Bangkok/Yangon/Bagan/Mandalay Trip Report: Playing With Fire

[numazu]

From my little experience:

 

I did not see any exchange restrictions while I was there. There is still the mandatory warning of declaring anything over $10,000, but that is worldwide though.

 

One thing I noticed is that hotels are not authorized to change money anymore. I have been told this was possible one time. You are encouraged to pay by credit card, or have already exchanged your dollars to kyats when paying for anything at the hotel.

 

The exchange rate when I was there was 1350 kyats for $1. This was used in my one currency exchange experience at the Yangon Airport. BurBoy showed me a "black market" sign in Bagan that had 1430 kyats exchange. After my initial exchange at the airport, I did not use any more exchanges and just used ATMs, and the rate was the official government rate of 1350 kyats.

 

You can pay for flights in both kyats and USD. You can only pay kyats or credit cards with hotels. Some hotels (and upscale restaurants) WILL accept dollars (and will gladly do so) but the change is in kyats, of course, and I am not entirely sure if this is officially allowed by the government. Best practice: use a credit card at hotels that have them, but have some kyats before you come, just in case.

[steveboy]

They seem to be still in the middle ages if in this "cool guy" event they cannot give the boys something smaller and more attractive to wear than those ugly black shorts!

[a447a]

Wonderful reports! Thanks.

 

I've often wondered about a trip to Myanmar but always considered it top difficult. But your reports have encouraged me to visit.

[numazu]

Day 2: Trains and Buddhas

 

I was really really exhausted from the flights and the jetlag, because I slept 9 hours straight, without waking up in the middle of the night, as is usual for me when jet-lagged. The alarm woke both of us at 6 AM. We had a full-day tour of Yangon today at 8 AM, so we wanted to get a good shower and breakfast in before heading it to get to know Myanmar’s biggest city.

 

When pressed for time, I don’t leave touring to chance, and I always want to see as much of the city as I can because god knows when I’ll be back here. Since I am here in the middle of high season, the country was crawling with tourists, and if I left my tour to chance and booked it when I got to Yangon I may be S.O.L. So I go on viator.com, the tours and activities booking company, to see if there were good full-day Myanmar tours. Doing a search yielded some promising ones but not a lot had reviews. I found this that had one good review: https://www.viator.com/tours/Yangon/Private-Full-Day-Yangon-Tour-Including-Circular-Train-Ticket-and-Lunch/d5412-19985P23

 

I paid for two people (me and BurBoy) and booked it for today. I had BurBoy call the tour agency yesterday to confirm the tour.

 

We have a quick shower, sadly without cumming, but with some horseplay and stroking and kissing at least.  We start getting dressed and I ask him what clothes should I put on. I knew we were going to the pagodas today and wanted to be respectful. BurBoy told me to just wear shorts (he knew I preferred it) and he will bring my longyi with us so if needed I can put it on. He puts on pants and we head over to breakfast.

 

I liked the authentic Myanmar food last night, but I am always partial to a well-stocked international breakfast buffet. I was not sure that breakfast was part of my stay but when we got to the Emporia restaurant I was assured that it was part of it. We get to our table and get asked for our drink orders (coffee and orange juice). The restaurant had a very modern décor with a nice “pagoda” in the middle.

 

We peruse the offerings and see the usual western meats (bacon – hard and soft, sausage, chicken). An omelet station:

 

 

a healthy smattering of surprisingly yummy pastries:

 

 

and a lot of Asian options like congee, fried rice, and some Burmese curries:

 

 

We dive into the feast and tell BurBoy that we will need all the energy we can get for the tour ahead. He asks me where we would be going on the tour. I whip out my phone to read him the tour description. He gets excited with the list.

 

We finish breakfast and head over to the lobby to wait for our tour guide. We meet out tour guide Kyaw (pronounced Jaw). He welcomes us to Myanmar. BurBoy corrects him by talking to him in Burmese. They talk for a bit and then Kyaw switched back to English to tell us what our itinerary for today. It sounded full and ambitious but he assures us that it is all doable. We get into a somewhat older but clean and reliable car. BurBoy and I get in the back. While we ride to our first destination, Kyaw tells us, in English, about Yangon, its British past, its current incarnation (population, losing Capital status, surrounding poor towns etc). Fairly informative. BurBoy interjects in Myanmar at times for clarification. We drive to the outskirts of Yangon, presumably because we were going to go back into Yangon in style:

 

Stopover 1: Yangon Circular Train

 

This was a treat for me. I love doing things that the locals only do (and a few tourists like me). This circular train was Yangon’s version of the BTS, and fairly cheap at 200 kyat a person for the shorter ride (18 cents). It is popular with low-income locals and because of its circular, 45.9 km route, it can go to the furthest reaches of the poorer towns that dot the landscape outside of Yangon:

 

 

We enter a non-descript building where I encounter some Myanmar signs:

 

 

Kyaw buys us the tickets and keeps the ticket stubs, in case a ticket inspector asks for them in the train. I wonder how the computerized ticketing works here:

 

 

We get to the tracks to wait for the train. We see a lonely boy waiting for the train with us:

 

 

Pretty soon the train comes and fellow passengers, some in various hues of longyi, catch it with us on their way to work:

 

 

I giggle like a schoolgirl somewhat excited about getting on the train. BurBoy giggles with me as he directs me to a spot at the end of one car. There were no seats available and it was rush hour:

 

 

The train looked old, though Kyaw assured me that it was safe and it was only a few years old. No aircon, but there were vents on the ceilings to indicate it is possible to get aircon. It was cool this morning so the air was not really needed. The train begins to move and I cling to a post. Kyaw proceeds to give me an intro on the uses of the train. He says that it is heavily used by low-income people and it starts early morning at 4 AM and ends at night around 11 PM. He tells us that sometimes he uses it when he has extra time to commute. Though usually he has a car at his disposal when touring.

