Arriving at the bus station was like entering a small town, it was so easy to get lost amongst the grid of ticket sales offices, food vendors and vehicles crossing everywhere on the muddy slosh that had quickly devoured my thongs. I found my bus which had its departure pushed back an hour, so I wandered off in search of snacks to suffice the 4 hour journey. By the time we eventually set off, the bus was already blasting some local pop music and firing off its menacing horn as it passed most vehicles. As I was not packing earplugs, sleep was'nt going to be an option on this 4 hour journey.
After passing endless rice paddies on a reasonable road (compared with the streets of Yangon), we arrived in Kyaiktiyo, the journey also including numerous stops to exchange passengers and allow food marketers to parade their goods alongside the windows and occasionally hop on to strut the isles. I had contemplated trying to get a room up on top of the mountain, but without a reservation and hearing rumours of the exuberant prices, I took the first offer when stepping off the bus of a nearby hotel which came to $15 for my own bungalow and was located right next to the bus departure point, which I would be utilising first thing in the morning.
To get up to the Golden Rock you need to wait for a pickup which is lined with about 10 rows of wooden seats, this will drop you either at the top of the mountain or a 45 minute trek short, I elected for the top along with the rest of the passengers due to the menacing rain. Lucky enough to be on the front row, I was able to stand up for the winding journey up the mountain through the thick fog soaked jungle. At the top foreigners are required to pay a $6 entrance fee to see the giant golden boulder, which appears to be magically perched on the side of the mountain (on top of a strand of Buddhas hair as the story goes) and is the the third most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage site in Myanmar. Catching up on a quick meditation session, I made my way back to the truck drop off point for the 4pm departure which entailed waiting around to 6pm for the final truck to fill up and leave, plenty of time to catch up on Burmese soapies and sip instant coffee mix which again was wayyyy too sweet.
Next stop in the morning was Mawlamyaing and then a short local bus to Hpa An, both busses crammed full of Burmese perched on tiny stools along the isles and standing in every possible gap on the bus. Luckily after I stepped off a tour guide with decent English helped me find the reasonably priced Tiger hotel and organised a room with panoramic views across the river and a mountainous backdrop, there was even complimentary condoms on every floor (leaving me wondering what kind of hotel had I checked in to). I arranged for him to pick me up first thing in the morning for a full day tour of the surrounding area. Taking advice from a local to try out the best Myanmar retaurant in town, the vegetable dishes I ordered for mains were reasonable, while the free side dishes were a bizarre mixture of mysterious heavily salted and fried condiments, still not bad for the dirt cheap prices.
The wet season failed to disappoint as I set off on the back of my guides scooter in the worst downpour yet, coupled with the road being speckled with potholes, I was sure that only a miracle would keep up upright for the journey. We visited a number of caves throughout the day, which had hundreds upon hundreds of Buddha carvings from the 15th century. A great deal of precision had been assembled to inscribe the roofs with these tiny symbols of faith. Being the wet season I had them all to myself, bar a few monks who barely stirred from their slumber when I entered.
Next was chocolate mountain, which if not attached at the bottom, looked like a scene straight out of Avatar at the floating mountains. Here the local marketers donate food each day so that people can come for lunch and eat curries, rice and soup for free, probably the best meal since arriving in Myanmar. The cave that followed was the main reason for visiting the area, although I had heard it may be little rough during the wet season. Concerns were raised when our scooter could not even make it across the road to the cave due to too much water flowing, although my guide assured me I would be ok as long as I took it very slow on the slippery ground and had a good flashlight to lead me through to the boat that would be waiting on the other side. The cave itself is around 500m long and pitch black once you pass the first corner. I don't think have ever been close to navigating my feet across ground so slippery before (the guide decided not to accompany me), water was pouring in from numerous crevices and the mud was almost impossible to cross remaining upright. Rocky formations were impressive and turning off my headlamp in the middle of the cave to leave only the trickling of water and shrieking of bats above was an unusually pleasant experience. The same could not be said for my mood when I finally reached the exit to find no boat and had to trek back trough to the entrance of the cave.
I'd like take this opportunity to comment on the quality local cuisine in Myanmar. Travelling to new countries and experiencing their foods is one of my favourite part of international travel, unfortunately Myanmar has missed the mark with this experience and I am yet to try a dish that I would recommend as a worthwhile experience. I can barely even find a place that serves fruit juices or shakes, certainly not a decent one either. In comparison with the neighbouring Thai cuisine, they have left my taste buds underwhelmed. Maybe tomorrow when I venture off the the north this view can be changed.
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