High atop Rangon is a big golden temple bejeweled with diamonds and rubies. It is seriously too bright to look at with the naked eye. If you try your eyes start watering and you're forced to squint or turn away. It sits in the center of the massive shining complex of Shwegadon. 
Surrounding this holiest of holy temples is a smorgasbord of lesser temples each dedicated to topic and day specific buddhas. Families come packed with a day's worth of food and spend all day in the shade their religion offers. They take naps, women braid hair, rugrats run amok, and everyon
e takes time to make offerings to their buddha of choice. The look of the buddhas area quite different. Most are the typical golden sitting statues with coils of hair and a soft smug countenance.
Surrounding this holiest of holy temples is a smorgasbord of lesser temples each dedicated to topic and day specific buddhas. Families come packed with a day's worth of food and spend all day in the shade their religion offers. They take naps, women braid hair, rugrats run amok, and everyon
e takes time to make offerings to their buddha of choice. The look of the buddhas area quite different. Most are the typical golden sitting statues with coils of hair and a soft smug countenance. But there are also the old men likenesses of revered monks and even a green troll demon. This latter one was being proffered fast food and lit cigarettes in addition to the usual incense and monetary offerings.
It took us several hours to take it all in, including a rest with the locals on a tiled floor of an open air temple under the watchful eyes of the ever present buddhas. Interestingly the entrance and
exit for foreigners is distinctly separated from those of the locals. Our shoe racks were separated as well as bathrooms and even the elevators. Obviously we had to pay an entrance fee but we were also required to sign in to a log book that we found out later freelance guides peruse to pick out their next targets. Our guy had walked around for over an hour and couldn't find us until we were on our way out.
exit for foreigners is distinctly separated from those of the locals. Our shoe racks were separated as well as bathrooms and even the elevators. Obviously we had to pay an entrance fee but we were also required to sign in to a log book that we found out later freelance guides peruse to pick out their next targets. Our guy had walked around for over an hour and couldn't find us until we were on our way out.
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