 

The train does not run too fast, at around 10 miles an hour. Some of the train doors are open so one can leave the train that way, if one has a deathwish:

 

 

It was nice to look at the locals who take the train, mostly in longyi. Especially the cute boys.  Boywatching #1:

 

 

 

 

There was some commerce in the train, mostly for food:

 

 

Our destination was back in central Yangon, where our car was waiting. We get out of the train and as we pass by some of the other train lines, Kyaw tells us about the other regional trains we can catch here at the Yangon Central Station. We stop to admire the hybrid architecture of the train station (nice and needs some repair):

 

 

and Kyaw gives us a history lesson about the building (built by the British, destroyed by the Japanese, rebuilt by the Burmese). We get back on the car and head over to our next serene stopover:

 

Stopover 2: The Mahasi Sasana Yeiktha Meditation Center

 

Probably not in a million years would I plan to visit a meditation center (too hippyish, too eastern, too 70s), I am actually glad we went here. More information at: http://www.buddhanet.net/m_centre.htm. Founded by a venerable monk (Most Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw), this meditation center accepts foreign meditators, as well as monks, nuns and locals:

 

 

We first go to the bookstore and we watch a 15-minute video about the venerable monk, the center, and about meditation. This piqued my interest. I often wondered if meditation would do wonders for my western lifestyle. There is some stress at work, but not too bad. My BF, however, has a high-stress job, and probably would gain a lot if he could do some good meditation. The woman who ran the bookstore talked to me a little bit and we talked about Germany, of all places.

 

We get to a small “temple” next and see a wax likeness of the deceased venerable monk:

 

 

BurBoy stops and prays for a while, before joining me and Kyaw as he shares stories about the monk. At that point a docent goes to us and talks to Kyaw a little bit (presumably to ask what country I come from), before switching to crystal clear English to talk about the center. He painstakingly describes some of the teachings, pointing to some of the wall calligraphy:

 

 

Fascinating stuff. BurBoy reads the writings as well. As the docent moves on, BurBoy points to the writing: “Avoid evil. Do good. Cleanse your mind.” He whispers to me “No evil na. No gogo boy na.” He then smiles widely and laughs. A joke of course. We pass by a meditation hall, and the tour guide points out where the leader of the meditation will sit, and the various things found in the hall:

 

 

We go by the various residences in the center. There is a clear separation between males and females, and then separation within between the venerated and regular monks, lay people, foreigners, locals, young and old. We pass by some nice quarters for the more venerated and see that the aircon has a beehive growing out of it. I would think bees are highly disruptive to meditation:

 

 

In all seriousness, the visit to the meditation center was an unexpectedly cool one. I know many people go travel thousands of miles to meditate at this world-reknowned center, so it was nice to know that this existed, and would be something I would be interested in doing in the future. The question is, with whom? My over-stressed BF, or my BurBoy? BurBoy takes my hand and squeezes it. He whispers to me “Next time we go here OK.” I say of course. I guess that’s settled.

 

Stopover 3: Chaukhtatgyi Buddha Temple

 

One more stopover before lunch. One of the Yangon icons, the Chaukhtatgyi Reclining Buddha, is really impressive.  Its 217 feet long, so I guessing the whole temple was built around it. To me, the most impressive feature of the Buddha was not its size, but its face, with its serene expression, long eye lashes, blue eye-shadow and ruby red lips:

 

 

At the entrance both Kyaw and BurBoy tell me to take off my slippers before entering. This was my first temple in the country, and so the first barefoot experience. As we get to the entrance we see that there were vendors that were selling tributes for the Buddha. You get to choose the streamer that contains the specific wish you want:

 

 

BurBoy chooses his streamers (he wishes for money and love - awww), and gets some flowers and hands the vendor 1000 kyat. We get to the main area and BurBoy prays his wishes to the Buddha. Kyaw tells me some of the history, facts, and other things about the Buddha and temple. We get to a Buddha mural/diorama, showing the life and story of the Buddha, and Kyaw and BurBoy take turns explaining to me about the Buddha. The concerted effort is very nice, and made me interested in knowing more:

 

 

We get to the feet of the Buddha, and get this very ornate “Soles of the Buddha”:

 

 

Kyaw explains and shows me this graphic for reference:

 

 

There was a lot of arts and crafts in the temple, including some for thrones for smaller buddhas:

 

 

There were a lot of thrones and a lot of artisans prepping them. Here is a collage of photos showing the process to make a throne:

 

 

A lot of other arts and crafts in the temple area, all to add to the impressive displays inside:

 

 

A lot of other things inside to talk about, but let me just say that walking the halls of the temple with BurBoy had a soothing and calming effect on me. Whenever BurBoy sees something of interest, he tells me what it meant to him. It was nice to get to know BurBoy in terms of the temple. Buddhism is fairly intertwined with his country, and therefore with him, and I am getting to know both him and his religion.

