Saturday, June 20, 2015

SCOTT'S MARKET OR BOGYOKE AUNG SAN MARKET OR SIMPLY BOGYOKE MARKET IS THE BIGGEST AND MOST INTERESTING INDOOR BAZAAR IN YANGON, MYANMAR. GET YOUR JEWELLERY. LOOSE STONES, REPRODUCTIONS, COINS, ANTIQUES (OF SORTS), CHEAP CLOTHES, BURMESE TEXTILES, HANDICRAFTS, BUDDHIST STATUES, PAINTINGS, MARBLE/JADE ARTEFACTS AND KNICK-KNACKS.

KEE@FSWMAG.COM
FOR FOREIGNERS, IT IS EASIER TO SAY SCOTT MARKET BUT THESE DAYS THE OFFICIAL NAME IS BOGYOKE MARKET BUT PRONOUNCED AS 'BOCHOK' AS I FIND IT IMPOSSIBLE TO PRONOUNCE BURMESE WORDS ACCORDING TO SPELLING!
 SCOTT MARKET OR ITS OFFCIAL NAME BOGYOKE (GENERAL) AUNG SAN MARKET
 TEH MOST FAMOUS AND FASCINATING INDOOR MARKET IN YANGON
OPENS AT 11 AM TILL 5 PM, CLOSED ON MONDAY
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

BOGYOKE OR SCOTT MARKET IS A HUGE COLONIAL BUILDING IN THE HEART OF YANGON AND 6 MINUTES WALK FROM SULE SHANGRI-LA, THE BEST 5-STAR HOTEL IN YANGON.

YOU WILL NEED 2 HOURS TO SAUNTER AND EXPLORE THE SPRAWLING INDOOR BAZAAR. IT CAN BE PRETTY WARM TOO AND SOME STALLS WILL OFFER THE EXTRA SERVICE OF FANNING YOU WITH BAMBOO FAN AS YOU CHECK OUT THEIR WARES!

SINCE LAST YEAR, TOURISTS CAN FINALLY USE CREDIT CARDS!

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, PRIOR TO MIDDLE OF 2014 ALL PURCHASES HAVE TO BE PAID IN CASH AND IN US DOLLARS! THIS IS FINE AS MOST TOURISTS CARRIED MAYBE US$ 500 CASH BUT FOR JEWELS COSTING US$ 8,000 IT WAS A BUMMER AS WHICH TOURIST CARRIED US$8,000 IN CASH IN HIS WALLET?

MYANMAR OR BURMA IS OPENING UP AND LIFE AND SHOPPING ARE EASIER! FLASH YOUR CARD AND SIGN! 

BUT PRICES FOR HIGHER END ITEMS ARE  NOT CHEAP. THEY OPEN AT 50% HIGHER SO YOU CAN HAGGLE FREELY. A SANDLEWOOD STATUE OF BUDDHA I LIKED WAS QUOTEDC AT US$200 WHICH I THOUGHT WAS SCANDALOUS SO I WALKED AWAY INDIGNANTLY. A NECKLACE HAD A PRICE TAG OF US$4,000 BUT I WAS OFFERED US$ 3,000 AND FINALLY US$1,500. 

OF COURSE IF YOU WERE TO BUY SIMILAR ITEMS IN A POSH, AIRCON STORE, YOU WOULD BE HAPPY TO PAY BUT THIS IS SCOTT MARKET SO BARGAIN TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT!

SCOTT MARKET USED TO BE A MAJOR CENTRE FOR CURRENCY EXCHANGE  BUT NOT NOW. TWENTY YEARS AGO US DOLLARS CASH WAS OFFICIALLY NOT ALLOWED AND YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO CHANGE THEM AT GOVERNMENT BANKS AT 6 KYATS TO ONE DOLLAR BUT GO TO ANY CURRENCY EXCHANGE TRADER AND HE WOULD HAVE GIVEN YOU 240 KYATS FOR 1 DOLLAR! AT THE AIRPORT TOURISTS HAD TO CHANGE US DOLLARS INTO MYANMAR CURRENCY NOTES CALLED F.E.C OR FOREIGN  EXCHANGE CURRENCY IN US DOLLARS WHICH ARE WORTHLESS OUTSIDE MYANMAR BUT YOU COULD CHANGE THEM BACK TO US DOLLARS WHEN DEPARTING. BUT NOW SHOPPING IN MYANMAR IS LIKE SHOPPING IN MALAYSIA! 

