Sarkies E&O, Raffles and Strand Hotels

Having recently revisited the E&O Hotel in Penang, I decided to do a post on the 3 main hotels established by the Sarkies Brothers in Southeast Asia.

The Sarkies were 4 brothers of Armenian ethnicity, born in Iran. They are famous for setting up a chain of luxury hotels throughout Southeast Asia. These hotels are The Eastern & Oriental Hotel (Malaysia), Raffles Hotel (Singapore) and  Strand Hotel (Burma/Myanmar).

The Eastern & Oriental Hotel , George Town, Penang, Malaysia - 1885.
My first visit to Penang was 1988 but I don't think I went to the hotel. The first time I actually went inside was in 2015.

Raffles Hotel, Singapore - 1887. Originally it was a tiffin house then became a hotel and was taken over by the Sarkies in 1887.  By 1915 the Long Bar was famous for the Singapore Sling.

My first visit to Raffles was in 1988. I had a Singapore Sling in the Long Bar, it came with peanuts and it was the done thing to throw the shells on the floor.

Raffles then closed for renovation and reopened 16 Sept 1991. I had a Singapore Sling in the 'new' Long Bar on 18 Sept 1992.

Raffles statue

Enjoying the Singapore Sling in 1992 -

And the outside in 1994

and 1991

Strand Hotel, Rangoon (Yangon), Burma (Myanmar) - 1901. Sold by the brothers in 1925.

In 1996 I stayed in the Strand Hotel. It was wonderfully run down, and I remember the bathroom which had a bath tub on legs. Unfortunately I don't have/can't find the photos apart from these -

In 2009 I was back in Burma, now called Myanmar, and had high tea in The Strand (and The Star article).

Maxxis rally Bangkok to Shangri La 2004

MAXXIS Adventure Xpedition 2004 Report



[From : ORTEV THAILAND]


The expedition - 25 cars covering almost 6000 km in 10 days, through 4 countries, and from sea level to 3500m, and from 34°C to –6°C.



This 4WD adventure expedition was from Bangkok, through Myanmar and into China’s Yunnan province and up to Shangri La, close to the Tibet border in the Himalayas. It was organized by Ortev in Japan and sponsored by Maxxis International. It was the first ever Asian event of its kind, and took place from 13 – 22 November 2004.

A very successful expedition. It was well planned and well organized and everything went smoothly. 15 cars from 4 countries left Bangkok. There were cars from Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. Unfortunately the Taiwan car developed mechanical problems on the first day so did not continue. In China 10 cars joined the expedition, making a total of 24.

Day 1, the convoy drove from Bangkok’s Grand Palace to Chiang Rai. On day 2 they crossed into Myanmar at the Mae Sai – Tachilek border. A new road through Myanmar meant fast progress. Lunch at Kengtung, the capital of the Shan State. The Chinese border at Mongla was reached late afternoon. Again border formalities went very smoothly and the convoy entered its third country in one day. This is quite a feat, to get 14 cars across 3 international borders in one day.

10 cars from the China team joined the expedition at the border, and after a photo shoot, the convoy set off for Jinghong. Throughout the stay in China a police escort led the way. Day 3 in Jingong the cars had to go for a vehicle inspection and attach temporary Chinese registration plates. Then the expedition drove through the mountainous Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, past the Pu‘er tea plantations, and had a late lunch in Simao. A new highway to Kunming meant faster progress, it is a spectacular highway with many long and high bridges (including the highest bridge in the world) and dozens of tunnels.

The team reached the hotel in Kunming at midnight and had a wake up call at 4.15 am. Some people were getting tired from the constant travelling, and one car (Malaysian) decided not to continue with the expedition, electing to wait for the group to return to Kunming in a few days.

Day 4 dawned and it was 6°C. The SE Asian drivers had to learn how to use their car heaters! The highway from Kunming to Chuxiong is still being constructed and due to the rain this meant a very muddy journey. From Chuxiong to Dali the highway is completed. In Dali the cars all went for a well deserved wash, and most of the drivers put antifreeze in the radiators in preparation for the subzero temperatures of Shangri La.