 

At the end of our tour at this temple BurBoy notices a bird dying on a plastic money box:

 

 

He looks at the dying bird, quite empathizing with its plight. He talks to Kyaw about what we can do about the bird. Kyaw, in Burmese, probably told him that we could not do anything, and to just leave the bird to its misery. BurBoy takes my hand as he points to the bird with a look of concern. I squeeze his hand and tell him “The bird is fine. It is in a temple. It will be fine.” He smiles at my logic. Silly farang.

 

Next up, lunch, with a bunch of young men, next.

[vinapu]

good and very informative post.

 

Good idea to split day's report into more parts , it makes for easier reading and following.

 

Nice to see that with all this sightseeing you did not  forget about boys here and there.

 

Waiting impatiently along with scores of others for  a next installment. 

[numazu]

Day 2.25: Lunch and a MyanMarket

 

Stopover 4: Lunch at Monsoon Restaurant

 

Lunch is included in our full-day tour, so Kyaw, our intrepid tour guide, asks me if I had any preferences in food. I told him that since I flew thousands of miles to be here, I would love to have some authentic Myanmar food. With all the walking we have been doing, Kyaw notices that I have been sweating, so he suggests a restaurant with aircon in south central Yangon, Monsoon Restaurant:

 

 

We get in at 12 noon at there were no customers yet. The waiter greets us “Mingalaba!” and we all answer the same. Kyaw interjects and he mentions his tour company to the waiter. Maybe he gets discount for this meal for bringing tourists. We get seated and the waiter looks at all of us and looks at me and gives me a menu, and then everyone else. He asks me, in Burmese, something. BurBoy answers for me, and then the waiter asks Kyaw the same thing. In 5 minutes the waiter brings water, and BurBoy’s choice for our drinks, Myanmar Beer!:

 

 

He knows me so well. We drank a lot of that last night. We look at our menus, and they even had a Christmas menu:

 

 

 

BurBoy suggests to me a few things. We decide on a bunch of curries (chicken, mutton, and fish cake) and a papaya chicken salad (which BurBoy says is more Vietnamese than Burmese).  As we wait for our food, the restaurant slowly fills up and pretty soon it was almost full.  The customers were mostly farang but a sprinkling of locals also came. It must be a popular spot. Our food comes and it was all yummy:

 

 

I’ve been used to BurBoy putting food on my plate so I can try everything, and today was no different. When I take a bite he asks if I liked the food. He might be concerned that I would like Myanmar food. I always assure him it is yummy, and it was the truth. While eating I notice that the staff were all young men in their early 20s. Boywatching #2:

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were probably 10 of them today. They were laughing and having fun behind the counter. If this was in Bangkok and at night it would be probably be a sexy restaurant. I am imagining that this restaurant turns into a gay bar at night. It might as well, they already had the staff for it.

 

Oh, and the food was fabulous. I highly recommend this restaurant.

 

Stopover 5: Colonial Buildings

 

One of the interesting things about Yangon, the former capital, is the amount of British Colonial buildings still intact, in some form, in the central part of the city. A map I found online shows the buildings, mostly on Strand Road:

 

 

Some choice photos here. When I sent these to my BF, he asked me if I was sure I was in Asia, and not England:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the buildings are in some sort of disrepair:

 

 

 

There is some effort going on to restore the crumbling titans, some with outside help, much like the restoration efforts at temples of Angkor. The pedestrian overpass on Strand Rd that takes one to the Myanma Port Authority serves not only for crossing the road, it’s a good vantage point for taking photos.  We stop by the Yangon Central Post Office. It was closed today (because it was Sunday, not because it was Christmas Day), but we were still able to go in:

 

 

Inside were your usual counters for the post office, as well as a map of Myanmar showing the different “states”:

 

 

Kyaw, BurBoy and I talk about the map for a while. They both tell me where they come from, and then the other states and what famous things can be found in those places. BurBor tells me I look like I could come from Kachin or the Shan States. Closer to China and Laos/Vietnam.

 

We all walk to all these buildings, and it was a pleasant walk and the sun was not much of a problem with a slight wind cooling up things a little bit. There is quite a few patches of construction going on along the way, probably a sign that the city is getting a healthy dose of investment. I’d love to go back in 5 years and see the difference.

 

Stopover 6: Maha Bandula Park and the Sule Pagoda

 

At the end of our stroll through the Colonial wonders, we step into Maha Bandula Park, or Fytche Square during colonial times. We admire the foliage and get to the center to see the Independence monument, which replaced a statue of Queen Victoria after independence on 1948:

 

 

There were a lot of locals sitting on the grass and enjoying the winter afternoon. Some were eating, singing songs, taking selfies, or sleeping. I was tempted to hang out with them but we had some touring to do. We get to the end of our walk and see the Sule Pagoda, the site of various uprisings and brutality, due to its accessibility and it being central to the city:

 

 

Our car was waiting for us in front of the pagoda, whisking us away to our next stopover.

