(^30) Yangon – Bago – Yangon - By car
By morning, I set off with John and the driver to Bago. Even though I
was keeping an eye out for familiar landmarks, everything looked
completely different from the back seat of a car and driving in the
opposite direction. Once in Bago, John dropped me at the Emperor
Hotel. I thanked him and went in search of my passport.
The manager at the Emperor Hotel was extremely accommodating.
He drove me from police station to police station and from
immigration office to immigration office. As none of the staff spoke
English, he acted as my translator. Unfortunately, the town lost power
amid all the drama, and the police couldn't type the letter I needed.
We had a delicious lunch while waiting for the electricity to be
restored. It’s amazing how good food can be when eaten with the
locals. After lunch, the power was still out and I used the opportunity
to investigate the enormous Shwethalyaung Buddha, measuring 55
metres in length and 17 metres in height, and constructed in 994.
Surprisingly, this gigantic Buddha was overgrown and only
rediscovered in 1881. According to local lore, contractors stumbled
upon it while building the Yangon–Bago railway line. Today, a vast
canopy keeps it safe from the elements, making photography tricky.
The power was still out upon my return, so we took the letters to a
pavement typist. By the time we returned to the immigration office,
the street had transformed into a market selling everything from fruit
to meat and spices.
Once the letters were signed, the officers instructed me to take the
paperwork to the Myanmar Travel Tourist in Yangon. Both letters were
in Burmese, so I did not know the content. Finally, the hotel manager,
Tun-Tun, organised a taxi for my return trip to Yangon. Phew, what a
day!
leana
(Leana)
#1