After lunch there was a delay as the Malaysian service car had problems. As a result the itinerary was changed, and it was decided only to go as far as Lijiang that night, rather than all the way to Shangri La. This was actually a good decision, as it could be potentially dangerous to negotiate the narrow mountainous road from Lijiang at night, due to other vehicles on the road, and also the threat of ice. It was also a blessing for the photographers and passengers as they were able to see the stunning scenery in daylight.

This section of road was one of the most stunning of the trip. In Lijiang the team had their first view of snow capped mountains, and as they drove up the mountainous road, the impressive 5500m Jade Dragon Snow Mountain was visible for much of the way. There were few official photo stops throughout the expedition, but today there were several. The first was at some stalls selling Tibetan items, with a view overlooking the Yangxi River. The cars then descended and followed the river for a few kilometres, again stopping for photos of the river with the backdrop of snowcapped mountains and entrance to the famous Tiger Leaping Gorge.

The road then ascended through a smaller gorge and climbed up on to the plateau of Shangri La. There was an official welcome by singers and dancers in Tibetan costume at a large stupa. The team was elated to have arrived and unfurled the Maxxis banners for a photo shoot.

As they entered the town of Zhongdian there was fresh snow lying on the pavements. Zhongdian has been christened as Shangri La, taken from James Hilton’s 1933 classic “Lost Horizon”. After lunch, the expedition set off for an afternoon of sightseeing. First destination was the Napa Lake, which is actually a seasonal lake or wetlands. It is part of a nature reserve and is surrounded by a large grass meadow, important for bird watching. Several people went for a pony ride across the plateau, whilst others tried their hand at archery.

Then on to the Ganden Sumtseling Gompa, a 300-year-old Tibetan monastery with around 600 monks. It is the most important monastery in southwest China. That evening a lot of people began to feel the effects of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), also known as altitude sickness. Shangri La lies at an altitude of 3500m and as the ascent from sea level had been made in just a few days, there was no time to acclimatize. AMS affects different people at different altitudes, generally starting at 2500m. That evening there was a cultural show, but several people didn’t go, due to AMS.

As the expedition was running a day behind schedule, visits to the other sites around Shangri La had to be abandoned. Consequently only one night was spent at Shangri La, but this was actually good for those suffering from AMS as they needed to return to lower altitudes. Day 6 it was -6°C at 9am and the cars were covered in ice. Departure was delayed due to problems with one car, also the fact that the mountain road was still covered with ice. The terrain was covered with frost as the cars drove across the plateau and back down to Lijian. After lunch there was another delay before setting off for Dali. Here members were able to visit the famous Three Pagodas, San Ta Si. The tallest pagoda is 70m and was originally erected in the 9th century. It is flanked by 2 pagodas 42m high.

Day 7 was a drive from Dali to Kunming, stopping for lunch in Chuxiong. The convoy reached Kunming in the Friday evening rush hour and had slow progress getting to the new Maxxis showrooms, then on a search for fuel. That evening a few participants enjoyed a free massage after dinner whilst watching a cultural show.

Next morning the participants paid a rushed visit to the world famous Stone Forest at Shilin. After lunch with a chance for shopping, the expedition headed back to Simao, stopping for photos at the world’s highest bridge. Day 9 saw the return to Jinghong for lunch, then onto the border at Mongla. Immigration and customs were cleared quite easily and the night was spent in the casino town of Mongla.

Day 10 and the final day, the cars returned through Myanmar to Tachilek. The expedition officially ended in Mae Sai and the cars went their separate ways.

- - - -

It was a very successful expedition, well organized and with very few problems.
The convoy had covered a distance of some 2560 km from Bangkok to Shangri La in 4 ½ days, which is possibly a world record. Total distance covered was about 5500 km in 10 days, through 4 countries, and from sea level to 3500m, and from 34°C to –6°C.

The expedition was on the road for an average of 12 hours a day, but time flew. There was always something different to see, a whole variety of every changing scenery, different style architecture, varying costumes and faces of the local people. All in all a great success.