 

Stopover 7: Bogyoke Market

 

The Bogyoke Aung San Market, named after the father of Burma (and Aung San Suu Kyi), is probably Yangon’s version of Chatuchak Market in Bangkok:

 

 

It’s a large market, and good for some souvenir shopping. Lots of clothes, jewelry, longyis, lacquerware, figurines, and tons of other things. I got a few souvenirs, mostly to commemorate my Yangon touring, but not too much. I am usually not in a shopping mood at the beginning of a trip. BurBoy was looking for a backpack but could not find the right one he was looking for. But he did find something sweet:

 

 

That was a lot of sweet things. Mostly rice, coconut and palm sugar desserts, BurBoy asks me if I wanted any. I told him to get enough for both of us, so he chooses a good variety and pays for it. He gets a good sampler platter:

 

 

Kyaw asks us if we wanted to get some coffee to rest our legs and eat our dessert. I told him I wanted to get coffee at the Strand Hotel, the famous luxury hotel that originally opened in 1901. We get there and the new renovation shows:

 

 

I wanted to get to sample their high tea but they only took reservations today. It was a fairly popular thing to do. We were directed to the hotel café right next to the restaurant and BurBoy and I ordered a coffee:

 

 

We ate our 20 cent Burmese dessert while sipping our $4 British coffee.  While eating Kyaw was enjoying being in the Strand because he said this was his first time to be here since the renovation. He was telling us how nice the renovation was. I tell him how expensive the rooms here were. He tells me it makes sense, how else could they afford such nice renovations?

 

It was 4 PM and Kyaw tells us it was time to go to our last stopover, the crown jewel of Yangon. BurBoy smiles at me widely. He is eager to visit this place, and has waited for me to see it even if he has been here a week. He said he wanted to experience it with me. I’ve never been more excited to visit a temple in my life.

 

So next, so much gold, and so many boys.

[vinapu]

Clearly Rangoon looks spruced up in 15 years since I was there, 

 

Great report and some great looking boys in the restaurant. I guess most of us know already where you guys are heading next so waiting impatiently for confirmation

[numazu]

Wonderful reports! Thanks.

 

I've often wondered about a trip to Myanmar but always considered it top difficult. But your reports have encouraged me to visit.

 

Thanks. The purpose of posting all this information is to demystify Myanmar for the prospective first time visitor. I have found it extremely easy to visit and tour and explore. And this is only Yangon. There is Bagan and Mandalay next.

 

 

good and very informative post.

 

Good idea to split day's report into more parts , it makes for easier reading and following.

 

Nice to see that with all this sightseeing you did not  forget about boys here and there.

 

Waiting impatiently along with scores of others for  a next installment. 

 

 

Good editing goes a long way, even it means putting blank spaces between paragraphs, or the headers on every stopover. My Boywatching series is an offshoot of my creeper shots that I take on my phone just randomly. There is a lot of beautiful things out there in the world, and it is not just the actual locations that are worthy of an iPhone camera shot. There is a reason I bought the 256 GB version of the iPhone.

 

Clearly Rangoon looks spruced up in 15 years since I was there, 

 

Great report and some great looking boys in the restaurant. I guess most of us know already where you guys are heading next so waiting impatiently for confirmation

 

 

You said this about Phnom Penh. I guess like that city, Yangon is on its way to be a more developed city. And yes, its pretty obvious where we are going next. If there really is only one thing you see in Yangon, it will be the next stopover in the tour.

 

More...., more....more.....

 

 

How do you like it? How do you like it? Sorry, I couldn't resist.

 

Just an observation so far: the trip report has a lot of views and clicks like my previous ones, but it has less discussions/engagement from members than before. Are people just content reading my ramblings? Is it that boring? Nothing controversial to discuss? Everyone is just busy in the beginning of the year? I remember having the questions about the cost of what I bought at the GAP in my first trip report. Or a discussion about trip insurance in my last report. 

[numazu]

Day 2.5: It puts the “Stupa” in Stupa-ndous

 

Stopover 8: Shwedagon Pagoda

 

Despite my poor pun construction in the title, there is nothing poor about the next, and last, stopover, in our full-day tour: the Shwedagon Pagoda. Few other things rival the Shwedagon in terms of audacity and history. It’s the number one attraction in Yangon, and co-number one with the Bagan Temples for the whole country (Tripadvisor). It is number 3 in the most impressive Buddhist temples in the world (Touropia). It’s the oldest Buddhist stupa in the world (Royal Historial Commision of Burma). The lists are numerous and legion.  And despite reading about all the superlatives that have been hurled onto this great structure, there really is nothing like visiting the real thing.

 

This was a great article as a primer to read before going to the pagoda: http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/lifestyle/10135-their-weight-in-gold-how-material-wealth-creates-spiritual-energy-in-some-of-the-world-s-costliest-holy-places.html. Its amazing that the umbrella alone on top of the pagoda is already $3 billion. Add that that the amount of gold on the stupa itself and the peripheral structures on the platform, various jewels, and other precious things, and you can imagine the amount of money that has been invested on this structure throughout the supposed 2+ millennia it has been in existence.

 

So our car parks in front of the Shwedagon Pagoda complex. As we walk to the entrance, Kyaw tells me facts about the whole complex. The pagoda is built on a hill, to give the structure more height. And its true, because the pagoda dominates the whole cityscape of Yangon, and it’s the only other thing you see if you look skyward in any part of Central Yangon. By the way, building structures on a hill is the opposite of having big cocks on men. It’s actually more impressive to see a big cock on a smaller guy, versus a big cock on a taller guy. Its all about perspective with that one.

