Golden Rock

On Sunday morning it was supposed to go from Mawlamyaing to Kin Pun Sakhan. This is the place where you stay if you want to see the Kyite Htee Yoe Pagoda (also called Golden Rock colloquially). To have used all means of transport once, we decided on a five-hour train ride. For 1800 Kyat - about 1.20€ - we got a seat in the 'Upper Class' of the train. We looked for our seat, which was a real challenge because there were several with this number, and made ourselves comfortable. We had footrests, like in school trip buses, and the backrests could be folded down - actually.. Mine was unfortunately broken. 😵 But at 1.20€ per ticket, that wasn't so dramatic now. Thirty minutes later we finally started. We drove through small villages, past rice fields, lakes, and small train stations, watched locals working in the fields, coffee and delicacy vendors on the train, waved to smiling children and relaxed. Unfortunately, the relaxation should come to an abrupt end after about two hours when the train started to 'jump'. This is neither fun nor an exaggeration. It started to shake and jump so violently that you had to hold on to not fall off the seat. 😳 The first half an hour that was still really funny. After a while, you feel the hopping in your back and butt. So we were glad when we could finally get off after 5 hours.

Now quickly into the MotorTukTuk and off to the accommodation, the Golden Sunrise Hotel, where we had rented a small hut for one night. In the middle of the way, the weather god decided to let it pour down for 15 minutes, so we arrived at the hotel with slightly damp clothes. But there was no time to rest now. We wanted to go up the mountain and see the golden stone. The receptionist apparently guessed this and warned us that we should hurry and walk to the city and catch a 'bus' up, as they only drive for a certain time and it will be pitch dark in Asia at 6 p.m. We started walking, looking for the bus station and waiting. The buses were less buses than trucks with a loading area on which a few wooden slats were supposed to serve as seats. We missed the first one because there was only one seat left, which is one seat too few for two people according to Adam Riese. But while waiting for the next one, we got to know Dennis from Berlin, Victor from Spain, and another Spanish couple, with whom we took the next bus. The two guys had met four weeks earlier and had been traveling together since then. Forty minutes later, the journey up the mountain started. Serpentine roads in Switzerland are shit compared to those in Asia. 😂 With our luck, Anja and I apparently did something to upset the rain god, because it started pouring again halfway. (Damn it!! I had promised Pixi to take a photo of the Golden Rock in bright sunshine. I guess I can forget about that now. 😕) You can't look fast enough as people with rain capes for sale appeared everywhere - for 1000 Kyat (not Euros) you could join in. So what does a tourist made of sugar do, who would be completely soaked to the underpants in an instant with the strength of the rain, he buys a rain cape. When we arrived at the top, it turned out to be a good investment, as it was still raining. After paying 5000 Kyat for the way up and down, we now had to pay an entrance fee of 6000 Kyat to see the cloud-covered stone. Wow, that's about five days of dinner.. 🙄 How a backpacker who tries to watch what he spends suddenly calculates. 😁

Anyways.. The stone is gold and seems to float, which makes it worth seeing again. Wrapped in the sun and with a clear view of the valley, it would probably have been even more beautiful. But you can't have everything. By the way, women are not allowed near the stone, let alone touch it. Not very nice.

About half an hour later, it was time to go back to the valley. Together with the guys, we hopped on the bus and off we went on the wild ride. The bus driver must have received a message from his heavily pregnant wife that it starts NOW. He drove like a madman, and that is an understatement. We had a close encounter with the side of the road several times, and in between, the tires on one side lifted off in the curve. We were so glad when we finally reached the bottom. On that horror ride, we also met another German (a second Dennis), whom we took to dinner that evening and with whom we continued to travel through Myanmar for the next few days. 😄