- Liz Price (29th Nov. 2004)

Yangon, Myanmar (BT)

Published on The Brunei Times (http://www.bt.com.bn/en)
Lost in time in Yangon



A charm of its own: Colonial buildings in Yangon makes for a picturesque scene. Picture: Liz Price
Liz Price

Sunday, March 15, 2009

YANGON is a city of generators.

The pavements are full of them, from small portable ones to large ones the size of a car. And they are noisy, but necessary. The electricity supply is insufficient to cope with the demand and blackouts are frequent.

Downtown is a contrast of decaying buildings with new ones popping up in between. There are some grand old colonial buildings such as the huge but no longer used Ministers' Office, and the High Court and financial area buildings.

Although Yangon is still the commercial capital of Myan-mar, the administrative centre was moved to Naypyidaw in November 2005.

Despite being a Buddhist country, in downtown Yangon there seems to be more mosques and churches than Buddhist temples. Standing on one corner I could see three mosques within a few hundred metres of each other. There is also a scattering of Hindu and Chinese temples. Just up the road from my hotel was the Muslim free hospital, for the poor of all communities.

The roads are built on a grid system, with lots of narrow lanes connecting the main roads. These lanes are lined with buildings around four storeys high. The architecture is so varied, some buildings have balconies and verandas, windows of different sizes, ornate features.

There are not many sites to see. The most famous one is the Shwedagon Pagoda. This splendid stupa sits high on the sacred shrine of Singuttara Hill, and houses relics of The Buddha and three Buddhas that preceded him. Shwedagon is an impressive place, and the brightness of the abundant gold paint is almost dazzling in bright sunlight. It's not clear how old the pagoda is as archaeologists and Buddhists give different ages, but the current stupa was built in the 15th century and is 98m high. It is one place that every visitor to Yangon has to see.

Another thing to do in Yangon is have high tea at The Strand. In colonial days, The Strand was the hotel, built by the Armenian Sarkie brothers. They also built the E&O in Penang, and Raffles in Singapore. I was lucky enough to stay there in 1986 prior to renovation. But even now you can still see the grandeur of the place, with its wooden and rattan furniture, high ceiling fans and old style shutters on the windows.

Myanmar and Yangon have not really changed much over the decades and still retain an image of the past. Twenty years ago, it was common to see old cars such as Austin on the streets but these have virtually all disappeared, which is quite sad. However you can see some older cars, mostly Japanese.

Yangon is still worthy of a visit, especially if you like to go back in time and see how things were before the modernisation changed things.

The Brunei Times

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Source URL:
http://www.bt.com.bn/en/en/travel/2009/03/15/lost_in_time_in_yangon

Mongla

STAR Lifestyle > Travel & Adventure
Saturday February 12, 2011
Mongla escapade
By LIZ PRICE
Mongla can almost be described as Myanmar’s sin city with its casinos, neon lights and a flourishing trade in wildlife.
Half the fun of travelling is in exploring small towns and checking out the local markets. However, the market at Mongla was one place I didn’t want to be. I left as soon as I saw some of the things for sale.
To be fair, I had heard about it, and had been warned, but I was still curious.
Such a sad sight caught my eyes. Live bears in tiny cages, parts of dead bears on tables, crates of snakes, rabbits, pangolins, etc. I am glad I left as later on my friends saw a bear being slaughtered.

A pristine temple in Mongla. — LIZ PRICE
Having started on the negative side, I can now say that the rest of my visit to Mongla was less depressing. Mongla (Mengla, Monglar) is capital of Special Region Number Four in the eastern Shan State of Myanmar. It is a border town that neighbours China’s Yunnan Province. Because of its close proximity to China, it has a completely different feel from other parts of Myanmar.
Nicknamed the City of Lights, it is connected to the outside world by the Internet and mobile phones. Cyber cafes are common enough but when night falls, the neon lights come alive to advertise the entertainment on offer, such as casinos, bars, karaoke and discos.
These places are mostly frequented by the Chinese. I was surprised at how busy the border was, considering there hadn’t been much traffic on the road between Thailand and Mongla. As it turned out, many Chinese tour buses crossed in and out at the border. Casinos are the main draw, but the wildlife markets in Mongla also have a wide appeal.
Mongla is well known both as a symbol of the struggle for autonomy in Mynmar and for casinos and other businesses including drug trafficking. It is controlled by the local ethnic Wa group who once fought against the Yangon troops. The city is said to be built on drug money. In the 1990s, it was a boom town with the casinos frequented by Chinese citizens living and working there, but that business died when the Chinese left.

