Hpa- An – caves and pagodas

---

6.30am and it’s a perfect temperature on the balcony of our little cottage. The sun is rising behind the jagged ridge of the sheer cliff that is Mount Zwegabin. Pilgrims apparently climb to the tiny pagoda at the top, via a route that is invisible and appears impossible. We decide to give this a miss upon discovering that it it is a steep climb going up 3000 feet and taking 3 hours, with just one stall selling water on the way up, and the risk of attack by marauding macaque monkeys.

After a leisurely breakfast, Myo picks us up. We go to visit the local market in Hpa-An. Hpa-An is the capital of Karen state, and the Karen were involved in one of the vicious insurgencies fought between the various tribes and the Burmese junta in the later part of the 20^th century. The Karen made peace with the government in 1998 and since then there has been a steady growth in tourism (visitors were not allowed to enter Karen before that time).

The market is much like every other market in Asia. Myo seems slightly disconcerted when we’re most interested in the fish and meat market, where the vendors are wielding cleavers to dismember chickens, and cleaning and gutting fish, with huge speed and efficiency. Maybe that’s because he’s wearing flip flops and doesn’t want his feet coating in unmentionable remains. Or maybe he doesn’t like the stink.

The next stop is another cave. Although he talks enthusiastically about stalagmites and stalactites, there are few to be seen, though the dripping from the ceiling and the lethally slippery ceramic tiles on the floor of the cave do bear witness to how such features are formed. Once again, the cave is populated with Buddha statues of all sizes and poses. It’s ‘star’ feature is a very narrow tunnel at the far end that leads to some relics of a revered monk. Sara manages to squeeze herself through the gap, and is able to report to David there is no need for him to bother.

As we drive on through the verdantly green countryside, we pass a field with rows and rows of small Buddha statues. Myo tells us these are paid for by rich men seeking to buy their way to Nirvana a bit faster. Our next stop is Lumbini, which turns out to be an even more spectacular example of the same thing. Nestled under the heights of Mount Zwegabin are almost 1200 identical Buddhas, each sitting on a platform gazing serenely out. The car park is full of pilgrims, about to set off up the mountain at the exceptionally unwise time of 11.30am. It’s obviously not just mad dogs and Englishmen who go out in the midday sun.

Time for lunch. Myo takes us to a small restaurant in Hpa-An that is obviously popular with the locals. We’re escorted to the back where there is a separate room with just three tables each with a fan feebly blowing some warm air over the table, and for which we are extremely grateful. We decide against the option of goat viscera and instead play it safe with another egg curry and some chicken.

The last two days were hazy but today is several degrees hotter in the full sun, around 36C, and even Myo is hot and buys himself an umbrella in the market so he can shade himself as we visit places. We’re allowed the afternoon off before heading back into Hpa-An, this time to watch the sun set from a pagoda. The pagoda is underwhelming, but the sunset across the river as smoke rises from village fires is quite pleasant. But at least we saw the sun setting, unlike the French tour party who are being ushered in just as we leave, to exhortations of ‘Vite, vite’ from their guide, only for one of their party to mutter ‘Trop tard!’.



We settle down in the hotel restaurant planning to enjoy a peaceful and leisurely beer as we access the internet. But the waiter very honestly warns us the beer is warm, so we have to wait half an hour for it to chill. Just as we finally relax with a now cold beer, a party of 12 Chinese women arrive and start to screech gutturally at each other, the waitress and the world in general. What on earth are they doing here, in this out of the way small boutique hotel? They have even brought their own supplies of food, which they unpack out of plastic carrier bags and boxes. Dinner over, we retreat to the peace of our cottage.



Scroll down for more pictures

---

Comments

[Dancing Dave]

Now that's a pagoda
What a beauty. Posting it in "Cathedrals, grand churches, mosques and places of worship" thread in the Photography Forum. Love the pagoda on top.