I slept well at the Hotel Myat Nan Taw and enjoyed breakfast with my friends in the restaurant. In Myanmar, accommodation is often on a bed-and-breakfast basis and, in built-up areas like Taung Gyi, hotels are often five stories tall or more with the restaurant on the top floor. Our Hotel followed this layout and, with my room on the same floor, this was convenient provided the lift continued to work (which it did but with an ominous throbbing for much of the time suggesting that we were running from a standby generator, rather than mains). Both my room and the restaurant provided interesting views of the rather modern city whose population is well over 400,000.
View of Taung Gyi from my hotel room.
After breakfast, we set off by car, travelling east through Hopong to our first visit of the day which, I discovered, was to be another natural cave pagoda, this time Myittar Kham Tan Caves, known as Hathtipala Dhammacakka - 'the light of Buddha's Sasana cave' (although Google Maps show it as Htem Sann Cave). This was clearly an important pilgrimage site and there were lots of Myanmar visitors. At many of the more important religious sites, foreign visitors are required to pay an admission fee and the charge here for me was 20 U.S. Dollars.
The entrance to Myittar Kham Tan Caves.
Once inside the caves, it was cool and quite wet but a decent tiled floor had been provided and we made our way through a series of huge caverns, some well over 30 feet in height with fantastic rock effects hanging above us, some cone-like stalactites, others vertical sheets of rock.
Inside Myittar Kham Tan Caves.
We walked past numerous gilded Buddha images before pausing for the compulsory 'group picture'.
Our Group inside Myittar Kham Tan Caves.
Emerging from the cave complex, Doctor Hla Tun pointed out the large, covered eating area where free meals are available to pilgrims throughout the day, provided by the Abbott responsible for the caves.
Myittar Kham Tan Caves - distribution of Free Lunch.
The popularity of Myittar Kham Tan Caves was made clear by the long row of vendors offering food and gifts to the pilgrims. The Doctor purchased strawberries which were later turned into 'strawberry smoothies'.
Myittar Kham Tan Caves - area for vendors.
We re-traced our route to Taung Gyi, stopping to visit the modern pagoda whose design is based on the Ananda Pagoda at Bagan.
Taung Gyi modern pagoda (design based on the Ananda Pagoda at Bagan)
Internally, the circulating passages with rows of niches mimicked the appearance of the Ananda Pagoda.
Taung Gyi modern pagoda
Electricians were installing plastic trunking in the circulating passages and, as I passed, they were testing a long string of LED lights prior to installation. The urge to adorn pagodas with all sorts of lighting effects seems irresistible to Myanmar people.
Electricians testing LED lighting prior to installation: Taung Gyi modern pagoda.
Near our hotel, we stopped at a suitable tea shop to take lunch, before checking out from the hotel finally.
The Monk and our driver take lunch in Taung Gyi
It was a few minutes before all formalities has been completed so, waiting at the entrance to our hotel, I became fascinated watching the operation of a small drilling rig in use at the hotel immediately opposite. The objective appeared to be to drill a vertical hole, two or three inches diameter and perhaps a few feet deep in the concrete outside the other hotel but I couldn't discern for what purpose.
Drilling a Hole, Taung Gyi
We left Taung Gyi and this time headed west, passing through Shwe Naung and continuing to Heho, where we turned right onto a minor road heading north. For a time, I could see the control tower at Heho Airport, from where I've flown a number of times. Then the country roads were unfamiliar to me.
Eventually. we emerged at the main road from Kalaw to Lawksawk at the town of Pindaya. West of the town, situated on a limestone ridge, we arrived at the Pindaya Caves. There's a Wikipedia article about these famous caves here. The caves are approached by a rising road flanked by vendors' shops. Originally, it was necessary to climb one of the flights of covered steps to reach the actual cave entrance, high on the cliff face but two massive electric elevators now take visitors without effort.
Approach to Pindaya Caves (Shwe Oo Min Natural Cave Pagoda).
A rather odd-looking giant spider faces visitors as you approach the elevators. This is a representation of a legend that seven princesses bathing in a lake were captured and held the cave by a spider until released by Prince Kummabhaya of Yawnghwe.
Approach to Pindaya Caves (Shwe Oo Min Natural Cave Pagoda). The old legend is represented by the Prince (left, with bow), spider and (behind) seven princesses.
On leaving the elevator, splendid views of the surrounding area are provided.
Pindaya and Pone Taloke Lake, viewed from Pindaya Caves Elevators.
Whereas Myittar Kham Tan Caves had been spacious allowing the geology of the caves to be studied, by contrast, every available space within Pindaya Caves is filled with gilded Buddha images, with only narrow passageways and cramped steps allowing pilgrims to move around. The effect is impressive, if somewhat claustrophobic.
Shwe Oo Min Natural Cave Pagoda
Our group at Pindaya Caves.
Incidentally, back in 2016 I visited a cave pagoda in Kalaw which I believe also shares the name 'Shwe Oo Min'. My pictures of the Kalaw cave pagoda are in the album here.
We then set off south on Highway 41 to cover the 50 kilometres through Aungban to Kalaw. We made one stop in the hills above Kalaw at a Sunrise/Sunset Viewpoint but visibility was not very good. A group of young people were amusing themselves by letting off small rockets. This appeared to be particularly hazardous as the small firework charge came without a 'stick' which the user had to supply and tie to the firework before launch! Although these fireworks were for entertainment, the Doctor explained that, traditionally, fireworks were let off to induce rain. Perhaps it works because that night it rained.
Sunset at a viewpoint overlooking Kalaw.
In Kalaw the Doctor arranged accommodation at the Ramonar Hotel which is situated in the hills above Kalaw and constructed as a series of semi-detached villas. As usual, after the exertions of the day, I was keen to retire to my room and collapse. When it was realised that my room had no air conditioning, it was suggested that I might prefer to re-locate to a room with that facility but I guessed (fortunately correctly) that in Kalaw I'd be comfortable without A/C so stayed where I was.
Related posts on this website
This is one of a series of posts describing my 14th visit to Myanmar. The post Return to Burma is the first post in the series.
Clicking on the 'Next report' link displays the post describing the next events. In this way, you may read about the trip in sequence.
Next report.
Alternately, clicking on the 'All my Burma 2019 reports' link displays all the posts on this trip in reverse date-of-posting order.
All my Burma 2019 reports.
My pictures
Burma 2019.
Taung Gyi, 2019.
Myittar Kham Tan Caves.
Pindaya Caves (Shwe Oo Min Natural Cave Pagoda).
All my pictures on this trip are in the collection Burma 2019.