The welcome signage
In recent years, however, business has picked up again. Shops have reopened, the red light district is more alive, and there is more of a buzz in the atmosphere. In addition to the visitors from China, there are some who come from Mae Sai, Thailand. As an ordinary tourist, I saw no sign of internal problems.
Nowadays, you see more Chinese than local people. The main currency used in town is the Chinese Yuan. You almost forget you are still in Myanmar. The town is quite new. It seemed very developed after the eastern part of Myanmar that we had just seen.
We saw new buildings under construction. The town was also quite busy with traffic. There were plenty of vehicles associated with the United Wa State Army. In stark contrast to these were the tour buses, and then there were the 14-ton Chinese cargo trucks that passed through.

An arch to the boom town. — LIZ PRICE
With the ever increasing trade between China and South-East Asia, the traffic on the road has drastically increased. The eastern Shan State and also northern Laos have seen a huge increase in the number of trucks passing from China’s Yunnan Province down to Thailand. This means that the shops in Mongla are stocked with Chinese goods.
Apart from shopping, there are few tourist attractions in the town. A big golden temple with a large standing Buddha is situated on a hill overlooking the town. There is an anti-narcotics museum which features exhibits on the burning of the poppy fields and destruction of the opium refineries, and tells of the government’s attempts to stop the drug trade.
There are several pagodas dotted around the town, and as you head for the border — a mere 1.5km away — you’ll find a large decorated entrance arch that was opened in 1994. A line straddles the road marking the border and tourists pose for photos with one foot in Myanmar and the other in China.
Casinos are a big draw the world over. The ones in Mongla have had an up-and-down ride. They were bustling in the 1990s, then by about 2005, they were closed down by China. A year later they reopened, and Myanmar’s Las Vegas was once again in action. However, most of casinos are now at Wan Hsieo, which is 16km southwest of Mongla.
These days the casinos are losing out again because the Laotian town of Boten in Luang Nam Tha province is capturing the market. Boten is a border town with Mohan in China. I was told that the Wan Hseio casinos are now frequented by young Laotians who go there to learn the casino trade.
The drawback to having new roads connecting countries is that there is an increase in trade in illegal wildlife. Sadly, more and more rare and endangered wild animal and plant species are being poached in Myanmar and openly sold in Mongla or are sent through into China. With the easing of border restrictions, businessmen and customers can easily pass across plying their trade. TRAFFIC and the World Wildlife Fund have been monitoring the situation for years, but it is very hard to enforce laws.

A place to eat
Mongla is a strange place, very un-Burmese in character. As soon as you leave, you feel like you have returned to the real Myanmar. Driving through the eastern Shan state towards Kengtung and Mae Sai, you pass ethnic villages . . . but that’s another story.
Fact File
Mongla is 85km from Kengtung, in the eastern Shan State of Myanmar. It borders China’s Daluo port in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province. There are several tour companies running tours from Mae Sai in Thailand, through to Mongla and back. They will also arrange a 14-day permit.
Travel for independent tourists is not easy. Depending on the political situation, it may be possible to travel by shared taxi or pick-up truck from Kengtung to Mongla and back. But you need a proper visa for this, not the 14-day permit. And you will have to visit the immigration department in Kengtung where you will be issued with travel papers and have to leave your passport. Upon your arrival in Mongla, a taxi will take you to another immigration unit for paperwork.
And it is compulsory to have a guide. You also have to pay the guide fees by the day, and normally also for his hotel accommodation and meals.
There are a few hotels in Mongla and several restaurants, all serving Chinese food.
The Myanmar embassy in Kuala Lumpur is located at 8C, Jalan Ampang Hilir (Tel: 03-4251 6355).
© Liz Price

Myanmar - end of the Death Railway

THE STAR
Lifestyle - Home > Lifestyle > Travel & Adventure

Saturday August 1, 2009

The end of Death Railway

By LIZ PRICE

History buffs may be surprised to discover that the Death Railway actually extends to southern Myanmar.

