ball game
Sometime you can also get a glimpse of monks with their alms bowls.
Morning alms for the monks
Downtown Rangoon can be hectic where each block of street is crammed with shops and street vendors. I came across a street specialized in items such as fishing equipments and caught a glimpse of girls repairing fishing net.
Repairing fishing nets
Seller with posters books and pictures of the popular lady in Burma.
picture poster seller
One road leading to the famous Bogyoke Aung San formerly Scotts market, is lined with fruit stalls and all sort of never ending food sellers.
Food seller
A jack fruit seller
Fruit seller
Fish and fresh bamboo shoot sellers …
The market of Rangoon
Rangoon market
Unique thanaka sellers are also part of the streets attraction. The yellow paste made from grinding these bark with water are used for the face and body as local cosmetic cream.
Thanaka seller
And at the end of the day the streets are jam packed with people going home, buses are crowded …
The buses of Rangoon
After a day walking around the streets of Rangoon I did get a chance to try the famous old commuter train that circles around the city … quite impressive.
The old train
19 Comments on “In the streets of Rangoon …”
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Those pictures do remind me of my visit to Yangon. But unfortunately I didn’t manage to try the train. By the way when you said they seem eager to speak English even if they can’t, oh that is so true!!! I also felt that way. I would love to go back to Myanmar to go to Bagan. I missed that due to time constraint.
Hi Bama, Thanks for liking this post. Not easy to get on the old train and I was lucky. Check out more shots on Myanmar on my website http://www.kalpanakartik.com/section584286.html. Bagan is fabulous and so is Mandalay. Planning to go back again hopefully next year…
Thank you for the trips around the world!
Hi, thanks for liking and following my posts, glad you enjoyed it !
loved these photos. It was my first ever sight of anything from Yangon!
thanks for sharing!
Thank you !
This is interesting, I’ve been to a few places in SE Asia but Myanmar is still on my list! I love the shots of the markets – well captured.
Thank you for your nice comments !
Very interesting. I really enjoyed this post.
Thank you, glad you like it. Will be posting more interesting topics so stay tuned
Hi! Thanks for visiting my blog. I love your photos of Rangoon!
Thank you and yes it was quite fun browsing through the streets …
Very insightful. I hope you don’t mind me sharing on my facebook travel page.
By all means please do, many thanks
Please visit my facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/Sanuk555
An effective photo-essay sequence. It conveys time, place and mood – very well done.
Thanks for visiting my blog. It is much appreciated.
Thank you …
Burma or Burma. You have captured some amazing details of the place. It reminds me of our trip to Burma in 1988, during the revolution. It was real hard work, but full of amazing memories. The rice mask….I tried it too…
. Love to go back one day.
Nelly A
Thank you … There are still places in Burma yet to be visited