 

We head into the building where we take off our slippers and go through the metal detector. BurBoy had the presence of mind to take my longyi with him. “For photo,” he tells me, knowing that the tourist in me would love to have photos in front of the pagoda wearing a longyi. We head over to the bathroom and he asks me to step into the longyi. I do as told and tell him I forgot how to tie it (Silly farang). He drapes the longyi around my waist and ties the longyi with his arms around my waist. He kisses the back of my neck and we head out of the bathroom. Oddly intimate for my first longyi wearing experience.

 

We get to the elevators to get to the top floor to the base of the pagoda. We cross a hallway and then a bridge and then there it was. BurBoy and I immediately go to it and take a shit ton of photos. First just the pagoda, then alone in front of it, and then with Kyaw’s help, the two of us. After that was out of the way, we actually LOOK at the structure, and appreciate the craftsmanship and money and gold this structure needed to make such a wonder exist. A photo:

 

 

There is definitely a lot of gold in that photo. But looking at the bottom of the photo are the various bright colors of the local’s clothing. The stupa was a sight to behold, for sure, but what completes the experience is watching the people who make the pilgrimage to this religious site. I would probably guess that 70% of the visitors are locals, and the rest are tourists with their more drab colored-clothing. With such grandeur and audacious display of wealth, you sometimes forget that this is a religious monument.

 

And the faster you figure this out, the better the experience is. BurBoy was looking for a gold leaf vendor so he can add some gold to one of the structures in the complex. He finds one that sold a small square of gold leaf for 1000 kyats (80 cents). Devotees re-gilding the pagoda and its peripheral structures have been growing in popularity as the middle class in Myanmar also grows while the country continues to prosper. BurBoy tells me this is his way to pay his respects to the Buddha, and says a little prayer while he applies his gold to a nearby structure. I watch BurBoy’s devotion with a sense of calm. I let the cool breeze tunneling through the base of the pagoda wash over me and bring me some peace, albeit temporary.

 

We do a circuit around the pagoda and see the various structures that surround it. Temples, mini-pagodas, Buddhas, and other religious monuments that perfectly supplement the big structure in the center:

 

 

 

 

Out of the hundreds of Buddhas in the complex, this lone, simple, pure Jade Buddha to me was the most impressive, and most soothing. I just loved staring at it. It gave me tremendous calm:

 

 

Lots of locals paying tribute, kneeling, applying gold leaf, saying a prayer, and various monks scattered in the complex, hanging out or admiring the religiosity of the surroundings:

 

 

When I get tired of staring at all that gold, I turn to people watching. And by people, I mean boys. (Sidenote: Throwing in some wholesome boy photos makes the post more gay-adjacent. Since this is gaythailand, I feel it is my duty to do this for you guys. I already have the photos anyway. And nothing sexual about this, only admiration.)

 

Boywatching #3 - Shwedagon Edition:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am even throwing in a boy farang:

 

 

Maybe it was the combination of the gold, the people, and the religious surroundings, but the sun setting on the horizon seemed more soothing than other sunsets I remember. BurBoy and I sit on the floor and bask in the sun’s rays for a while. Kyaw sits with us and we just share in the quiet, meditating about the day’s activities, and thanking whoever is up above that we get to partake in such supreme serenity.

 

 

Most unique Christmas Day I have ever experienced, by far. And it is not over yet.

 

Next, Merry Christmas Yangon.

[Vessey]

One of the reasons that I, and perhaps others have not been commenting is that we are quietly sharing your awe and wonder at your travels, and for me at least a sense of envy in that I wish I had your energy and adventurous spirit whilst on holidays rather than just skulking amongst the fleshpots of Pattaya. Makes me realise just how much I miss out on on my holidays.

 

So pleased feel encourage to keep posting, we are living your holiday with you. 

[ggobkk]

I've been staring at the space of "Reply to this topic" trying mightily to devise a question, realizing I'm still absorbing the details you are putting into your trip reporting. As you say "And it's not over yet".

[ggobkk]

One thing I've absorbed is how useful the details / descriptions you employ turn out to be. Tour companies, restaurants, clubs, frustrations, etc. two examples I had a great dinner last night at the Poseidon Wine Restsurant after using Pattaya Taxi service to get to Pattaya. Myanmar is penciled in for later this year and your reports will help center the visit.

 

I tend to resist taking photos as I find looking back at older photos they don't match my memory. Now that I realize that this creates Trumpian alternative facts, I need to have some sort of record. , I'm still not taking many pictures but am journaling. See what comes of it when I get home.

[Guest Jason105]

Wonderful!!!

 

Love the photos and the stories!!!

 

Thanks so much!!!

 

(please notice the enthusiasm!!!)

[vinapu]

 

You said this about Phnom Penh. I guess like that city, Yangon is on its way to be a more developed city. 

 

Just an observation so far: the trip report has a lot of views and clicks like my previous ones, but it has less discussions/engagement from members than before. Are people just content reading my ramblings? Is it that boring? Nothing controversial to discuss? 

it's not a coincidence as I visited both countries and a Thailand for first time in one epic trip and both Burma and Cambodia were then bearing heavy scars of wars and isolation.