A solitary steam locomotive marked the end of the line. There was no indication of its name or history, and it had a forlorn appearance as it seemed to gaze at the bushes which encroached the rail tracks.
There was nothing else to see, not even a notice board recording the incredible history of the area.

The final resting place of a steam engine on the Death Railway.

Many people who have visited Kanchanaburi in Thailand are familiar with the Death Railway. Mention Bridge over the River Kwai, and it immediately brings to mind some of the atrocities that took place in the construction of the railway. But I wonder how many people realise that the railway extended quite a way into southern Burma (or Myanmar as it is now called)?

Some 65km south of Mawlamyine (formerly Moulmein) is a town called Than Byuzayat. This is as far south as foreign tourists are allowed to go in southern Myanmar, in the Mon state. Few tourists come here, which perhaps explains why little is mentioned in the guide books about this place. The main attraction is the Commonwealth War Cemetery.

Driving from Mawlamyine, you will find there is little traffic on the road and the scenery is blocked by kilometre after kilometre of rubber plantations. You catch the occasional glimpse of pagodas and stupas in the distant hills.

I was quite excited about the prospect of seeing the end of the Death Railway, or the Bloody Railway as our guide Min kept calling it. So I was surprised when we stopped on the outskirts of Than Byuzayat and saw nothing except a lonesome locomotive amongst the trees.

We had a laugh when we saw in front of us an old gate which had no fence adjoining it.
The steam engine faces down the track and is the only relic here. The name plate had been stripped off, but walking around we could see that parts of the engine had been made in the UK, by engineers in London. We walked all round and clambered into the drivers’ compartment.

The locomotive wheels were partly embedded in concrete, possibly to stop people removing it. I was surprised it hadn’t been vandalised for its scrap metal. The tracks were heavily overgrown and soon disappeared in the bushes. However there were a couple of rotting statues, presumably once depicting some of the workers of the line.

The final resting place of a steam engine on the Death Railway.

Than Byuzayat (which means Tin Shelter) was the western terminus of the infamous Burma-Siam Death Railway. During WWII, more than 16,000 Allied prisoners of war (POW) and many more Asian coolies were forced by the Japanese military to construct this railway.

The Japanese had entered Burma by marching over the rugged mountains from Tak in Thailand via the Three Pagodas Pass. The purpose of the railway was to supply a route for the Japanese who hoped to conquer Burma, and then other Asian countries further west.

Construction of the railway began in September 1942 at Than Byuzayat and Non Pladuk in Thailand. Japanese engineers had estimated it would take five years to link the two countries but it was done in 16 months. This was achieved by forcing the thousands of prisoners to work very hard. The length of the 1m gauge line was 415km, two-thirds of which was in Thailand.

Much of the railway was built in very difficult terrain, through deep mountain cuttings and needing high bridges in places. The two ends of the line were linked 37km south of the Three Pagodas Pass and the Japanese were able to use the railway for 20 months before the Allies bombed it in 1945.

An estimated 16,000 POWs died during the construction of the railway. These deaths were due to brutal treatment, hard work and lack of food and medicine. It is unknown how many Asian labourers (from Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia) died during the Japanese occupation. Their numbers could be far higher than the POWs. Some estimates say 90,000–100,000 died.

Many of the Allied prisoners were buried in the War Cemetery at Than Byuzayat. This lies on the west side of town and contains 3,771 graves of Allied POWs who died building the railway.

The cemetery was built and maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in Maidenhead, England. It is similar to those in Kanchanaburi in Thailand and at Ambon in Maluku, Indonesia. Most of those buried were British.

In this cemetery there are no large trees; just a few frangipani. I found it very moving walking around the place and I had a lump in my throat as I thought about the sad history.

The cemetery in Myanmar where POWs are buried. — LIZ PRICE

The caretaker came over and asked me if I was looking for any particular grave. I said no, so he went on to explain how the cemetery was laid out. The Australian section is on the left, while the centre section is occupied by the British graves. Also in this section are the graves of men from Malaya, Singapore, India etc. To the right is the Dutch area. There’s one row behind the British for the Indian Muslims.

