On to Yangon

Events of Thursday 14th February 2013

 I managed about three hours good sleep at the Novotel Bangkok and decided I might as well start getting ready. My computer found the hotel’s Wi-Fi system but I declined to pay the 150 Baht for one hour asked for. Back in the lobby, there was a large restaurant with a wide range of foods set up buffet style. There were quite a few diners, but no sign of any staff. I had a very simple breakfast and, whilst examining the items on offer, spotted a single member of hotel staff in a darkened corner apparently doing paperwork. Most curious. Checkout was very quick because my booking had been prepaid. Outside the hotel I was directed to one of the hotel’s Shuttle Buses. After a short time, another five people joined the bus and we were taken to the airport.

I’d been issued with my boarding pass for the TG303 from Bangkok to Yangon on departure from Perth, so it only remained for me to pass through security and immigration and wait. I'm not good at waiting but, eventually, boarding time arrived and we made our way to another 'Airbus' A330 for the short flight to Yangon.

The A330 which took me from Bangkok to Yangon.

On arrival at Yangon, immigration was quite fast, my case arrived and customs formalities comprised surrendering a filled-out customs form and having the big bag (but not hand luggage) X-rayed. I found the young lady from Sun Bird easily and she summoned the car. Then, it slightly unravelled as it took us 90 minutes to get to the city. They assumed the congestion was caused by the building of a flyover to reduce the congestion. In the lobby of the Park Royal Hotel, I was given all the paperwork for the next few days. The hotel regretted than my room would not be available for another hour. A pity but, even after our increased journey time, it was only 10.30 in the morning so I was not surprised. I left all my luggage with the hotel and, armed with a (traditional Burmese) bag and a camera, set off for Yangon Central Station.

The station was only about ten minutes walk from the hotel and I was familiar with the process for obtaining a one-dollar 'Foreigner Ticket'. There was one adventurous lady from New Jersey also travelling on the train. She was going to Insein to check-out the famous market. I'd decided to go five stations further, to see the junction station at Da Nyn Gone and the return by the same route to Yangon. So that's what I did. It turned out that the actual station at Da Nyn Gone had some fame as a low-price market for fresh foods and the station remained permanently busy with people coming and going and buying and selling.

The impromptu market on Da Nyn Gone station.

By the time I'd travelled back to Yangon Central station by train and walked to my hotel, I was hot and tired and glad to be able to relax in a decent room at the Park Royal Hotel. I was delighted to find that the internet was reliable and fast.

My room at the Park Royal Hotel.

In the evening, I had a simple early dinner in the restaurant, which was specially decorated for Valentine's Day. As I left the restaurant after my meal, I saw that lots of young couples had arrived for a 'special dinner'.

My pictures

Novotel, Bangkok Airport.
The Circle Line (2013).
Park Royal Hotel, Yangon

[Revised 5-Mar-2013]