to 'kyaikhtiyo' or golden rock - posted on 23 january 2011

before sandaji arrived, and after kabu had left, the remainder of the parajulis, joshis and dixits went on a day-long trip to 'kyaikhtiyo' (pronounced chaithiyo), or the golden rock... a trip to remember in every sense of the word.

we began our trip early in the morning from yangon. it was a three hour drive to the base of the mountain kyaiktiyo.



the drive was through pretty good roads ... funny that they drive on the other side of the road, even though it was a former british colony! we drove through the town of pago (the plane flying from kathmandu to bangkok, had flown over pago, i'd noticed on the flight). it was once we were outside the city perimeter of yangon that motorbikes and scooters started making an appearance on the roads. here is one motorcyclists driving with an overload of puffy snacks.
in front one of the pagodas we spotted another hansa bird perched on top of a pedestal.. in perpetual homage to buddha. (you will see many hansas in myanmar blogs.. we kind of got obsessed with them!)
we didn't see too many railway lines in our journey. this was one we crossed after pago.
midway when we stopped for a break, a girl approached us with a cageful of birds. for a fee one could set free one of the birds. the girl's face is adorned with the thanaka paste. (it's the ground bark of a tree that is supposed to make the face cool, and acts as a sun block too)
a roadside kiosk...
... an overloaded vehicle...
one other pagoda rising in the mist...
in three hours we were in kinpun village. people who had come down from the mountain can be seen carrying bamboo weapon toys... ak47s ! later in the shops we also saw toy tanks, pistols, swords etc.. all made of bamboo...

there were women who were selling in blocks of thanaka wood
at the kinpun bus depot there were several dumper-turned-passenger ferrying trucks lined up. they had rows of 4 inch thick wooden planks that slowly filled up with people. the trucks didn't leave until it was chockful of people. a hint of what was in store for us up in the mountain... sun! hat vendors in kinpun
we waited for an empty truck and took seats on the front and the sides...
... soon the truck started filling in ... squashed six to a row, at the least...when we later saw the road that we had to travel in, it was good that we were crammed in like sardines, for without things to hold on to, it meant we were jammed in and thus pinned to our planks!
there were old ones and kids... this kid drinking red bull!
and another properly thanaked baby
soon we were rattling along and climbing up the mountain... no wonder that they had converted dumper trucks to ferry people, for the gradient was so steep, other vehicles would have had a tough time! even these ones groaned and complained as they wound up the slopes...  as we climbed up the sky became bluer.. and the forests greener...
this slope, after a hairpin bend, must have been a 45 degree gradient!
those of us in the front row at least had something to hold on to.. be it with hands or feet.. amidst the tight turns and steep slopes...
we had our share of greenery and diesel fumes!
ten miles later we were dropped off at a point from where the path was even steeper, but foreigners were not allowed to ride in for (accidents) insurance purpose... we thus had to walk for the last mile or so ... looking at my girth, however, there were some who were willing to ferry me up on makeshift palanquins (made of bamboo and a reclining chair)! i would say 'no!' but they would hover right behind or front of me.. almost like a vulture ready to pounce on a weakened prey!! arko modma ta budhiya thakchhin hola!!


luckily there were many kiosks along the way selling a host of things.. heavenly nariwal pani among them...locals who did not want to walk could take the treacherous ride up on the dumpsters
after a while of sweating in the midday sun up the steep steep path, we thought we needed to make dada take a ride on the khatiya. but of course he would not want to unless we did too. so we let ourselves be preyed one by one in five minute stretches. the first to go was shanta...  then it was my turn to be empress of kyaikhtiyo. this is the empress' view of her litter...
...very comfortable indeed! with a plastic sack that serves as a footrest...
girls fetching water at the spring looked at the royal retinue in wonder...
then it was empress parajuli's turn... ... before badshah dada had his turn on the royal litter...
we followed dada up the hill.. pant.. pant.. pant...

while we struggled up, we could see some helicopters overhead, probably ferrying some ganyamanyas

there was food by the side all along the way for the hungry...
as we neared the hilltop the number of stalls increased.. selling a variety of stuff.. from medicinal oil for massage involving all kinds of insects and other slithering and stinging creatures!!!
notice the scorpion in this one?... there were toys... ... and souvenirs...

... and black pepper that were still green...

our destination was drawing nearer...
we as foreigners had to pay a $6 entrance each, plus additional money for every camera... as we walked up we could see devotees , their load being piled up high on porters
the mountain ridge seemed filled with buildings...

at the entrance, guarded by two lions, we had to take off our shoes...
eelum strung his shoes across his neck... we had feared that our soles would be scorched walking on marble heated up by the midday sun.. but surprisingly, the rocks were really cool and soothing.. very pleasant...
rocks atop rocks seemed a common feature on kyaikthiyo
looking eastwards from the hill...
.. and northwest....down the hill there were many other chaityas, on top of rocks...
... or lined up in rows...

when we came to a spot with a clear view of the golden rock, we paused and posed for pictures...

  spotlessly clean...
we come closer to the rock...
i wanted to go to this viewing spot i thought....
and held back upon reading the sign... "ladies are not allowed to enter" .. females not allowed to touch buddha's image... rock or otherwise... hmmmmm
there were male devotees at the base of the rock.. which is about 25ft tall... it is said that this rock too has a buddha's relics. his hair.. and that is what binds the rocks together and prevents the precariously perched rock from tumbling down the cliff.. some say that a thread slips under the rock, and wonder what it is then that keeps the rock up there!
the whole thing looks even more puzzlesome when viewed from this angle...
men and boys queue up to pat gold leaves on the rock surface as part of the homage...
wispery thin gold flakes... on top of one another is already giving the rock a wobbly surface akin to other buddha images in pagodas and temples across the country!
paper bits that keep the gold flakes apart float in the breeze beneath the rock
females offered flowers and incense from a distance.. and prayed .. also from a distance...
devotees, uniformed ones, and commoners alike at the golden rock...
pilgrims waited 'neath whatever shade there was under a few trees at the top
the hotel we stopped by to grab some lunch offered free thanakha for its customers
we had our lunch... .. then we headed down.. walking, as did other pilgrims.. other than truckloads of uniformed walas...

we stopped by for some ukhu juice at the midpoint bus stop we met some vendors selling samosas and pakoras.. people of indian origin.. 'ham to idharhi paidaish huwa'
as we boarded the bus to go down, others were getting off and heading up.. children being carried up in baskets....
trying to find a good seat was much more challenging on the way down... but soon we were hurtling down the steep slopes and dangerous bends...
as we headed towards yangon we saw a classic example of myammar through the windshield... embracing modernity and sticking on to old traditions, and not quite letting go...
half way home the sun was already saying good night!