Thanlyin & Kyauktan: Portuguese church ruins

By now, the pain on R's foot had almost disappeared. It had gotten a lot better since our trip to Bago. She took her medication on time and was sure to take the Vitamin C tablets to flush out the uric acid deposits in her toe joints.

Alas, our last day in Yangon and this time round, we did another day trip but to Thanlyin (known as Syriam when Myanmar was a British colony) and Kyauktan which are located close to each other. Our first stop was at the 18th-century old Portuguese church ruins. It was just beside road and impossible to miss. The walls were covered with creepers, weed and mould. We walked along a tiny trail as the surroundings were covered with lushful weed bushes. Upon seeing us, a pig scrambled away and disappeared into the bushes. There was a tomb inside the surrounding walls. I stood inside what was once a hall to admire the archaic walls and letting the faint presence of its history take over. The view was so picturesque that it had me mesmerised. Little did I realise that ants were crawling on my legs. It was R's protests to these insects that jolted me to make a head start back to the car. It was a pretty little place, like a place where fairies could have appeared if back in Scotland.

An old car with Burmese numerals


A monk going about to collect alms and food


Crossing the Yangon-Thanlyin bridge over Yangon River


A field of feather plants


Portuguese church ruin


A tomb in a small building surrounded by the ruined church walls


Circular wall covered in weed and mould


British colonial house now inhabited by Burmese


People working on the dusty road


A monk carrying a food basket


A horse carriage