The crown jewel of Yangon is Shwedagon Pagoda, a gigantic gilded stupa centered in a big plaza of pagodas and temples, at the top of the highest hill in Yangon. The back of our entrance ticket (only foreigners pay, 8,000 kyat = ~$6.50) said that top of the stupa is tipped with 5,448 diamonds and 2,317 rubies, and the very top—the diamond bud—is a 76 carat diamond. It is an impressive sight, with grandiose entrances at each cardinal direction. We entered from the east, and departed that way as well, so Aleksiy could return the borrowed longyi he was asked to wear.

Every holy place we’ve visited has requested that we leave our shoes+socks at the entrance and wear clothing that covers our knees and most of our shoulders. We are more than happy to oblige out of respect for holy places and worshiping Buddhists, but the heat (over 100F), hot stone, and lack of viable wardrobe options doesn’t make it easy. Aleksiy thought he could get by with his shorts, but alas, his big white knees betrayed him again -they are always getting him into trouble. I’m not going to say the highlight of the day was watching him sashay through the plaza, but it was truly a sight to behold.