 

I'd not call your posts ramblings, rather very detailed reporting , hence less questions and discussions IMNSHO.

[vinapu]

Throwing in some wholesome boy photos makes the post more gay-adjacent. Since this is gaythailand, I feel it is my duty to do this for you guys.

I feel I will speak for many when I say we are happy with your sense of duty. 

[anddy]

Are people just content reading my ramblings? 

For me, exactly that, though, importantly, I'd replace "ramblings" with "compelling narrative"

 

Boring you ask? The exact opposite, like others have already said. Informative, engaging, enthralling. As for commenting?asking questions, nothing much to add for the reasons just given. Questions no really necessary, everything seems comprehensive. Maybe it's not because people are lazy to comment/ask, maybe it's because your reports have become better an better and much more complete with the practice of multiple long reports!

[spoon]

High number of hits from limited number of reader only means we all keep checking up on your thread to see if youve read something new lol ive been to yangon quite recently to visit a family who is working there, and the experience were not as expected. Granted i didnt go there alone and it wasnt a normal tourist visit. But cant wait for your review on bagan and mandalay, as well as the boys lol

[vinapu]

 been to yangon quite recently to visit a family who is working there, and the experience were not as expected. 

better than you expected  or worse ?

[numazu]

Day 2.75: Yan-Gone to get some Christmas Dinner

 

We stood up from our sitting position at Shwedagon Pagoda as the sun slowly makes it way to another hemisphere. Kyaw takes his phone and shows me the itinerary described in the tour guide listing, and then tells us that we have accomplished all that was promised in the tour. However, he continues, the car and himself where still ours for the day, and we can still squeeze in a few more stops if we wanted to, like to dinner, or the mall or market, or a museum.

 

I thank Kyaw for being very attentive and thorough in our tour. I look at BurBoy and then Kyaw and tell him that it was a very full day, and we are tired and were ready to end the tour and retire to the hotel. He nods and then suddenly apologizes to both of us. He says he is the usual Spanish speaking guide, and his English was weaker in comparison. I rattle a few Spanish phrases that I know (the best that California public education can buy I guess), and tell him that his English was great and BurBoy and I had a good time. I shake Kyaw’s hand and thank him for the good tour. Kyaw and BurBoy talk for a while, with some laughter and some bowing, and then we all head over to the elevator to get us down to our car.

 

I take off my longyi, because I really was kind of unsure with wearing it the whole time. We get to the ground floor and sat down to get our slippers back. BurBoy hands me a moist towelette packet and tells me to “clean feet” with it. I look at the soles of my feet and they were pitch black from the dirt on the pagoda floor. Small price to pay to see that thing. I see some tourists go in the bathroom to wash their feet. There was a trough I saw in the bathroom when we were in there before heading up to the pagoda, where people wash their feet in with a handy hose beside it. I figure the towelette will do for now. Surprisingly it worked well, my feet were clean, at least to look at. I shall have to shower in the hotel, of course.

 

We find our car and make our back to the hotel. There was some traffic on the way, but it wasn’t Bangkok congestion level gridlock. Kyaw explains to us the reason why there aren’t any motorbikes allowed in Yangon. The traffic is bad enough without them, the motorbikes will just make it 10 times worse. I tell him about Bangkok traffic, and then show him a photo of the Phnom Penh traffic filled with motorbikes (one I took shown in the previous trip report), and say that there must be something to that. I did say that the middle class seemed to be a force now since they can afford to buy cars. Kyaw agreed, but mentioned that there are still many more dirt-poor people who can’t get out of poverty, even after trying their luck in Yangon. There were simply no jobs for the unskilled that paid a basic living wage.

 

Before we get to the hotel I Line BurBoy a question: “Tip for Kyaw?” BurBoy sees the message and looks at me and shrugs his shoulders. The tour was already close to $200, but maybe a small token of appreciation would be in order. I debate this for a little bit, and soon enough we are at the hotel. We get off the car and as I was reaching for my wallet, I see Kyaw wave at us and the car speed away from us. I was not able to give him his tip! I tell BurBoy and he says it’s probably OK. I did not feel good about it but let it go.

 

We get back to the room and BurBoy calls dibs on the bathroom by yelling “Toilet!” and taking off all his clothes. I sit down on the hotel room couch and start taking off my clothes. Before disappearing into the bathroom, BurBoy heads over to me and gives me a sensual kiss. I give his flopping uncut dick a squeeze and he smiles widely and tells me “Bathroom na!” I let him do his thing while I put my feet up. After 15 minutes he emerges naked with his towel over his shoulder, hair tousled. He tells me he needs a haircut in Bangkok before the White Party. I give his cock another squeeze (how can you resist a flopping uncut cock just swinging like that) and then I get in the bathroom to do my thing. I take particular attention to my feet, since it bore the brunt of the dirt today.

 

I finish showering and see BurBoy under the covers, watching some Myanmar TV. I turn off the lights and join him under the covers. He tells me “Tired na.” I was a little bit too. He turns off the TV and then snuggles with me. I am not the cuddler type, but with BurBoy I turn into one. He hugs me, being the big spoon, and we fall asleep this way.