It was interesting to see the differences in memorial stones. Many of the British ones had crosses and the full regiment was listed and most had an epitaph from family or friends. The Dutch ones showed no regiment or rank.

One British epitaph read: “Years go by. Memories remain. This corner of a foreign field is forever England”.
Related story:
Getting there

Saturday August 1, 2009

Getting there

Than Byuzayat is 65km south of Mawlamyine in Myanmar and takes about 75 minutes by van. It’s best to go as part of a tour. However, you can go by public pick-up from Mawlamyine central market, these take two hours. You will need to go on a day trip as there is no legal lodging for foreigners, so make sure you catch the last pick-up back to Mawlamyine.

The locomotive and railway are about 1.5 km south of the town centre, and the cemetery is 1km west on the road to Kyaikkami. There is nothing else of interest in the town.

The Death Railway was made famous by Pierre Boulle’s book Bridge Over the River Kwai and then by a film based on the book.
Source:

Afternoon tea at The Strand, Myanmar

THE STAR Lifestyle

Saturday April 11, 2009

Tea at The Strand

By LIZ PRICE

Once a glorious part of Burma, it fell into disrepair, inviting rats and backpackers alike. Now, it is expensive once more, and if you can’t afford a night, at least try The Strand’s Afternoon Tea.
When in Rangoon, Burma, you must make sure to have Afternoon Tea at The Strand Hotel.
I’ve purposely used the old colonial names of Rangoon and Burma, rather than Yangon and Myanmar, as these names reflect the colonial times, when The Strand Hotel was the place to be.

 The Strand was built by the Armenian Sarkie Brothers.-Liz Price
 

My first trip to Burma was in 1986, and I was lucky enough to spend one night at The Strand prior to the renovations when it was still affordable. I have fond memories of it as a rundown hotel with antique furniture and a lack of maintenance.
It is the bathroom that sticks most in my mind — a huge and long spartan room, at the end of which stood a free-standing bath tub of the old-fashioned type, with four metal feet. It was the sort of thing you see in old films. I felt like calling for a waiter to bring a gin and tonic as I relaxed in the rusty-coloured water.
The other thing that sticks in my mind was a display cabinet full of memorabilia of days past, not to mention the rats scurrying around. But those days are gone.
The hotel underwent massive renovations and now has a brand new image. Although it still oozes history and charm, I somehow found it to have less of an atmosphere when I revisited recently. Maybe I was expecting too much, still having memories from 20 years ago.
The rooms are still huge but are now air-conditioned. Service is still impeccable; in fact some people say the staff are over-attentive. As you arrive at the hotel, uniformed men greet you and open the door with a welcome.
This welcome has been bestowed on guests since the hotel was opened in 1901. It was built by the Armenian Sarkie Brothers, who also owned Raffles in Singapore, the E&O in Penang and two other hotels in Java. This Rangoon hotel was named after its address — 92, The Strand — and faces the Yangon River.
During the days of the British Empire, The Strand catered to Rangoon’s colonial big-wigs, including many writers such as Rudyard Kipling and Somerset Maugham. Unlike the Raffles, though, it hasn’t a garden, which is a shame, considering Rangoon gets quite hot at certain times of the year.

the hotel still has an old Mercedes from its glory days which is in working order.-Liz Price
 

