besotted

In 1898 Rudyard Kipling wrote in his 'Letters from the East', "This is Burma and it is unlike any land you know about.”.
Within minutes of getting off the plane at Yangon's Mingaladon Airport and joining the hustle and bustle at passport control and beyond, it would be hard to disagree.

We foreigners were streamed off into an area parallel to the locals and much more interesting was theirs to watch than our motley collection of overdressed and frazzled looking types.
Pink robed nuns with equally pink foot wear clutched paperwork and large bags. A very happy group toting blue travel bags announced their return from a Buddha pilgrimage and the dress for the majority was the traditional. Longyis for the men and htamein for the women..a sort of sarong would be a very basic description.

Some hours later and I've settled in to The Strand, this beautiful old hotel in the heart of the city downtown. Built in 1910 it was regarded as 'the finest hostelry east of the Suez' and is still very fine today. Rather like favourite aunt of older novels, fascinating, curious if a little worn at the edges.

I have a suite!! with an entrance hall, bedroom, lounge and big tiled bathroom and share a butler with the other rooms on the floor.
Almost a bit much and very unexpected somehow but very delightful as are the incredibly beautiful and gracious Burmese men and women who staff the hotel.
Celebrated with a Strand Sour at the bar (local rum, lime juice, sugar syrup and bitters over rushed ice) then a wander cross the road to a market selling fruit and betel nut.
Tomorrow an early start and an explore of The Strand and her equally aged building relatives in the city before joining the ship ahoy mob.

Be still my beating heart :)

Commenting may be a tad slow for a while but I will be looking :)