Yangon

We made it to Yangon.  A month hotter than last year and still as crazy as it was the first time.  It was nice to be remembered by the management at the May Shan, and the building is a little taller...they added a floor of rooms. This year there is a bright shiny "Visa" sticker in the window.  No credit cards at all last year anywhere in the country.  They also accept Mastercard, the owner hastily added.  Tourism is down but prices are still high although the dollar is stronger this year.  The traffic is crazy crazy crazy, as it was in Bangkok.  I am over it and am looking forward to getting out of the cities for a while.

Dinner at Jok Pochana in Bangkok was the very best on Monday night.  It wasn't as crowded as it is on the weekend and the crispy basil duck was extra succulent.  As a speical we had tod mun pla, fish cakes, served with a side of special sweet sauce. I guess we'll have to order it again so I can figure out the ingredients.  We washed it all down with litres of cold Leo beer and finished by splitting a Singha.  Then we wobbled back down Pra Atit to our room.  I am looking forward to the Daw Saw Yee tonight in Yangon, and my tea boys tomorrow morning.

Phra Atit, Bangkok

Jok Pochana - Lek

Daw Saw Yee, Yangon

999 Shan Noodles for lunch

It seems to be a trip of revisiting, and remembering.  It's different this time, familiar and yet foreign.  We are older, a little less tolerant of roughing it, although not stupid about wasting money on things we don't need.  We are looking at Southeast Asia with a different eye this time.  How would it be to live here part of the year?  Can we see ourselves fitting into this culture, as ex-pats?

So...we have a room at the May Shan on the third floor in the back, with two small windows and the sound of cooing doves.  The aircon works, thank god, and so does the wifi, for free.  The Sule Paya gleams in the center of the city, right outside our door, and the mosque issues it's call to prayer.  What adventures await this time?