April 8th to 10th - Mawlamyine and Hpa-An

My guide book had suggested taking the four-hour boat journey south to Hpa-An along the Thanlyin river, and so I'd purchased a ticket in the morning. Yet arriving at the jetty, the owner of the boat met myself and a couple of French people also intending to make the trip to inform us that the boat had been prevented from making the trip due to a cyclone risk! Given the broiling heat and pristine blue skies, the prospect of a cyclone seemed fairly unlikely. So the three of us travelled by bus to Hpa-An instead, a far more prosaic journey of an hour or so, than we had anticipated. 

I signed up for an organised day trip around Hpa-An, the main attractions being some historic pagodas, as well as a set of caves (some inhabited by bats), and the chance to climb Mount Zwegabin. The caves and pagodas were located a fair distance from each other around Hpa-An, so an organised trip seemed the best option, both in terms of cost and time.

Having not previously spent a lot of time in caves, they were surprisingly interesting. The Yathepyan cave is comprised of limestone and has developed specific cave ecosystem of fauna due to all the cave droppings. It has seven species of bats, and there are around 50,000 bats in total. The cave is also famous for having a hole in the roof, as well as being a place revered for its Buddhist statues and reliefs. The contours of the limestone and the patterns in the rock created over time were very interesting.

Yathepyan cave

Yathepyan cave

The Kawgun caves were adorned with huge mosaics of terracotta tablets on its walls, and has been used by Mon Buddhists since about the 7th century. Apparently each generation scrapes away some of the older tablets to produce new ones. They were visually entrancing, and made you wonder how it was possible to put them in place with the tools they would have had all those years ago.

Kawgun cave

Kawgun cave

Kawgun cave

Kawgun cave

Kawgun cave

We later visited Kyauk Kalat pagoda, a peculiar place in that the pagoda is balanced on top of a limestone pinnacle and is reached by climbing a set of steep stairs. The limestone rock is itself located on an island in the middle of an artificial lake.

Kyauk Kalat pagoda

The highlight of the afternoon for me was visiting the Saddan cave. The Buddhist statues at the entrance usher you into a fabulous set of stalagtites and mushroom-shaped stalagmites emerging from the floor. It felt like the setting for some kind of science fiction drama. I was glad i'd taken a torch, as overhead the bats roosting in the ceiling could be observed, albeit from a fair distance. Emerging from the far side of the cave was an unexpected treat as there was a large expanse of water, and boatmen attired in fabulous Karen state clothing rowed us back to the cave entrance.

Stalagtite

Stalagmite

Karen boatman in traditional striped lunzhi

The following morning I travelled with a couple of French guys to climb Mount Zwegabin, which involved taking a gorgeous path to the summit. It has a height of around 2,400 feet, and we set off early to avoid the worst of the mid-day heat. It was exhausting to climb but well worth it for the spectacular views that unfolded during the ascent.

Starting from Lumbini Garden, home to 1,100 Buddha statues arranged in rows, it was a steep and winding climb that was very challenging in places. At the top there is revered monastery which provided further exquisite views.  Sometimes it is possible to stay overnight at the monastery, which must provide some lovely early morning views, but not when I was there. As we started the climb through Lumbini Garden, we noticed lots of people carrying a single brick, presumably in order to carry out structural repairs, which was unusual but very practical given the cramped space on the climb.

Early morning ride to Mount Zwegabin

Macaque

As we ascended, the views became more spectacular, and despite the escalating heat, I was glad that I'd decided to do this. The path had been well-marked, although it had required a little scrambling in places. As we neared the summit, the patchwork of green and brown spaces became yet more complex, with neighbouring hills looming in the near distance.

After returning to the hotel in Hpa-An, it was another race against time to catch the boat passing in the opposite direction from the aborted trip of a few days ago (i.e. back to Mawlamyine). This time there were no cyclone-induced cancellations; the boat seated approximately ten of us, and the views of vilage life on the riverbank, as well as other vessels, was very rewarding.

Our boat to Mawlamyine

Riverbank view

Riverbank view

Riverbank view

At some point we stopped off  to visit the Kawnhat Pagoda compound. It was a lovely interlude having been on the water for quite some time. The monastery had some very interesting features, and parts of it were being renovated.