Yangon Under Restoration and Construction

In the eighteen months we've had this split relocation lifestyle there have been major changes in the renovation of the Yangon's infrastructure and the construction of a variety of buildings. 

And after 

The same pavement. before

One side of a pedestrian overpass. Nothing prefabricated here.

Pavement renovations

Plastering the curb

Building construction 

Bamboo scaffolding often still used

Quite a few cranes on the skyline these days. A mixture of apartment buildings, hotels and western style shopping malls.

Notice the 'safety first' sign. 

These 3 photos are of the same construction sight. A few months between.

Built on a very small corner section.  

Street Food

Whether it be carts on wheels, pavement teahouses, permanent or temporary restaurants set up on footpaths, the smells and sights of street food cannot be avoided.

For me it hasn't had the same appeal as in Thailand. Some dishes I recognise, others leave me puzzled. Finger food snacks, skewered meats and offal, stews, noodles, rice dishes, pancakes, dosas, local style salads, it's all here.

Although traditional Myanmar food has it's own unique flavours there is also the influence of ingredients and cooking styles from India, Thailand and China.

Pancakes, Indian style

Ingredients for Myanmar tea leaf salad being sold out of the back of a pickup.

Lots of fried food

And noodles

Angry bird shapes. Prawns, dumplings and other oddities.
These were for sale outside the local school. 

Steamed corn, sweet potatoes and peanuts

Cooking without gas 

Parcels of glutinous rice mixed with sesame and grated coconut

???

Curried intestines and parts of a chicken

Husband and wife snacks. Rice flour snacks topped with quail eggs or roasted chickpeas.
Then join the two halves together like a husband and wife. 

These skewered offal parts cooked in a broth must be very popular.  Pop up street restaurants selling this dish can be seen everywhere and most often all the seats are taken. I did get an offer to join in for a taste. No thanks.

Refreshing Water for Travellers

No matter where you walk in the heat of Yangon there is always cool water for travellers. It's a tradition of old that clay pots were filled with water for thirsty travellers who walked across the countryside for long distances on foot. 

This tradition is still alive today and you will find these pots on street corners, outside houses, monastries and pagodas and at railways stations and bus stops. There is never a pot of cool water far away. 

Often the water storage pots are not glazed and a pattern is carved on the outside to maximize the surface area.  Sediment settles to the bottom and is sometimes filtered through a cloth strainer. Because the pot is not glazed moisture evaporates slowly taking the heat away. The water inside is as cool as it could be from a refrigerator.