We headed south on a bumpy and hot 5hr bus ride to a small village and joined locals making their pilgrimage to the top of this mountain.
This sign on the top left is for Grandma Jean, some pilgrim perks! Top right, many locals spend the night on top of the mountain and you can pay a guy with a homemade backpack to carry your stuff. We also saw throne like chairs where four men will carry you to the rock if you're unable to walk. The truck ride to the top was wild. It was us, a German girl and around 40 of our closest local friends crammed into the benches on the back of the truck for a crazy, winding, bumpy, & steep 7 mile climb up the mountain. As we were loading up you think, well we have got to be full now. Surely we can't fit any more people. And then a guy comes and tells you to move over and you've got another person squeezed on to your bench. This happened maybe 3 times before we finally started the climb!
Here's the golden rock stupa, of course with Buddha hairs enshrined inside.
Below: Matt with the guys by the boulder and stupa containing the Buddha hairs. Unfortunately only men are allowed to cross the bridge to the boulder. This angle also shows just how precariously the boulder sits perched on the edge of the rock.
Liz poses with the locals eager to take a photo with her, it really takes some faith to sit under that rock
Some other good shots of the Boulder seemingly defying gravity
Clockwise from Left: the most beautiful woman in the world, another stupa'd boulder, Matt's sandals proudly looking well worn and rusty, Myanmar choral singers below the precarious boulder
Below, every climber's worst nightmare - a mason fills in a crack with cement...
Matt in the back of this pick-up which we would take to Hpa An, soon packed with about 15 people plus 3 on the roof. Our butts were a little sore by the time we arrived, but it was really a fun ride with lots of laughs with the locals and there were several cute babies too.
More soon! :)
xx Elm & Mrp
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