Upon arrival in Yangon on January 22, we were met at the airpot by the tour operator and taken to the Inya Lake hotel. That afternoon we went to the Bogyoke Market (full name is Bogyoke—meaning General—Aung San Market). It used to be call the Scott Market. A lot of things to buy, especially flip-flops and sandals. We found another taxi and headed back to the hotel where we did some exploring around the grounds, had dinner and retired for the evening.
The next day started with an Alliance tour by bus of downtown and a cruise on the Irradwaddy Delta, followed by lunch at a high rise building downtown. That afternoon we visited the Secretariat building. It was the seat of government in British Burma, and is where Aung San and several government ministers were assassinated in 1947 by political rivals. Considered the father of modern-day Myanmar, Aung San negotiated the end of British rule and was the first head of government. Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is his daughter.
Afterward, we went to the huge, golden Shewdagon Temple, the most sacred Buddhist temple in Myanmar. Afterward, back to the hotel where both of us became ill (from the lunch), causing us to miss the gala dinner at the Kereweik Palace.
The next day, January 24, Linda went on the trip to Bagan without Tom, and did a nice job taking photos there.
On January 25, we had free time and spent it visiting the Kereweik Palace and park, and the Gem Museum. Our trip back to the US started that evening with a flight to Singapore. We stayed overnight at the airport hotel and the next morning boarded our flight back to San Francisco and then on to Denver.
