[Myanmar] Yangon’s Circular Train

Circular train ride in Yangon is known to offer a glimpse of the local world.

We headed to Yangon Central Railway Station around 11:30am so we can catch bus to our next destination later in the afternoon. We would just have to keep checking time and hop off to catch taxi back to the guesthouse.

Yangon Central Railway Station.

The ticket is 200 kyats and after the purchase, we just sat and waited for the train to arrive. There were quite a few foreign tourists but mainly there were locals with fruits or empty baskets.

Got our tickets. Now we sit and wait.

Dogs everywhere. I’m glad the floor is cool enough for them.

And the train arrives! (Ooredoo is a phone service provider.)

Fans! They are functioning, although only (vaguely) effective psychologically.

No smoking. No littering. No kissing.

We were sitting across this family. I noticed that the babies in Myanmar are all very close, both physically and emotionally, with their mothers, and fathers if they are around. Maybe for this reason, such calmness and stability in children blend well with the overall peacefulness and modesty of the country.

Baby in a “stroller.” Cute, you are thinking. Inside the “stroller,” the baby is playing games on smart phone. It was only 2 years ago when using cell phone in Myanmar would cost $47K, since people would have to use service providers in surrounding countries. Now, Myanmar is vigorously importing already advanced technology. It’s interesting to think that these people have never experienced 2G or the green screen on folder phones. They start from 4G.

The train departs and we begin to enjoy the scenery.

First, the police station.

Laundry.

Busy station.

There is garbage everywhere. Since there are not enough garbage incinerators in Yangon, there would be garbage men, sweeping garbage into piles and burning them.

Woman selling oranges.

In the right picture is a police officer wearing flip flops.

Balloons. The duck bills are so sad :(

After about 16 stations, we got off at Insein Station to allow us enough time to go back to the guesthouse to pick up our luggage and head to the bus station to Hsipaw.

We got ourselves RedBull for our brief taxi ride. This is the original redbull imported directly from Thailand. Supposedly, this is a much stronger drink that the ones you can find in North America. Tasted about the same, though. For someone whose biology doesn’t understand caffeine, it felt the same, too.

In the bus to Hsipaw, I found a RedBull candy!

Snacks at the front (that giant water bottle is mine), Burmese music videos playing for hours.

Day 3 — … Circular Train

Next post on Hsipaw

Previous posts in Yangon:

Day 1 (Rangoon Tea House, Chauk Htat Gyi, Shwedagon)

Day 2,3 (Bogyoke Aung San Market, Karaweik Hall, Kandawgyi Lake, Maha Bandoola Garden)

If you know Korean and would like to read up on my time in Yangon in Korean, click here.