After a short flight from Bangkok, we were in Yangon (formerly Rangoon), Myanmar (formerly Burma). Things are different here. A very cool mix of cultures and people with smiling faces wherever you look. Unbelievable considering how badly they are treated by the repressive government.
They don't call it rainy season for nothing as we were greeted by torrential rain everyday. Sometimes the mornings would only be light rain, but by the afternoon, streets would be flooded and we were unable to ever get dry. So, we had to continue being tourists in the rain, because if we didn't, we wouldn't see anything!
The first thing you notice downtown is the main traffic circle, encompassing a huge, 2000 year old stupa called Sule Paya. Around the stupa are many colonial buildings from the British occupation up until the 50's. There is also a huge market area called Bogyoke Aung San, which houses loads of little shops and is also where we would get our US money exchanged to Myanmar kyat on the black market. All around the market, people would sneak up to you and ask if you want to change money. A little sly, but the only way to do it here as the 'official' rate of exchange is around 6 kyat to $1, where on the black market, you get 1300 kyat to $1. Not sure how that all works, all I know is I need to carry around huge stacks of 1000 kyat bills as that is the highest denomination they have. *Stub
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