I had breakfast with the German woman and her family on the roof. They were travelling with a teenager, a boy of sixteen. I don’t like their chances, I thought. When the boy left the table they said quietly, ‘Never again’.
I walked a long way to a travel agency that I was told changed money. Here I learned the situation with river boating or lack thereof. I had already had no luck with internet enquiries so I gave up on the idea of river travel from here. I tried to find a taxi to return to the hotel but discovered that only motorbikes can pick up passengers in the street; taxis have to operate from hotels. Instead I found a trishaw rider who pedalled me back to the hotel for a dollar.
On the way we passed a Hindu temple, a Chinese temple and a Seventh Day Adventist church. Not far away was St Mary’s church, presumably Catholic, and the mosque I could see from my window was close to a pagoda. I was impressed with the seemingly multi-faith acceptance on display in this city.
Burma Country Map Photo Gallery
At four I set off for the night market, following directions from the receptionist. She told me, ‘Down the street round to the right’. Well, there was only the wall of the palace there so I walked some more. I got more directions from people in a shop, and I had to cross a four-lane highway with traffic veering all over it. Dodging cars and motorbikes, hoping they would miss me, I made it to the other side. Returning to the hotel, I told the girl I had gotten lost. She looked at me as if I was daft and said,
‘Didn’t you know to go towards the clock tower?’ What clock tower? No one mentioned a clock tower!
I found a trishaw who said he knew where I wanted to go the night market. He took me a long way to the day market. Naturally, this being now night time, it was closed. I walked about the streets but did find some stalls where I bought a wonderful torch for one dollar fifty, the first asking price, but I was not arguing with that. I wished I’d had this torch when I was in the dark temple with the stairs I would have loved to climb.
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