Yangon, Myanmar

Yangon, Myanmar – 1995. I was in Yangon on a business trip to start the setup of a branch operation and in between meetings I had a couple of days to explore. Very few foreigners were visible in city. I visited the downtown area and a couple of markets and it was obvious that the country was largely cutoff from the rest of the world. There are a number of large pagodas in Yangon, the largest of which was called Shwedagon Pagoda is on a hill and it can be seen from various parts of the city and was quite spectacular to see. I visited the Bogyoke Aung San Market which is in central Yangon. It is very large with over 2,000 shops and stalls selling everything imaginable.

Yangon

City traffic, downtown Yangon

Downtown Yangon

Shophouses

Shophouses, downtown Yangon

Small sidewalk stalls sold all types of things from tools, to food, to clothing, and industrial hardware.

Yangon street scene

It was not unusual to see people hanging from the sides and rear of the trucks and buses.

Floating Restaurant, central Yangon

Floating Restaurant

Bogyoke Aung San Market with 2,000 shops and stalls selling handicrafts, food, jewelry, souvenirs, clothing, textiles, gems, antiques, carvings, silverware and…

Shwedagon Pagoda

Shwedagon Pagoda. It is gold and almost 100 meters high.

Small pagodas across from the Nawarat Hotel

Most of the side roads were narrow and often dirt, (mud and water in the rain).

This store had several types of Asian beers, US beers, and even several cartons of Labbatt's Ice!

Rope seller

There were many small sidewalk restaurants like this one.

These ladies where offering secretarial services from their sidewalk stalls.