Kawkareik – Hpa-An - 95 km
The ride to Hpa-An was rougher and hillier than anticipated, terribly narrow, and
poorly maintained. Everything shook loose, and I nearly lost the tripod. One had to
keep diving off the road to avoid the innumerable trucks and busses as a bicycle was
very much at the bottom of the food chain, traffic-wise. Mercifully, the frequent
roadside eateries provided a cup of tea and a place to take a break.
Upon reaching Hpa-An, the power was still out, but food was available as my abode
was in the market area. Than Lwin Pyar Guesthouse offered a ground floor room at a
reasonable price, something I preferred. I stayed in Hpa-An the following day as the
town sported a few exciting places to explore.
Hpa-An – Kyaikto - 123 km
The route between Hap-An and Kyaikto was significantly better than the previous
day; although narrow, it was relatively smooth. Myanmar is rural and a place where
people live close to the earth. Being the rainy season, farmers were busy planting
rice and performing other farming activities.
Upon arrival in Kyaikto, the Happy Guesthouse lured me in. The place was a tad
pricey but comfortable enough. The next morning, the plan was to investigate Mt.
Kyaiktiyo (Golden Rock), a visit that involved a motorbike taxi to Kinpun. From
Kinpun, trucks ran up the steep mountainside to Kyaiktiyo. They packed us in like
sardines; the narrow benches were hard as stone and barely six inches wide. It,
clearly, wasn’t designed with foreigners in mind.
At Kyaiktiyo, people come to worship at a colossal boulder perched at the very edge
of the mountain. Gold leaves cover the rock, and a stupa has been built atop. It’s
said to contain a hair of the Buddha donated by a hermit in the 11th century.
Apparently, the hair was salvaged from the bottom of the sea and brought here by
boat. The boat subsequently turned to stone, and a rock resembling a boat is visible
a few hundred metres away. Pilgrims came to pay respects in their hoards, as it’s
said a place of miracles.