Yangon’s circular railway – 50 cents for a three-hour ride

If you’re in Yangon, Myanmar and you have three hours to spare, take a ride on the circle train. This slow, rickety train goes around the city and stops at 39 small railway stations along the way. The whole loop is about 46 km long and will take approximately three hours to complete.

At every station, people get on and off and vendors sell their wares. It’s a whirlwind of colors, sounds and smells. As the train pulls out, different neighborhoods, villages, rice fields and pastures drift by. It never gets boring. And the whole trip doesn’t cost more than 50 cents.

But go quickly. Rumor has it that the circle train will be modernized. That may be good for commuters and for progress, but Yangon would lose a truly unique and wonderful attraction.