From occupying a place of prominence, the hotel slowly fell into disrepair. It lost much of its custom during WWII when the hotel was used to accommodate Japanese troops, and the bar was used as stables. Thence, it went into further decline and ended up being relatively affordable for backpackers, which was how I ended up staying there in 1986. And the rats moved in.
Restoration started in the early 1990s, and now the boutique-styled hotel is managed by the same group who have the Datai in Langkawi. The hotel still has an old Mercedes from its glory days which is in working order.
As you walk into the lobby, you see teak, mahogany and rattan furniture. There are high ceiling fans and old-styled shutters on the windows. I headed into the empty dining room for afternoon tea and was welcomed by the waitress.
There is a choice of menus — the classic or local. I opted for the classic. I was handed an elegant menu, listing the delicacies I would be brought, and I had the choice of a selection of teas or coffee.
Whilst waiting for the food, I had a look at the old photos on the walls. Unfortunately, although I was sitting by the window, it was hard to see out as the window sills were on a level with my face, so I could not look out into the streets.
My pot of Earl Grey tea arrived and I was pleased that the waitress allowed me to pour it myself. I sipped it, absorbing the atmosphere of the place, eagerly awaiting the food, as I had purposefully had a small lunch.
Soon, the three-tiered platters arrived. The waitress took time to name each of the eight items, then discreetly left me to enjoy my feast. The four types of sandwiches were all good, each one on a different style of bread. One had poached prawn, another butterfish, a third had chicken and the fourth was a tomato salsa.

There is a choice of two menus: classic or local. — LIZ PRICE
 

I tried to eat slowly so as to savour every mouthful, but I was eager to move on to the cakes.
There were three types of cake sitting on the middle plate. I couldn’t remember what they were as the waitress had removed the menu, so I decided to eat them by taking the one nearest me first. It was a melt-in-the-mouth honey mousse quenelle.
I had never heard the word “quenelle”, so had to look it up when I got home and found the dictionary described it as: a seasoned ball or roll of pounded fish or meat.
Obviously, The Strand uses this word in a different context, as this was definitely sweet, not savoury. By Googling, I found it can also be used for scooped desserts, so this is a more fitting description.
The next cake was the passion fruit cream cheesecake, another of my favourites. The pastry base looked a bit heavy but was very good, and I didn’t waste a crumb. The third cake was a whisky Jaffa chocolate cake.
By now two plates were empty, and there was one to go. No hurry. I decided to have a rest and enjoy another cup of tea and some lemon-tinged water, even though the scones were calling out to me to eat them. I made them wait as I relaxed and let the cakes and sandwiches go down.
Scones can be heavenly if they are well made, but they can be like chewy bricks if they are bad. Fortunately, these were good. The tops were covered with a crispy coating of sugar, and the texture was just right. Also, there was an adequate supply of jam and whipped cream.
People often ask if you should put the cream or the jam on first. I always spread the jam first, then add a dollop of cream. I don’t know if this is etiquette, but it’s my preference.
A different waitress appeared and removed my empty plates, and asked if I would like ice cream or sorbet, then offered me a list of flavours. It was hard to make a choice but I opted for mocca ice cream and it was good.
Feeling fully replete, I relaxed and drank more tea. By now just two more tables were occupied. This is a reflection of the general lack of tourists in Burma since the last year or so, which is a real shame as the country has so much to offer. And Afternoon Tea at The Strand is one such item not to be missed. At US$15 (RM54), it is well worth the experience.

Burmese fighting balls

Does anyone know what fighting balls are ??? Saw it on a menu in an Indian restaurant in Yangon, Myanmar.

Myanmar - Death Railway at Than Byuzayat

Many people have heard of the Death Railway, built by Prisoners of War during the Japanese occupation during World War 2. And many people know of the railway at Kanchanburi and may even have ridden along this stretch of the line. But few people know that the line extended about 110 km into Burma (Myanmar) and went as far north as the Mon state, stopping at Than Byuzayat, which is 65 km south of Moulmein (Mawlamyine).

Whereas Thailand promotes the Death Railway as a historical tourist attraction, Burma doesn't. In fact few tourists go that far south as it is on the edge of the "off limits" area. Nothing has been done to preserve the site.

A locked gate stands isolated and you can just walk around it.

An old stream locomotive stands forlornly on the rail tracks. Unfortunately the brass name plates have disappeared so there is no indication of the name of the loco, but many of its parts were made in England - one section was made by Stone Engineers of London.

Stone engineers, London

 The back wheels of the loco have been set in concrete.

There are a couple of old models of people, presumably prisoners, which are decaying. As you look down the tracks, after a few meters they disappear into the undergrowth and you can see that the place is ignored completely.

Such a pity after all the terrible hardships and suffering that went into constructing this railway. Luckily the loco hasn't been vandalised for scrap metal.
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© Liz Price
No reproduction without permission