Myanmar -- Days 2 & 3

Myanmar – Day 2

On Saturday, we did laundry, spent a lazy couple of hours at the pool, watched movies, and visited with our new friends. The air conditioning was what we needed as the weather continues to be miserable. I am still waking up at 4 am and having a tough time getting enough sleep.

One interesting note: we have had several time changes since we left Singapore. It is usually one hour back EXCEPT in Myanmar, it was 30 MINUTES back. In all the travelling we have done around the world, this is a first.

Myanmar – Day 3

Someone please tell me why we are spending three days in Myanmar. I will never again, I promise, to complain about the heat in the desert when it reaches 90 degrees.

We decided to face the lumpy bumpy ride into Yangon once again to see the market. We left on the shuttle at 9am, arrived at the Traders Hotel, and walked to the market. I looked just like a local, with an umbrella to shade me from the sun. Crossing the street to the market is a game of chicken – see how many cars you can dodge to get across the street without getting hit.

The market was huge. It was mostly indoors and we kept to the shade. Little booths mixed in with little stores. The silks – I was in sensory overload. Every color imaginable, with designs and jewels embedded in the fabric. It was sold by the bolt, piece or finished item.



Deep inside the market, there were young girls sewing custom fitted blouses and longyi (the skirts), and others hand beading fabrics. This is the original sweat shop. There were many other items for sale, especially pearls and gold chains and bracelets. It was so hot inside, that I bought a sandlewood fan for the outrageous price of $3.

It was just too hot to shop; we were soaking wet and decided to catch the 11am shuttle back to the ship. The air conditioning was a joke, but at least it was tolerable. Boy, I can’t wait to get to India and see what their heat and humidity is like. Us Northwesterners are just not used to this.

After lunch and a refreshing dip in the pool, we showered and enjoyed the rest of the day in air conditioned bliss. We went to afternoon Tea, and then on to a round of Kamakazi’s (exotic drink) in our friends’ cabin.