Yangon

The sail into Yangon took the Silver Shadow into a wide muddy river. There were lots of very small fishing boats, of which a few had outboard motors but most were powered by rowing. The flat fields either side were planted with rice. This apparently subsistence-level landscape was punctuated with the occasional gold temple or spire.

The excursion bus, which had around 25 paying passengers, was accompanied by 7 people. There was the Silversea representative, the driver and the guide, as usual. The guide had two male and one female helpers. And then there was the police sergeant. On his motor bike with flashing light riding in front of the bus throughout the tour. This was useful at some intersections, when the bus was waved through the chaotic traffic by the police on duty. But the best bit was when the tour group needed to cross the busy road in order to reach the colonial Strand Hotel. No pedestrian crossing, no breaks in the flow of cars, vans and bikes. He donned his hard hat, blew his whistle and stopped the traffic for as long as it took.

Myanmar is a country in transition. The overall impression was that it is more advanced than most parts of India (more likely to have electricity and a paved road) but not as advanced as, say, Vietnam. The roads, whilst paved with concrete, are not smooth. Many of the people wear Western style dress but there are a significant number of old and young people in more traditional clothes, such as a long skirt for men. The latter could be seen even on a building site but it can be hitched up when required. There are a significant number of Buddhist monks around, in various shades of robes from red to yellow and brown. Many of the women and children have a kind of face powder daubed on their cheeks. This paste is made from water and acacia twigs and serves to moisturise the skin and protect it from the sun. They are very curious about a party which mostly consists of Westerners but return smiles and waves.

There are due to be elections in a few days’ time (Google that one, its complicated) and there are posters everywhere. But no obvious military presence.

The best site was the world-renowned Shwedagon Pagoda. Over 2,500 years old, the pagoda's spire soars 326 feet (99 metres) into the air. Glistening gold plates adorn the structure, whose dome is topped with over 6,500 diamonds, rubies and other precious stones.

Just when the party returned to the ship, there was a torrential downpour, although this time there was no thunder or lightening and it cleared after about an hour.