Lest you think it not worth the trip five hours from Yangon to see a painted rock perched precariously on the edge of a minor Myanmar cliff, think again. It is absolutely worth it. Make the journey. Plan a long visit.
Stay the night at the top of the mountain. The views alone will reward your efforts. Not that the voyage is difficult. First you ride pleasantly through rice fields en route Kaeiktyo. Next you transfer to an open-top truck, along with 70 other passengers, for a nearly straight uphill on a kooky curvy road.
The engine groans as the route crests false peak after false peak. You traverse sharp ridges. Fog descends, waterfalls pound, air brakes squeal. This section confirms your decision to see for yourself what else the place offers beyond what the postcards show.
Finally, on foot now, and without shoes, you ascend a flight of steps until you reach a glistening white plaza. Along the way you pass a series of lesser stones. You glimpse smoky hilltops in the distance.
At last, the golden boulder dawns. The size and position of the photogenic Rock makes a fitting climax to your journey. Four tall Westerners, or five short Asians, could stand on each other’s shoulders and still not touch the top of the shining egg. Adding another couple dozen feet to the spectacle is a chedi, which from a distance looks something like a court jester’s cap, but on closer
inspection reveals itself to be a proper crown.Some pilgrims believe the site is holy because long ago a hair of the Buddha was embedded in the Rock to keep it from pinwheeling over the edge toward the wide Sittaung River below. Just in case, you hold your breath so that you’re not responsible for a “holy roller.”
Then you sit. Breathe. Smile.
