Golden Rock

Friday 11 February: Mr Tun Tun is true to his word and I change pick-ups twice before reaching Kinpun, each driver paying the next one my fare (the total for the 4-hour trip is 4,000 kyats, about fifty-pence). Sea Sar Guesthouse is hunky-dory and I book-in, have lunch and jump on the back of a tipper-truck (79th mode of transport) laden with excited pilgrims for the steep ride up to Golden Rock, the Burmese Buddhist's 'Mecca'. From the truck stop it's a half-hours uphill walk to the summit. The rich and infirm are carried some of the up in sedan chairs. The devout and the fit walk - it's a great walk. Golden Rock balances precariously on a rocky outcrop and is believed to be held in place by a single strand of Buddha's hair that stops it tumbling down into the valley below. It's highly revered and only men can approach it.
Saturday 12: I've heard that elections are being held so feel less guilty taking a pick-up truck to Kyaikhto's little train station for an upper-class seat on express train 36 to Yangon's ornate central station.
Golden Rock photos.