BURMA - Market Mini-Series

Burma holds a very special place in my heart for very personal reasons. Yet, despite this, I have only visited the country as an adult on a couple of extremely brief occasions.

The first time was during my first trip to Thailand. We travelled north from Bangkok to visit Chiang Mai and then continued up to the Thai/Burmese border at Mae Sai.

We crossed to Tachilek in Burma and took a rickshaw to see the pagoda which presides over the town. In the pagoda grounds we met this lady selling books among other things.

Back in the town we took a stroll through the street market. To be frank, I prefer food markets, but in their absence I'll take whatever I can get. However, it does affect how many photos I take!

My second, equally brief visit to Burma was when I was on an extended visit to Thailand and needed to renew my Thai visa. This meant I had to leave and re-enter Thailand. Crossing the Thai border into Burma is a popular option.

We travelled up Thailand's west coast to Ranong where we took a boat across to Burma.
Longtail boats, as in this picture, ferry people across too.

During the crossing we couldn't help but notice that the sea was swarming with enormous jellyfish.

The lack of activity on the quays was notable.

Until I came upon this area where those big jellyfish had been harvested and were now being processed. This wasn't strictly a market as I don't think the jellyfish were being offered for sale, but I'm using a bit of artistic licence here. 
Sadly I was unable to glean much information due to the language barrier, but my understanding was that after cleaning the jellyfish they are salted and dried in order to preserve them. Whilst you can see the salt crystals in the photo, fortunately for you, you can't smell the jellyfish!

What do you think? Have you ever tried or would you fancy some reconstituted jellyfish?

See you next week.

KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA - Mini-Market series

Mention Kuala Lumpur and the iconic Petronas Towers spring to mind.  

Although a visit to the towers is pretty much mandatory - I wanted to see some market life too. My time in KL was limited, but I managed to find time to explore Chinatown's Petaling Street.

I have to confess that these market stalls didn't excite me too much.

But the area had quite a vibe and seemed popular with the tourists.

Although there were plenty of locals too.

Ultimately I became more interested in the clash of old and new architecture than the market stalls.

Back near my hotel, close to the Petronas Towers, this covered eating area was full of locals with not a tourist in sight (which is a good indication of authentic food). I adore eating in simple eateries with the locals. People are almost always surprised and delighted when foreigners choose to eat in their establishments. It was a good decision because the unpretentious service was great and the food was utterly delicious!

I should have time to squeeze in one more post next week before I go on my travels in December.