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.
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