Squeezed in like tiny sardines in a tin can, knees tightly pressed against the bench in front of us, I braced myself for the ride up to Mount Kyaikhtiyo. The driver started the roaring motor and the open-air truck jutted forward, creaking and cracking up the steep mountain with its load of passengers swaying back and forth and sideways to the rhythm of its rumbling.
High-pitched squeals could be heard; and while some held their kitschy hats, I held my breath and laughed nervously. I wasn't totally convinced the large-threaded wheels were strong enough to bring us to the top or if their robustness were but a facade to ease our fear.
Price of truck ride: 2000 kyats/person each way
The road only wide enough for one truck to pass at a time was extremely precipitous with a series of sharp hairpin curves all the way up causing the able driver to hit the breaks swiftly - turn, break, turn, break - with a jerking motion.
The monster truck went onward, slowly and cautiously, grunting and puffing, making its effort be known until we arrived safely at our destination - a flat parking lot where we all hastily got out. The ride up was only about 1.5 kilometers and took no more than half an hour but it felt like we had been put through the ringer for a much longer period of time.
And thus began my visit to the sacred Golden Rock of Mount
Once I found a good Samaritan willing to keep my backpack in her family's shop, I headed to the office to pay the entrance fee. I found the price for foreigners of 6000 kyats to be as steep as the ride up. I had no choice if I wanted to see on one of Myanmar's most sacred monuments. As is customary at sacred sites, I was obliged to remove my shoes. As a woman, I had to keep my knees and shoulders covered. I think this also applied to men.
I was surprised to see that the famous Golden Rock was part of a huge complex all nicely tiled (in marble?) like the reception of a luxury hotel; I expected it to be a sole attraction amidst the forest high atop Mount Kyaikhtiyo. Thousands of Buddhist pilgrims coming from all corners of Myanmar make their way to the sacred Golden Rock covered in several layers of sheets of gold leaves.
It's believed that the two boulders are held together by a single strand of Buddha's hair keeping them from toppling over. After inspecting (with a dash of skepticism) every precarious angle and seeing that it has stood the test of time through harsh natural elements, maybe that was the only plausible explanation. Maybe.
