Taste Testing Burma
Burma is a country that is slowly creating its own identity as it gradually opens up to the world. I had no particular restaurant in mind while I stayed in Bagan and Yangon, I wanted to try the local restaurants and eateries and find out what is a Burmese dish.
I tasted a variety of dishes during my stay in Burma. I ate chicken, noodles, beef, and vegetables. I must say that Burmese dishes were quite good. They were not as spicy as Thai or Malaysian dishes, but they had enough spiciness in them to avoid being bland. I liked how generous the servings were for the price I paid for (around 3,000 to 4,000 kyats per meal). I did not eat in high-end restaurants, I chanced upon restaurants I found while I was in Yangon and Bagan. The only dish I did not like was the food I bought at some eatery at the base of Mt. Popa. I ordered chicken and I got this bowl of spicy garlic, an egg, and this weird paste that was both salty and spicy. One spoonful of the paste-like dish turned my stomach upside down, I did not bother asking what it was and what was in it.
Shop in Burma
The only market I got to see while I was in Burma was the Bogyoke Market in Yangon. There were a variety of souvenirs and other items that were sold there such as jewelry, shirts, lacquerware, longyi, and other souvenir items.
I got the Burmese alphabet shirt and the longyi skirts for 12,000 kyats. The shirt was around 2,000 kyats, the detailed longyi cost around 8,000 kyats, and the simple longyi cost around 2,000 kyats. You can get discounts by purchasing more items at once.
There were several artists who sold sand paintings during my stay in Bagan. These intricate paintings only use sand for color and detail. I was impressed at how these artists were able to create detail and color by using sand. These paintings cost around 7,000 to 10,000 kyats.
Traveling the streets of Burma
For tourists, the main mode of transport is via taxi. Taxi for the whole day in Yangon cost $50 to $60. There are also taxis in Bagan that is around the same price, but it can cost more depending on how far you go.
I honestly don't know what this was, but I saw it on the streets and some people were riding it.
You can always take the buses that go to different places in Yangon. Depending on how far you go, the fare will cost around 100 to 200 kyats.
Traveling in Bagan is slightly different. You can rent a horse cart to see the different temples. I was charged 25,000 kyats for sunrise to sunset tour. To some extent, the horse cart driver can provide you with information about the temples you will visit.
You can rent a bike for 2,000 kyats the whole day.
I'm not sure if these ebikes were already available when I searched for info about Myanmar a few months ago, but you can rent these ebikes for 8,000 kyats the whole day.
