Day 2, a serious chat and a serious escape

While walking around I was approached by a few local money-exchangers offering higher rates than that in the hotel, roughly 1 dollar to 1300-1400, which made me feel so happy when back home in China, American dollars were losing interest from my countrymen, concerning that Chinese currency was appreciating much stronger against dollars. However, when I was to do it, I noticed another friend coming up and started the conversation like this:

'Hello!'

'Hello!' I replied with smiles.

'Wont fun?' he continued in some accent.

'Fun? What do you mean?' from curious me.

'..., $%^$%%^$%^&&&&&$%%.##$%^%&^*(((((((&^%'.

I got so confused by his words, definitely,although I could guess some business from him. I was still with smiles while keeping up my pace. This made my new friend more anxious. He was a man having a dark, very indian face and beard, in the traditional burmese costume, that is, he was wearing longji, a long sarong-style skirt wrapped around himeself of a long piece of fabric with a knot tied at the belly. Quite serious, wearing very subtle smiles, but his eyes were sharply focusing, as eagles and also, he was a little upset by my not understanding him.

'Fun!!!' he emphasized again, ' ##$%%^&&*&*(^$%^&^**(*, okay?'

'Sorry I don't understand you. I have to go. Bye!'

It seemed that he guessed my intention of leaving. In order not to lose me, he took some extremes to clarify himself in a very clear way.

He was starting to untie the knot when I saw and stopped.

' What are you doing?'

'@#$%$^^&^^^^^^^&%$%%$#, okay?' he paused his busy hands but pointed his right hand at his crotch.

It was very clear now. Fun with crotch, that 's all this serious conversation by the street was about.

I shook my head and said very clearly,

'No, I don't need. Bye.' this finally stopped him, although he was still murmuring some complaints behind.

To the north of Sule pagoda were some quite smart buildings, like Toshiba tower, Traders' hotel and Central Hotel. Five minutes further to its north, was the very old stadium and central train station, where people could easily find eight agents of different bus companies for their long-distance bus tickets to other tourist destinations, like cities of Mandalay, and Bagon.

All the names of bus companies, either public or private were given in Burmese; I had to stop one by one to check the name and their schedule, I was a little disappointed to find none of those recommended by Longly Planet there.Leo was already bankcrupt. The price ranged between 10,000-13,000. I,attracted by the saleswoman of an agent, paid 11000, for a ticket to Mandalay.( but later found out other foreigners paid 10000 only. 1000 extra for her smiles, maybe. Locals pay much less. I don't complain.)

And now it was dusk; there appeared more and more food stands on the sidewalks along the Mahabandoola park, just opposite to the city hall and the Sule. Bueses, mostly being Japanese as wars compensation from Japan to Myanmar after WII, running on the steets were so standing packed, crushing against other 200 people in the back while gripping during their rides.