As Amelia and Fred arrived at the airport the hope for the day was to fly from Akyab to Bangkok; however, the weather was not very forgiving so the flight ended at Rangoon, 400 miles away.
"This short hop produced even worse weather than that which turned us back on the previous day." When trying to fly underneath the monsoon failed, the Electra climbed up to 8,000 feet to clear the mountain ridges. "After two hours of flying blind in soupy atmosphere we let down and the bright grain plains beside the Irrawaddy River smiled up at us." Then they continued on for another fifty miles.
The first sight of Rangoon was the sun shining off the Shwe Dagon Pagoda, which could be seen for miles. Upon landing rain began to pour down making it hazardous to leave for Bangkok. So Amelia and Fred spent the rest of the day in Rangoon seeing the sights.
"The streets are very colorful, thronged with people of varying hues, dress, habits and language. There are Burmese, Hindus, Moslems, Christians and Chinese." Amelia makes the observation that she has seen "no fat people. All seem slim and well built."
After sighting the Golden Pagoda from the air it was time to see it in person. Only Amelia entered the pagoda, as one has to be unshod to enter, and Fred refused to take his shoes off. Inside the pagoda were hundreds of Buddhas, there were people kneeling on mats and offering flowers before shrines along with prayers and jeweled ornaments.
Amelia climbs out of the cockpit of her Electra, Rangoon, Burma
AE talks with the editor of the Rangoon Times
Refueling in progress, Rangoon
St. Louis Post Dispatch, Saturday, June 19, 1937