lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

94SOUTHEASTERN MYANMAR MON STATELEGEND OF THEBALANCING BOULDERLegend states that the boulder at MtKyaiktiyo maintains its precarious balancedue to a precisely placed Buddhahair in the stupa . Apparently King Tissareceived the Buddha hair in the 11thcentury from a hermit who had secretedthe hair in his own topknot. Thehermit instructed the king to search fora boulder that had a shape resemblingthe hermit’s head, and then enshrinethe hair in a stupa on top. The king,who inherited supernatural powersas a result of his birth to a zawgyi (anaccomplished alchemist) father andnaga (dragon serpent) princess, foundthe rock at the bottom of the sea. Uponits miraculous arrival on the mountaintop, the boat used to transport therock then turned to stone. This stonecan be seen approximately 270yd fromthe main boulder – it’s known as theKyauk thanban (Stone Boat Stupa).Further behind the pagoda plaza area,down a stairway, there is a village of restaurants,souvenir shops and guesthouses forMyanmar citizens.OrientationToo many towns with similar-soundingnames make orientation confusing. Thetown of Kyaikto is the least important. Thisis the town along the highway between Bagoand places further south. There is no reasonto get out here or to stay here: most busesturn off the highway and end their journeysin Kinpun at the base of the mountain,about 6 miles from the Hwy 85.Climbing the MountainFrom Kinpun, the base camp for the mountain,there are two ways to get to the rock.The first is to hike all the way there. This isapproximately 7 miles and takes betweenfour and six hours. The trail begins past thebazaar of souvenir shops in Kinpun and thereare numerous ‘rest camps’ along the waywhere weary pilgrims can snack and rehydrate.Not many people, even the true devotees,choose to hike all the way up and back.The way down takes from three to four hoursand should not be attempted in the dark evenwith a torch; it’s too easy to stumble.The second way to the rock, which mostpeople do both ways, is to ride one of thelarge trucks (lain-ka; per person K1500)up the winding road to the Yatetaung busterminal, the end point for all passenger vehicles.The truck beds are lined with woodenslats for benches and seat 35 or so people.Five passengers are allowed in the muchmore comfortable front seats (per personK2000) but these are usually reserved in advanceby groups or families. As an individualtraveller it’s difficult to secure a front seat,while a group of five has a better chance.Regardless, you could be in for a wait of anhour or more, as trucks don’t leave until theyare completely packed to the brim.The ride to the bus terminal takes 45minutes and usually includes a stop aroundhalfway up to allow trucks coming from theopposite direction to pass. The first truck inthe morning leaves at 6am and the last truckdown departs at 6pm, though you should tryto be at the Yatetaung bus terminal earlier toavoid the risk of being stranded for the night.From the terminal (nothing more than adirt lot surrounded by snack and souvenirshops), it takes 45 minutes to an hour to hikeup the remaining steep, paved switchbackpath to the rock. Those with accessibilityconcerns, or royal fantasies, might want to becarried the rest of the way in a sedan chair – acanvas litter held aloft by four perspiring Burmesemen. (A one-way ticket costs $5 to $7.)Walking or reclining, you pass through anarray of vendors along the way to the stupaarea at the top.There is a $6 government entrance feeand $2 camera fee, payable at the checkpointnear the top, just after the MountainTop Hotel. The ticket is valid for 30 days, soyou may visit again without paying the governmentanother $6. Men wearing shortsor women wearing trousers, miniskirts orskimpy tops risk being denied entry.Hiking & Other ActivitiesIf you have the time to extend your stay inthe vicinity there are several other rewardinghikes that take in eye-popping views andquiet religious meditation. You can startyour journey from Kinpun, the Yatetaungbus terminal, or even the shrine itself.From Kinpun the most obvious short hikeis to Maha Myaing Pagoda, a miniatureKyaiktiyo, an hour’s climb from Kinpun. Anyof the Kinpun hotels can point you in theright direction.