Medan, Indonesia

Medan, Indonesia is the capital of the North Sumatra province in Indonesia. Located on the northern coast, Medan is the fourth largest city in Indonesia, and the largest Indonesian city outside Java. The city is bordered by the Deli Serdang Regency to the east, south and west, and the Strait of Malacca to the north. It is close to the volcano Sinabung, which erupted in August 2010 after a 400 year dormant state. Medan is divided into 21 districts (kecamatan) and 151 subdistricts (kelurahan). Medan started as a village called Kampung Medan (Medan Village). Kampung Medan was founded by Guru Patimpus around the 1590s. Because Kampung Medan sits on Tanah Deli (Land of Deli), Kampung Medan is also referred as Medan-Deli.

Irrawady River, Yangon : Sunset Cruise

The Irrawaddy River or Ayeyarwady River, also spelt Ayeyarwaddy) is a river that flows from north to south through Myanmar. It is the country's largest river and most important commercial waterway. Originating from the confluence of the N'mai and Mali rivers, it flows relatively straight North-South before emptying through the Irrawaddy Delta into the Andaman Sea. Its drainage area of about 413,000 km² covers a large part of Burma.

This 'sunset cruise' was included in our 'Golf Package to Yangon'. There was another Malaysian couple with us (just the 4 of us). Took a round trip to the river mouth and back; all in all it took 1 hour. Our arrival back at the jetty; coincides with the sun setting down !!!

Bogyoke Market, Yangon

Bogyoke Aung San Market; formerly Scott's Market) is a major bazaar located in Pabedan township in downtown Yangon, Myanmar. Known for its colonial architecture and inner cobblestone streets, the market is a major tourist destination, dominated by antique, Burmese handicraft and jewellery shops, art galleries, and clothing stores. Bogyoke Market is a popular black market location to exchange currency. The market also has a number of stores for local shoppers, selling medicine, foodstuffs, garments and foreign goods. The ground floor and the first floor are lined with small antique shops selling old coins, bank-notes, postage stamps and medals. In the middle of the market are jewelers, selling famous Burmese jade, Burmese rubies and other precious stones. The rest are art galleries, handicraft shops, restaurants and clothes stores. The new wing of the market, across Bogyoke Aung San Market Road, houses shops that sell medicine, foodstuffs, garments and foreign goods. The market is also known for its black market money changers, with jewelry merchants typically able to change the largest bills at the best rates.