Three Days in Yangon

With three days to spend in Yangon, a city of over 4 million people and Myanmar's former capital (don't ask me the name of the new capital), I figured that there would be no shortage of things to see and do.  However, I hadn't considered that when the temperature is hitting 38 degrees it really comes down to what do you absolutely want to see.  I managed one major outing per day and spent the rest of the time relaxing/hiding in my air-conditioned room.

• Day 1 - exploring downtown and the Bogyoke Aung San Market - too bad that I'm not a shopper as the market was large and had no shortage of trinkets.  At one booth I explained to the woman that I needed gifts for my wife and son, but did not know what they would like. She was very helpful and I would subsequently retain my tenuous hold in the "good books."

• Day 2 - Shwedagon Paya - I figured that I had already visited enough temples over the past few months to last me a lifetime.  However, my travel book said that this one should not be missed. Wow, were they ever right.  The structure was spectacular and it was interesting to watch the hive of activity of those coming to visit.

• Day 3 - The Circle Line - For a ticket costing about $1 I took a commuter train trip that went around the city in just under 3 hours.  I went during the middle of the day, in order to miss the rush hours, but it was still quite busy.  It wasn't the most picturesque trip as there was plenty of garbage along the tracks and we passed by a huge auto-wreck yard and a prison.  However, it did provide a different perspective of the city while allowing me to stay in the shade.

Otherwise, I spent a lot of time in my hotel room, reading or watching TV.  I had 6 channels to choose from, including BBC, CNN, and the Manchester United Football Club channel.