 

An hour later I wake up, with an amazing feeling on my cock. I feel a hand stroking it, already hard with the sensation. I turn around and BurBoy was wanting it now. Being woken up to sex is the best feeling in the world, especially if its from someone like BurBoy. I turn around to kiss him. He kisses back, very deeply, deeper than I’ve ever felt from him.  He sits up, laying on my crotch, grinding his ass on mine, and continue kissing me till he is satisfied that I have fully woken up. He pulls back and smiles, and the darkness could not contain his expression of glee that was in his face.

 

“You fuck me na?” he asks. I could not say “Yes!” fast enough, as if saying it too late would ruin the moment. He takes his hand to his mouth and wets it with his spit, and puts it on my cock to wet it. Was he wanting to put it in bare? A few adjustments and indeed that was he was trying to do. He successfully aims it and starts working it in. Before it got any further I stop him. I take my hands to his waist and gently lay him down the bed. I grind on him for a while before heading to the bathroom to get condoms and lube.

 

I put the condom on and kneel on the floor to eat him out. I could do this all day. I take some lube and prepare for the main event. I put it in, slowly at first, and then ram it in after I knew it would be fine. He squirmed a little bit, but soon he took his right hand to guide me deeper into him. I thrusted, and I thrusted, and he moaned, and he moaned. I cum quickly, and profusely, inside him. I continue fucking him while he chuck-wowed. He came on his stomach, his hair, the bed, seemingly everywhere.

 

We go to the shower together for our usual soap down. I tell him gently that bareback sex is probably not a good idea for us right now. He said he knows but he said I was "good boy” and probably don’t have any problems. I am far from a good boy.  If he knew what was good for him he would stay far away from me as possible.

 

We get dressed to get some Christmas grub. Today is December 25, and after having a great, more Myanmar-authentic meal last night at Christmas Eve, I decided to give BurBoy a more western-style Christmas dinner for dinner tonight. There was a lot of more western-style dinners around Yangon. This article from 2015 shows the various choices: https://www.myanmore.com/yangon/2015/12/christmas-eve-dinner-guide/. Chatrium (our hotel), Parkroyal, Novotel, Inya Lake Hotel, and other places had offerings ranging from $25 to $96 for one person.

 

I chose Chatrium because hotel guests get 10% off any food and drinks. Their offering was a Christmas Buffet with all the western meats (turkey and ham!) and drinks (bubbly) that one would expect in any Christmas buffet spread out west. The Chatrium was really got into the Christmas spirit, judging from their extensive Christmas offerings: http://blog.chatrium.com/chatrium-hotel-royal-lake-yangon-celebrates-its-christmas-tree-lighting-ceremony-donation-and-jingle-mingle-tourism-networking/.  Apart from the buffet they had tree lighting ceremonies, some charities, and even offer on sale Christmas Log Cakes for $15, and a Roasted Christmas Turkey for $130.

 

We head over to the Emporia Restaurant in the Ground floor and get seated immediately. We get asked, in English, what drinks we wanted, and BurBoy answers, in English “Myanmar Beer!” We were then welcomed to the buffet. Lots of Christmas trimmings on display, including a gingerbread house:

 

 

Apart from the traditional buffet items like various Myanmar curries, rice, sushi, and noodles, I enjoyed the pasta station that they had and got some a yummy creamy Alfredo fettucini dish to enjoy:

 

 

Many festive displays in the food as well, including mini-Santa clauses in the ham:

 

 

BurBoy was like pig in shit, taking samples of almost every yummy morsel that was on offer. When it comes to food, we both have our favorites, but in general we just enjoy any food that was offered, and loving, and enjoying, food, is one of the many things that contributed to our success as a couple. This was his meat plate, a sampling of duck breast, beef sirloin wrapped in bacon, and some sliced roast pork. Meat probably accounted for the majority of the price for this buffet, and I am glad that he was making the most of what was being offered:

 

 

We get to our table and find our Myanmar Beer just waiting for us on our table setting with Christmas colors:

 

 

We dig in gladly. I look around and notice that the customers where half farang and half Asian, presumably some Burmese. There was a band in the restaurant singing some ballads, thankfully not Christmas ones, and people were just enjoying the holiday ambiance and the dinner. I only went back for some dessert. BurBoy went for seconds and thirds, or course. I was just happy that he was enjoying the more western-style spread.

 

After dinner we go up to the lobby level and I take this photo of the restaurant. It was also to 10 PM and there were still some customers enjoying the spread:

 

 

We linger in the hotel lobby area for a little bit, admiring the Christmas décor and the mood over all:

 

 

We take a short walk outside, near the lobby, just to burn off a few calories off of our meal:

 

 

As we head back I notice this display on top of the door by the lobby:

 

 

It looked like some gold and green mistletoe-looking things in the display, so I tell BurBoy about the tradition of kissing someone under a mistletoe. He tells me “I no want kiss you now. In room yes.” I laugh. Out of the all the sentimentality of what Christmas brings, BurBoy still was mindful enough to be understanding about Myanmar sensibilities. I just give his shoulder a squeeze and we head back to our room.

 

And yes, the first thing he does in the room give me my kiss. That's really all you could want for Christmas.

 

Next up, I leave BurBoy for Bangkok, Day 3.

[vinapu]

I think you should  tip Kyaw a bit , just to keep with Christmas spirit. Tour could be expensive but likely he did not get much out of 200$ you paid.

