March 09, 2003 Yangon, Myanmar
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I'm running low on kyats again (and dollars, unfortunately), so I went to the Bogyoke Aung San Market to shop for a good rate. It's pretty funny, because some guy will walk up to you and ask if you want to change money about every two minutes. After haggling with about 20 guys, I couldn't get a rate better than 900. When I insisted on more, they would take me to their bosses, but he would always say "no." So I broke my last Franklin and changed $30 of it. I can't believe I got 1100 a month ago.
I'm still ill, so I had an overpriced salad for lunch in an overpriced Western cafe ($2 for a salad and a fruit smoothie). Then I finally got around to visiting Yangon's premier attraction: the Shwedagon Paya. It was indeed big and impressive, and instead of just a big gold zedi, it was surrounded by a huge complex of smaller zedi and pavilions, each filled with Buddhas. The atmosphere seemed special too, with a monk chanting serenely in the sacred pali language, instead of shouting annoyingly like they usually do.
Not surprisingly, a monk started talking to me. He said he was 25 and would be a monk until he's 30, then wanted to be a teacher. Also, not surprisingly, he was excited when he found out that I was American, said he was sorry about the World Trade Center, and loved George W.
I would be remiss if I didn't dine once at "MacBurger," while in Yangon, so that was next on my agenda. Unlike the other "fast food" restaurants, this one was grungy, the kitchen was filthy, and it featured a wandering, begging cat. I ordered a MacHam and a MacFries. The MacHam was mysterious. It certainly wasn't beef, which Buddhists don't eat. But it didn't seem like any other kind of meet either. It was interesting.