Myanmar – Thai

I had no choice but to take a taxi from Yangon Airport to my hotel. Soon after, I went to street stalls for dinner. I didn’t know the dish’s name, but I guess it was Mohinga. The next day, I wandered around the city. The Yangon River was wide and muddy, and the Shwedagon Pagoda was glittery. Still, the place felt good, and I even dozed off beside the Buddha – maybe it was the jet lag.

BTW, I was surprised the buses I used to take in my town are still in operation here with the same colour.*27/12/15

I went to Bago from Aung Mingalar Bus Stn. Arriving there, bike taxi drivers offered me a guide. Many temples were sparsely located, so I needed to use their service. Finally, I returned by minibus, but arrived at Sawbwar Gyi Kone, a different terminal in the morning. Locals kindly directed me to the connecting bus.

BTW, I went for a drink in Yangon and shared the table with locals. They said the bus fare I paid was too expensive with an apologetic look. I felt like that. It’s hard to avoid tourist fares. *28/12/15

I typically favour land travel, but this time, I ended up taking the same well-trodden air route to Bangkok as most travellers. Upon arrival, I quickly caught a minibus to Ayutthaya. I visited the closest temple Wat Ratchaburana from my hotel. A mature tourist lady from Asia asked me to take photos in her native language with a gesture. Then, we were walking together and came across a sunset. She was laughing and got excited about the sunset.

BTW, mango sticky rice found in stalls was delicious. *29/12/15

I rented a bicycle at the hotel and wandered around many good temples such as Wat Yai Chai Mongkon and Wat Pra Srisanpet. Stupa like unicorn horn was super. I was used to a bike trip, but the sunshine was strong for winter. There was no shade, though. After having khao man gai for lunch near Ayutthaya Station, I headed to Bangkok. Though buses were plentiful, I waited for a train patiently.

BTW, many foreigners waited for a train at a western cafe at the station. Local food stall restaurants are truely the best. *30/12/15

I stayed at the Prime Hotel Central Station near Hua Lamphong, so I walked west towards Wat Pho. I passed through local markets on the way and reached Chao Phraya. I wonder if Ayutthaya is more historic than Bangkok. I also visited Khaosan Road, but the unique backpackers’ ambience no longer lingered. Upon finishing my visit to Wat Saket and Wat Loha Prasart, the sun started to go down.

BTW, the cheapest third floor was excellent to see Muay Thai. Locals got excited about gambling. Give it a try. *31/12/15

Last night, I enjoyed the NYE fireworks from my room. Now, I had visited the most famous temples, so I wondered what to do. I was thinking of going to a floating market, but after all I quit. It was somewhat of an obvious tourist spot. Then I changed the mode from a backpacker to a normal tourist, I bought Tahi silk and eat good Tom yam kung at a food court at Siam Paragon.

BTW, I ended up feeling pad thai I ate at the airport was the best, although I was happy with all the stall food. *1/1/16