yangon city walk: colonial ruins & remnants, an open-air library, street vendors, a street celebration, a foot massage and a haircut

Thursday, February 26:  After having my light lunch at The Strand, I walk up Pansodan St., a street with monumental buildings that was, a century ago, a prime business address in Yangon.

Yangon’s colonial buildings

Myawaddy Bank

Lokanat Gallery Building

I turn down 37th St., brimming with street side bookstalls; it’s known as Yangon’s open-air library.  I love seeing all the colorful books stacked neatly on the shelves.

Yangon’s open-air library

Bookstalls galore

Books for sale

the open-air library

umbrellas and books

potential readers

It seems every inch of sidewalk space is filled with vendors of every type.

Asparagus for sale

I love the wrought iron balconies, their once bright colors fading and peeling.

faded glory

the busy streets of Yangon

YangonOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

food stalls

I always love to look at newspapers in other countries and wonder what their headlines say.

newspapers

treats on sticks

fly swatting

colorful bicycle

food stall on the street

another food stall

cooking up the goods

street snacks

another busy street

colorful Yangon

napping in the heat

faded glory

sidewalk color

unusual architecture

colorful Yangon

a new building

I am now determined to visit the famous Bogyoke Aung San Market, also known as Scott Market, but it’s hot and a long walk; my feet are killing me.  I sit down on a plastic stool at this man’s lemonade cart and enjoy an ice-cold lemonade.

lemonade stand

Scott Market serves both locals and tourists and sells cloth, gems, souvenirs, cosmetics, sewing supplies and cheap clothing.  At the market, I buy three more pairs of the cotton pants I’ve become so fond of.

Scott Market

building of unknown origin

cloth vendor at Scott Market

cloth vendor at Scott Market

I keep marching on, although by this time, I have blisters on my feet.

steeple

Yangon traffic

vendor’s cart

Huawei

more faded colonial architecture

I happen to come across a foot massage place, Sapel Foot Spa.  I get an hour-long foot massage, with back and shoulders included, for around $15.  I like my masseuse’s haircut so I take a picture of it and ask her to recommend a hair salon.  I head immediately to the recommended spot for a haircut because after 6 weeks of traveling, my hair has become quite shaggy.   I get a long shampoo and head massage which I think – and hope – will never end!  All of this plus the haircut for around $7.   Sadly, the haircut doesn’t look the same on me as it does on her. 😦

foot massage parlor

my masseuse’s haircut

my haircut

While I’m walking back to my hotel, I stumble across a street celebration of some kind.

celebration on the street

street celebration

I go back to my room to relax awhile then go out later to a place called Mr. Chef.  I get irritated because they don’t have anything I order: I ask for shrimp wontons, shrimp & cauliflower, a banana yogurt shake – all listed on the menu.  They are out of all of those!  I finally settle on an order of prawn spring rolls.

Mr. Chef

I’m exhausted after my day-long city walk in Yangon.  Tomorrow will be my last day in Yangon; I fly back to Mandalay on Saturday, where I’ll spend the night.  I’ll fly back to Kunming on Sunday, March 1, and then to Nanning on Monday, March 2. The end of my six-week holiday is fast approaching….