TRAVELLING OUTSIDE BURMA FOR LOCALS IS A MAJOR LUXURY SO THEY ASSUME ALL TOURISTS IN YANGON MUST BE WEALTHY!

THE MARKET WAS BUILT IN 1926 WHEN BURMA WAS A BRITISH COLONY AND IS NAMED AFTER GAVIN SCOTT, THE MUNICIPALITY COMMISSIONER THOUGH SOME SAY IT WAS IN HONOUR OF JAMES GEORGE SCOTT WHO INTRODUCED FOOTBALL INTO BURMA!

AFTER INDEPENDENCE IN 1948 SCOTT MARKET WAS RENAMED BOGYOKE AUNG SAN THE NATIONAL HERO.

THE MARKET IS WELL MAINTAINED (SO ARE THE TOILETS THANK GOD) AND CLEAN AND HAS NO AWFUL SMELL SO WANDERING AROUND IS FUN. BEST BUYS ARE CHEAP CLOTHES AND JEWELS AS MYANMAR HAS WORLD FAMOUS MINES FOR RUBIES AND SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES BUT EXPECT ONLY SMALL, CHEAP RUBIES HERE AS ALL THE BEST PIGEON-BLOOD RUBIES ARE BOOKED BY CARTIER, GRAFF, CHOPARD AND THE BIG BOYS.

I SPENT 3 HOURS HERE AS I LIKE TO SEE ALMOST EVERY SHOP AND STALL!

VIEW OF CENTRAL YANGON FROM SULE SHANGRI-LA YANGON AND I LIKE THE CHURCH
ANOTHER CHURCH NEARBY! THE STATELY BUILDING WITH DOME IS SCOTT MARKET OR BOGYOKE MARKET!
ELEGANT MARKET
I WALKED TO SCOTT MARKET FROM SHANGRI-LA HOTEL WHERE I STAYED AS IT IS 6 MINUTES WALK
THIS HIGHRISE IS HOME TO PARKSON GRAND ON THE LOWER FLOORS
PARKSON GRAND IS MALAYSIAN OWNED AND IS MYANMAR'S FINEST CHAIN OF DEPARTMENT STORES---MALAYSIA BOLIH!
MOSQUE
GRAND
SCOTT MARKET FROM ACROSS THE STREET ALSO CALLED BOGYOKE SUNG SAN ROAD
NICE
FOOD STALLS




HERE WE ARE


SCOTT MARKET LOOKS ALMOST LIKE A STATELY COLONIAL BOUTIQUE HOTEL
LOVELY VIEW FROM THE OVERHEAD BRIDGE
CHURCH
LOOKS POSH OUTSIDE

EYE CATCHING SUPERMARKET ACROSS THE ROAD
NICE POSE
BURMESE LADIES WEAR TANAKA POWDER PLASTERED ON THEIR CHEEKS OPENLY AND NOT BLENDED INTO THEIR COMPLEXION OR CONCEALED FOR A NATURAL FINISH
FABULOUS BURMESE WEDDING COSTUMES
LOVELY





BRIDE AND GROOM LOOKING SPLENDID
MOSQUE

SIDE SHOPS
LOCAL BAGS AND ATTIRE
UNUSUAL HORNED PEOPLE
PAINTINGS 

QUITE POSH THIS ONE
INSIDE THE MAIN HALL
PAINTINGS MADE FROM CRUSHED COLOUREDC STONES OR EVEN GEMS
TYPICAL STORE

SENTRY



HAWKER FOOD STALLS


JEWELLERY STORES GALORE
WEDDING GARMENTS
LOVE THIS ONE


HAND MADE!


ANTIQUE CAMERAS












VERY FLASHY









1 comment:

maxthai said...

Get some advice how to make photos none of this pics were made after thinking at least a bit.