Our hotel is handily placed next to the Sule Paya - not sure whether it's the only place on the world with a huge golden 2000 year old pagoda in the middle of its main downtown roundabout but it certainly makes for a useful landmark and address to give to cab drivers! And it was looking very lovely first thing this morning
as was the park opposite, with Independence Memorial,
and surrounded by the former High Court
and Council Building.
We grabbed 11sies at a popular-looking street food-stall : mohinga (noodles in broth) and black tea ("white" means the addition of something akin to condensed milk), and then continued on our walking tour - lots of grand (or often rather more like once-upon-a-time-grand) colonial buildings like the water board
and port authority,
many of which look somewhat in need of love.
Back at the hotel, our luggage had arrived, complete with a "RUSH" label!
After a late lunch, yday's driver had, you'll remember, recommended the Aung San market. Sadly it turned out to be rather tourist-y, but more interestingly next door was the Indian quarter, with its spices, fabrics, foodstuffs, processing monks with drums and gongs, seeking alms...
Last sight of the day was Paya Botatuang, a huge temple complex near to the river, whose primary purpose is to be a reliquary for two of the six hairs of the Buddha which reside in Burma; the original pagoda having been a casualty of 1943 bombing by the Japanese, the present one was completed in 1953. It stands 133ft tall, and is gilded with gold and is positioned near to a large (sadly under scaffolding) seated Buddha and all manner of smaller temples.
Many Burmese wear thanaka, which is apparently ground bark applied in a paste to the face in attractive designs (plus it smells like sandalwood and is allegedly very good for the skin). Chatting with various local women who struck up conversations, I'm told that it's not a religious or caste-based thing but merely "Myanmar make-up" (also worn by children and the occasional chap).
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