Patrick Love Photography » Travel Photography

Yangon, the capital of Myanmar, retains many of  its colonial-era buildings and wide streets.  A wonderful place for a few days of exploring.  (below) If they have to call it modern, it’s probably not. (Below) Street food for the strong-of-stomach.  (below) Deep-fried goodness. Eating low on the food chain is good for your, right? (below) Telephones, especially cell phones, are rare in Myanmar. Impromptu payphones are set up on the street, so people can make calls.  They are disappearing quickly, as the government has lifted restrictions and insanely high taxes on SIM cards.  (below) Local butcher.  (below) At the night market, Anne and I bought some amazing spices from this gentleman.

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Yangon was a blast.  I loved all the British colonial architecture and street layouts.  For a capital city, the past has been preserved amazingly well.  Due the historic feel of the place, it quickly became my favorite capital city in SE Asia.

We stayed at the Mother Land Inn 2.  It was a decent place, with a decent location, and an absolutely wonderful staff.  They have an airport pick up service that is not to be missed- a chance to ride on an ancient old bus with a transmission that grinds its way through the city.  I also appreciated that everyone else at Motherland was backpacking through Myanmar just like Anne and I.  There was a real camaraderie shared amongst us.  In the morning everyone eats breakfast together, and in the evening everyone sits out front and has beers and smokes.  It’s a great chance to hook up with new travelers, or get information and advice from people who have already traveled to the places you will be going.

Shwedagon Pagoda the largest most holy sight in Myanmar.  The dome on the right is made out of gold.  Actually, it seems like everything in Myanmar has at least a little gold on it.

Betel – Many of the locals chew Betel, as it is reported to alter moods and produce euphoria.  It also stains their mouths and teeth dark red.  There are thousand of stands around the city selling betel.  Here a man is rolling up betel and other ingredients inside of leaves so that it can be chewed.  It’s kind of gross but you get used to it quickly.

Young novices out collecting money in the morning.

Street markets are everywhere in Yangon.

Food stalls are everywhere in Yangon.

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