Kyaiktyio & Golden Rock

Golden Rock,  Kyaiktiyo

My Burmese friend Judith and her neice Pei Pei and myself decided we needed to see this Golden Rock place for ourselves, so we got up late 07.00 and took a taxi to the Aung Mingalar bus station. The taxi cost 4000 kyats but that was after lots of forceful negotiating by the ever assertive Judith. On arrival at Aung Mingalara bus terminal as always we were met by two young boys running alongside the car, this was to guide us to their bus company and so they get a commission. The bus to Kinpun was 5000 kyats (5$) for me, and 3000 kyats for my friends. It's always cheaper for locals no matter what it's for.

Sunset on Goden Rock

The bus was not the best by todays standards, but a huge improvement on pre 2011 buses.  God be with the days of knees up to your chin, backside dead on a wooden bench, surrounded by boxes, bananas, and all other sundry in a windowless bus so that the mosquitoes could have a field day. That is one part of this huge change in Burma I won't miss.

Well the bus journey took about 4 hours with one short break en route to pee and buy snacks.

When we alighted the bus in the small square of Kinpun we were greeted by the usual host of guesthouse agents. At first we headed with the Lonely Planet recommendation with a young Swiss couple, but then a fast talking agent from the Sea Sar guesthouse arrived and made us an offer we couldn't refuse...15$ for the 3 of us in one room (no breakfast). Judith Pei Pei and I were happy happy! And so were the Swiss! The room had air con, it was clean and the tropical shrubs and scented trees around the bungalow were the cherry. 

We dropped the bags and headed straight to the pick up station where we were so tightly crammed that it must have looked like a Mexican wave every time we took a bend which was every ten seconds or so. 

The rain came down with a vengeance so we stopped in a shelter until t eased off. It started again when we were walking up from the pick-up drop off point but it was warm and we dried off quickly.

Crows Beak

So having spent several months in Burma on previous visits I'd heard lots about the Golden Rock, perhaps too much. I was almost disappointed as t wasn't as dramatic as I'd come to believe. I got over it and put my camera to my eye and took about 100 images. I also walked down the other side to where the crows beak is. 

This is a holy place so I'm told that looks like the beak of a crow, formed by two rocks. Locals were throwing coins up into the beak so that they'd come back as Robert Redford or Gina Lollobrigida.

On the way down I met two young men with a dead python snake which they were very proud of. This was for their medicine man. Mr medicine man shouted no photo, and gestured handcuffs suggesting an arrest if the photos were seen. I took two anyway.

The highlight (for me) was going back down just after sunset. Some local boys were singing, the stars were out and everyone was in a jovial good mood and it made for a special trip back down the hill. I've seen the Golden Rock, and I guess you've got to see it once even if you're not a buddhist.

Next stop  Mawlamyine (Moulmein) Burma's 4th largest city.