 

Glad that even in moment of passion you did not forget yourself and remembered about playing it safe.

 

Certainly your Christmas Day of 2016 was one to remember for long time.

[Vessey]

I confess that your last installment bought the odd tear of sentiment to my eye; wonderful and heartfelt reporting.

[spoon]

better than you expected or worse ?

Worse than expected, byogok market were out of electricity the for 2-3 days and its really hot and sweaty inside, not to mentioned its hard to see things in the dark lol. The traffic is bad, but mostly not because of too many cars, but rather poorly manage traffic light and road system. The cars there is a mixed of left and right hand side drivers, while the road follows US system, while the driver there dont follow traffic rules lol. But i dont like most cities for this very reason anyway, and i have low expectations on hygiene and cleanliness when visiting many asian cities, having lived 1 year in ho chi minh myself lol.

[numazu]

One of the reasons that I, and perhaps others have not been commenting is that we are quietly sharing your awe and wonder at your travels, and for me at least a sense of envy in that I wish I had your energy and adventurous spirit whilst on holidays rather than just skulking amongst the fleshpots of Pattaya. Makes me realise just how much I miss out on on my holidays.

 

So pleased feel encourage to keep posting, we are living your holiday with you. 

 

Thanks Vessey. Like I've said in previous trip reports, my trips alternate between sex holidays and touring holidays when in the area. Last trip was the first of the hybrid sex/tour holiday, in Cambodia. This one is more tour than sex. It seems that it doesn't matter what kind of trip I have, its probably interesting to some people. Enough to write about? Let's see about the next trip, over Songkran.

 

I do miss skulking amongst the fleshpots of Pattaya. I feel that i will get back to that mode at some point.

 

I've been staring at the space of "Reply to this topic" trying mightily to devise a question, realizing I'm still absorbing the details you are putting into your trip reporting. As you say "And it's not over yet".

One thing I've absorbed is how useful the details / descriptions you employ turn out to be. Tour companies, restaurants, clubs, frustrations, etc. two examples I had a great dinner last night at the Poseidon Wine Restsurant after using Pattaya Taxi service to get to Pattaya. Myanmar is penciled in for later this year and your reports will help center the visit.

I tend to resist taking photos as I find looking back at older photos they don't match my memory. Now that I realize that this creates Trumpian alternative facts, I need to have some sort of record. , I'm still not taking many pictures but am journaling. See what comes of it when I get home.

 

Wow that is awesome. You went to Poseidon Restaurant and used PT Taxi, based on my writing about my own experiences. I do hope they were positive experiences. Now Pattaya seems like a distance memory, as my last trip to it was last July. You will have to write about your trip so I can live vicariously through you. Maybe I can go to Pattaya this April, but its not exactly a couple's place to visit. It's really best to visit it alone.

 

I took over a thousand plus photos last trip. Smartphones have large hard rives nowadays, its really nothing to just take a snap and then delete it later. So far I really haven't had to do that.

 

Wonderful!!!

 

Love the photos and the stories!!!

 

Thanks so much!!!

 

(please notice the enthusiasm!!!)

 

Thank you!!! Keep on reading!!!

 

it's not a coincidence as I visited both countries and a Thailand for first time in one epic trip and both Burma and Cambodia were then bearing heavy scars of wars and isolation.

 

I'd not call your posts ramblings, rather very detailed reporting , hence less questions and discussions IMNSHO.

 

I feel that sifting through those scars of war and isolation would've been a very fascinating trip as well. Getting to visit a country before it got too commercialized. Though of course it would be very difficult to tour a country in that circumstance, but it would be an adventure.

 

I feel I will speak for many when I say we are happy with your sense of duty. 

 

There is a lot of nice boys to admire when touring. One of the many things I enjoy when I go sightseeing. 

For me, exactly that, though, importantly, I'd replace "ramblings" with "compelling narrative"

 

Boring you ask? The exact opposite, like others have already said. Informative, engaging, enthralling. As for commenting?asking questions, nothing much to add for the reasons just given. Questions no really necessary, everything seems comprehensive. Maybe it's not because people are lazy to comment/ask, maybe it's because your reports have become better an better and much more complete with the practice of multiple long reports!

 

As usual, thank you for the compliment. Thank goodness that practice makes perfect. I didn't think people were lazy, just very quiet. I just assumed people were bored. I'm glad that at least some of you are still enjoying the "compelling narrative". 

 

High number of hits from limited number of reader only means we all keep checking up on your thread to see if youve read something new lol ive been to yangon quite recently to visit a family who is working there, and the experience were not as expected. Granted i didnt go there alone and it wasnt a normal tourist visit. But cant wait for your review on bagan and mandalay, as well as the boys lol

 

Bagan and Mandalay are coming, starting in Day 5. Thoroughly interesting cities. I will want to go back. And yes there are boys, and lots of them. Some I even managed to get intimate with. 

[Alexx]

No worries, it's hard to imagine that anyone is bored! I love your reports so far, all of them. I just haven't had anything of interest to add to this series yet, so all I can offer at this point is a hug and some words of encouragement: please keep them coming!

[Dalewood]

Is that you wearing the "Pattaya" shorts at the right edge of one of the photos?

 

I also noticed the bright colors at the picture of the Great Pagoda. I envisioned Burmese as rather drab dressers.