LEAVING RANGOON/YANGON FOR MIAMI, FLORIDA . 48 HOURS

Not a normal route but journey made pleasant by
Malaysian Airlines  Yangon to Kuala Lumpur 
Mingalar Sky Lounge at Mingaladon Airport in Yangon
Malaysian Airlines Premium Lounge at Satellite, KLIA 1

Lovely flights with Japan Airlines from 
Kuala Lumpur to Narita
Sakura First Class Lounge at Narita 
Narita to Dallas DFW 

Welcome to the USA 
AA american airlines . late by four hours
Chaotic at the gate
I chose to go to Centurion Club of American Express 
Gate changed at least four times , so savoured the Admirals Club at Terminal A also

After the luxury of caring human beings in the hospitality and travel industry in Asia, Dallas did feel like a let down. It is not right that it took me longer to get from Dallas to Miami than it did me to get to dallas from Tokyo.. 
I forgive you American Airlines, you are no worse than the other carriers plying your skies..
This is what happens when personal profits overrides passenger comfort and service. I fondly thought of the 43 minute flight from Cochin to Colombo on Sri Lankan Airlines when a meal was served with champagne if you wanted! 
Be grateful for what we have
dont be ungrateful for what we don't have 

Good bye to the excellent staff at Sule Shangrila in Yangon

My good friend Eithwe had chosen the Sule Shangri La Hotel for me, and from now on, that woule be my address in Yangon.
Each day a sumptuous breakfast, this morning of departure being no exception.
Zun Zun obliged and made a nice Mohinga the national dish. I tasted it and revelled in the memories of it when we had to go out to the streets to eat them.
Chef Ganesan from Chennai put out tasty tamil dishes and each day he prepared something different and today the taste was superior, true tamil delicacies. 

A quick visit to Bogyoke Aung San Market. The added advantage of Sule Shangri La Hotel is that it is just five minutes by foot. I had made friends with the owner of a store selling Akha handicrafts and I wanted to get some for my Indian friends in the USA. Also to buy jade bracelets and an amber bracelet..

It was time to say goodbye to my new friends at Sule Shangri La

Ya Min Htke the front desk manager who took me to the Executive Lounge where I sat in silence sipping a cup of Burmese .

Magusa who speaks Japanese and Ko sow who was very friendly and helpful and very respectful as well. There were Mai and May and Mia..and the two clefs d'or Concierges, Moo Chow and Ko Ko..

View from the Hotel Sule Shangri La ..
Eithwe sent her driver and it took only 45 minutes on this sunday morning to get to Yangon Mingaladon airport. Ko Win the driver pointed out various sites on the way, despite the fact he did not speak English, but it was well appreciated.

The capital city of Burma/Myanmar became sophisticated on a short order. If you had visited Yangon five years ago, you now will not believe that you are visiting the same city. Mingaladon Airport has gone a revision and now looks better than most American airports (Asuncion has no chance to compete, but at one time Yangon airport looked like Asuncion airport of today)

 I am happy for Myanmar and I am happy for the travellers in and out of Yangon airport.

who would have thought that Rangoon would have a Lounge? and of course with a drinkable red from RSA!

I left the hotel at 12 noon on a sunday to begin the journey back to Miami/La Habana, it would be more than two days before I reached Miami.
The flight on Malaysian airlines was okay, no one sitting next to me, good chat with the Purser who remembered the time when MH used to fly to Buenos Aires .

The food was just okay, nothing special and of course MH now does not serve alcohol on their intra asian routes. By the way Malaysian airlines which has never made any profit in all its years of operation, is in deep trouble and may even disappear as a National Airlines as the government refuses to put more money into this inefficiently run airline.

The sun was setting as we descended into Kuala Lumpur. I have become so familiar with this airport having travelled through this airport so many times in the last few years. Malaysia my second home I suppose.. I am fond of this country..

The airline has a very nice lounge and offer Champagne on the ground. A pungent Laksa ( i did not want Chicken but they put Tofu which I did not want it either because of its GMO origin and pesticide content) with a few sips of champagne felt good while pondering over the concept of "home".

The aircraft was a Boeing 787-9 and the seat was very comfortable. The service was discreet and the food was tasty, healthy, served to please the eye and the palate, with the usual our tastes and the fifth the umami all catered for. There is nowhere on earth a more balanced meal than a well presented Japanese meal
I am happy to fly Japanese Airlines from Kuala Lumpur to Narita and then on to Dallas.

 At that early hour the Sakura First Class lounge was not yet open, but a matronly agent let me in, and i could catch up on some sleep before requesting a shower. The three sushi chefs were working fast as the lounge filled up and i could see that the mostly japanese customers were enjoying Sushi, Japanese curry and a nice drop of Champagne

 The best toilets in the world are in Japan, with their multiple temperature controls and automatic wash.

Japanese are punctual to a fault and when they say they will board the flight at 10 20 am, it is exactly at that time they board. No chaos, people wait their turn and no one would think of breaking the queue.

The best part of the trip was about to be over. The immigration and Customs in the USA are a breeze if you have been wetted by them and you have Global Entry.
The airport at Dallas is large if somewhat clumsy, it is practical and not oozing warmth. I managed to find the Centurion Club and find a spot to sit down and prepare myself for the work ahead to be done in the USA before heading back to Cuba.

 Rather tasty Brussels Sprouts 

 While I was extremely tired, i still could feel the multiple storms on the way to Miami. The flight arrived 4 hours late, at a time the Miami airport has a eery appearance.

It was one again nice to speak Spanish after a very long absence, this time to Fernando a psychologist in training who was my Uber Driver home to my sister's family
I arrived there at 11 30   49 hours 30 minutes and two nights of not much sleep after leaving the comfort zone of Sule Shangri La hotel.

My love for Myanmar is reinforced
I will stay at Sule Shangrila again 
Japan Airlines to Asia ..
thank you my old and new friends in Myanmar 

Myanmar is a House of Memories for me..