Myanmar - Bogyoke Market

So, back to my Myanmar trip.

After my visit to Bogyoke Aung San Museum, I took a taxi to the next destination, Bogyoke Market. Also known as Scott Market, this bazaar is located in city centre, inside Pabedan township and is the place to go for souvenirs such as gems, art paintings, clothes, et cetera. This is also the place to go to for black market money changer, where you can exchange your dollar for the local currency at the best rate.

Bogyoke Market aka Scott Market

Some street food found inside the market

The appeal of this Bogyoke Market is not only the gems and antiques being sold but also the colonial construction of the building. The importance of this market can be attested to with the market being inscribed into Yangon City Heritage List, a list of national landmarks to be preserved for future generations.

Food court, where I have my lunch

After having my lunch here, I went to explore the market. There are two stories in this market and both floors is mostly dominated by shops selling souvenir materials like cloths, paintings, old banknotes, et cetera, as well as Burmese gems. I didn’t buy anything from the market as I didn’t feel like carrying extra weights throughout my trip.

Gems and jewelleries are aplenty in the market

Traditional garments up for sale

I continued to walk aimlessly around the city centre after my visit to the market, taking in the sight and sound the city has to offer. It is easy to navigate around the city even without a map as all you have to do is just to put Yule Pagoda as your central point. When you make too many turns and you are not sure where you are, as long as you can see the temple, you can move back to your starting point.

Unique colonial buildings in the city

One of the few mosques I saw in Yangon

Typical neighbourhood in the city

When it was about late afternoon, I boarded the local bus no. 43 to Aung Mingalar bus terminal for my night bus to Bagan. It was in this bus terminal that I met a friendly Taiwanese chap, Boris, who became my travel partner for the rest of the trip.

*TO BE CONTINUED*

Sharing is caring. A word of advice and a piece of information.

If you want to buy some Burmese gems as souvenirs, be careful so that you would not ended up with fake jewelleries. To be sure, when you are buying one, ask for the gemstones certificates to authenticate its quality. Only gemstones with certificates are allowed to be brought out of the country. There are strict rules when it comes to carrying gemstones out of the country such as how many gems and jewelleries you can bring back to your country, so before you make any purchases, you should find out more information on this matter first. 

Yangon - Bogyoke Aung San Museum

It was early in the morning when my flight landed Yangon International Airport. My plan to secure a night bus ride to Bagan has me taking a taxi to the main bus terminal, Aung Mingalar bus terminal, first before proceeding to downtown Yangon. Little did I know that I can actually purchase the same bus ticket within the city centre, thus, saving me an unnecessary trip. Well, not that big of a deal.

A neighbourhood in downtown Yangon

Once in the city centre, I began exploring the neighbourhood as well as scouting for potential hotel to call it my home for my last night in the country. I did not make any hotel reservations at all for this round as I want to survey around the city. Eventually, I made a reservation in Okinawa Hotel for a double room (they ran out of dormitory beds) for USD 28.00 per night. A waste of money, as it turned out, for my plan detoured. More on that soon.

The many colonial buildings in the city centre

While I did not spend much time in the city, I did however go to a few tourist spots and one of them is the Bogyoke Aung San Museum. This museum is dedicated to showcase the life of General Aung San, a revered revolutionary and nationalist as well as the father of Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Bogyoke Aung San Museum

The building that houses this museum is actually the home that Aung San Suu Kyi grew up in. We are given a glimpse of the Bogyoke’s (that’s general in Burmese) life as most of the exhibitions in the museum are of his belongings such as family portraits, furniture, clothing, and so on. Besides that, memorable speeches and quotes delivered by the general are also on display, giving visitors a sense of how the man became the revered man he is today.

The family house of the General, now a museum

As I toured around the house, I can understand the strong love for her country in Aung San Suu Kyi’s heart. Growing up in such a strong patriotic household, how can you not be instilled with these characteristics?

If you have a few moments to spare, why not give this museum a visit when you are in Yangon?

*TO BE CONTINUED*

Sharing is caring. A word of advice and a piece of information.

The entrance fee to Bogyoke Aung San Museum is 300 kyats (the exchange rate for kyat is about USD 1.00 to 848 kyats) and it is advisable to take a taxi to go to the museum for it is not located along main road. Taxi fare should cost around 2,000 kyats. The museum opens from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm and closes on Mondays, Tuesdays and gazetted holidays. No photography is allowed in the museum.