After our money changing drama, we explore the hot, dusty streets of Yangon and find a cafe where we get some noodles before heading to the Shewdagon Paya; a huge golden pagoda on the out skirts of town.
The pagoda is a big pilgrimage site, and there are lots of people just milling around, some praying, some shopping at the souvineer stalls on the steps and some basking in shade of the huge stupa.
After circling the pagoda once (clockwise, as is traditional) we join the latter and watch the various goings on around us. We eventually get too hot, and head to a cafe near the station to wait for our bus.
All the people we have met today have been kind and friendly (even the money changer was very polite whilst trying to scam us), offering to help, giving directions and taking time to tell us about local food and in temples about history. People stop us in the street to ask questions and although they're the usual ones - 'Where are you from?' 'Is this your first time here?' 'Do you have any brothers or sisters?' - they're not followed up with the offer of a taxi or a request to go and see their shop.
The kindness and curiosity of the people toward tourists and the fact that the money changers let us walk away (in India there would be shouting, chasing and grabbing), idicates just how new this country is when it comes to tourism and the fear the public have of the authorities.
In the year and a half since our Lonely Planet guide was published much has already changed. There are now international ATMS, more hotels have wifi and lots of people speak at least some English. In a few years time the scams will start catching up with the rest of south east Asia. As 'travellers' turn into 'tourists'* locals will, understandably, begin to resent them for not learning any Bamar, not eating local food and tramping all over their country side and religious monuments in inappropriate clothing** - just as I resent day trippers feeding cream teas to ponies at Widecombe.
* Although I'm not yet convinced that there is much of a difference between a traveller and a tourist, other than back packer snobbery ('Oh you're on holiday?') and the amout of time spent away. Does two weeks make a tourist and a month a traveller?
** Disclaimer! To avoid my own 'backpack snob' label, I fully admit that there are plenty of 'culturally sensitive' tourists and just as many ignorant travellers.
The pagoda is a big pilgrimage site, and there are lots of people just milling around, some praying, some shopping at the souvineer stalls on the steps and some basking in shade of the huge stupa.
After circling the pagoda once (clockwise, as is traditional) we join the latter and watch the various goings on around us. We eventually get too hot, and head to a cafe near the station to wait for our bus.
All the people we have met today have been kind and friendly (even the money changer was very polite whilst trying to scam us), offering to help, giving directions and taking time to tell us about local food and in temples about history. People stop us in the street to ask questions and although they're the usual ones - 'Where are you from?' 'Is this your first time here?' 'Do you have any brothers or sisters?' - they're not followed up with the offer of a taxi or a request to go and see their shop.
The kindness and curiosity of the people toward tourists and the fact that the money changers let us walk away (in India there would be shouting, chasing and grabbing), idicates just how new this country is when it comes to tourism and the fear the public have of the authorities.
In the year and a half since our Lonely Planet guide was published much has already changed. There are now international ATMS, more hotels have wifi and lots of people speak at least some English. In a few years time the scams will start catching up with the rest of south east Asia. As 'travellers' turn into 'tourists'* locals will, understandably, begin to resent them for not learning any Bamar, not eating local food and tramping all over their country side and religious monuments in inappropriate clothing** - just as I resent day trippers feeding cream teas to ponies at Widecombe.
* Although I'm not yet convinced that there is much of a difference between a traveller and a tourist, other than back packer snobbery ('Oh you're on holiday?') and the amout of time spent away. Does two weeks make a tourist and a month a traveller?
** Disclaimer! To avoid my own 'backpack snob' label, I fully admit that there are plenty of 'culturally sensitive' tourists and just as many ignorant travellers.
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