Journey to Mt Kyaiktiyo - The Golden Rock

Wake up call at 4:30am. The bus-cars to the top of the mountain start out at 6am. The proprietor wanted us cleaned up, refreshed and well fed before we left.

Surprisingly, I had a pretty good power nap on the hard wooden floor. While catching my shut-eye, Ben was having difficulty getting comfortable. Chris told me he was up for hours with Ben who just couldn't get over where we were laying our head for the night. Sounds of the street, the ladies making last minute food preparations for breakfast the next morning, the smell of cigarette smoke and other odors (amomas) unfamiliar to our noses, a cat that decided to share our floor space and lizards escaping the heat. The boys teased me that my Asian-ness kicked in and seemed to feel right at home sleeping through all that excitement. I like to think that I just adapt well ; )

For those of you who know me, I was not so easy to adapt to the bathroom facilities. It took everything out of me to use the eastern style toilet which I unintentionally stopped up with toilet paper which they prefer you put in the waste basket for just that reason. I had purchased a package of "bathing wipes" from the ship before we disembarked. My intention was for the boys if they needed cleaning up during the day. But they ended up being my saving grace, using them to removed most of the daily grime I collected.

Our plan, after much discussion, was that Ben and Chris would take the bus-car to the top of the mountain with all of our gear. Jeremy and I decided to take it halfway up and hike the remaining 4 (or so) hours even though we were told that almost no one hikes the steep trail anymore. We were instructed by hand signals to find the bus-car down the road and to the right. It was still dark out and we seemed to be the only guests venturing from the restaurant. We found one bus-car but were quickly directed to another. We started to feel uneasy. I asked another store owner just opening up shop where to get the truck to the top of the mountain. Again directed further down the road. Finally, we started to see signs for the "truck station". As we approached we heard sounds of people. Getting increasingly louder the closer we got, we reached the open area where boarding the trucks was in progress.

Standing at a wheeled set of stairs, passengers lined up waiting for a truck to pull up. As soon as one did, there was a mad scramble for a piece of wooden bench that would eventually be shared by no less that 5 other rear ends. Baggage and boxes and anything you were carrying got taken and slung into the back cargo area. Pushing and shoving, it was every man for himself. Our survival instincts kicked in and we secured 4 seats together at the back of the truck. As we rolled out, it became clear that this was going to be a ride only rivaled by the best that Six Flags has to offer!

Our ascent up the 4500 foot incline took everything out of our open air 4x4, hauling cargo and approximately 70 passengers. At every chance he got, the driver floored the machine to gain the required momentum to get us up the next incline, taking every curve for granted. Maybe packing us in like sardines helped the swaying of passengers which in turn helped the swaying of the truck. There were many times when it felt as though the truck could flip...either sideways or from front to back or the outside passengers could be thrown from the truck. The only thing missing from this adventure ride was screaming passengers flailing their arms in excitement. But our truck companions were on their religious pilgrimage. It was a solemn ride up the mountain to reach a sacred place of worship. It was a SLALOM ride for us to reach the top of the mountain in one piece!

An hour and a half later and a handful of missing heartbeats, we reached the top of the mountain not understanding where Jeremy and I could have gotten off to hike the last part of the journey. I guess that with such an exciting ride up in the bus-car, no one sees the need or has the desire to trek by foot anymore. And riding the bus-car with all its close calls, rounding hairpin turns, overlooking scenic drop off ravines is surely putting your faith out in a limb anyway. What's the saying? "It's not the destination. It's the journey. " I know I got that wrong but you know what I mean ; )

We strolled an easy 5 minutes though the village lined with souvenir shops, restaurants and food markets and found the oasis of all oasis'...The Mountain Top Hotel! It was only 7:30 in the morning but we checked to see if our rooms were ready anyway. It was a beautiful hotel with friendly staff and a view of the valley that made it obvious why the Buddhist chose this spot, however inconvenient to reach, to build a pagoda and to worship their god amid all the splendor.

We showered as soon as we reached our room. So happy to have "normal" accommodations again ; ) We were all exhausted and ended up sleeping until noon.

Chris and I sat at a table in the outside deck overlooking the small town and enjoyed a cool Myranmar lager. Most of you know that I'm not a big beer drinker but in trying to avoid the local water and ice in some of these places, sometimes a beer is a safe alternative. And surely the alcohol kills some bacteria?

There were monks if all ages, locals selling their wares and offering services like rides on a bamboo lounge chair made mobile by 4 men carrying each corner on a shoulder. There were others carrying tall bamboo baskets on their backs that they used to haul supplies from the arriving bus-cars. They even offered the service to hundreds of daily visitors of the pagoda as many of them arrived with necessities for their families for one night's stay. Most did not check into a hotel like we did, but camped out around the pagoda to wake with the sunrise. Ladies carrying bowls of vegetables and meats in steel bowls on top of their heads, dogs running around like they owned the place and children playing in the street. Chris and I got a little concerned when we saw a little boy, maybe 3 years old, howling and holding his privates. Did he need to relieve himself? Was he sick? Did he get bitten by a dog? A few sharp words from his mother and he pulled from between his legs the small plastic horse he was "riding" ; )

We ventured out to visit Mt Kyaiktiyo, also known as The Golden Rock. The approach to this shrine which is giant boulder precariously balanced on the edge of a cliff high above the clouds makes you instantly believe the folklore. Supposedly, the rock is balanced because of a single strand of hair from Buddha, himself, is enshrined in the stupa which sits on top of the boulder. There is no logical explanation, therefore making this place holy among the Buddhists.

Women are only allowed to view the shrine from a distance. Ben felt sorry for me that I could not actually touch it and get the full experience. He bought a sheet of gold leaf and rubbed it onto the surface of the huge rock. This is the thing to do and over the centuries, the boulder is now covered entirely in gold leaf. A prayer is to be said as the ritual is performed. Ben said his prayer was for me. Hmm...I think I just got the full experience : )