Up to the mountains...

Hey all!

I hope everyone is doing well out there in the world. Last weekend we had our first (but hopefully not last) visitors from the US. Dick and Vicki came out to visit us, and we had a lovely weekend adventure to the Golden Rock pagoda (see the pictures above). This was Todd's and my first big outing out of Yangon, and we decided to go to the Golden Rock, the second most holy spot in Myanmar after the Shwedagon pagoda in Yangon. The Golden Rock, is a large boulder that is precariously balanced on another boulder on top of a mountain. Many people believe it is held there because of the hair of a Buddha, and whatever the reason it has apparently never come close to falling, despite several strong earthquakes. But that wasn't enough to grab our attention, what really made us decide to go there was the fact that it was in a mountainous area, with lots of trails in the area.

We were not disappointed. The 4-5 hour drive through the countryside of Myanmar was very interesting (who knew that they paved roads by hand?). When we arrived at the bottom of the mountain, our transport up was a packed truck (we're talking packed, around 40 people or so) up a steep mountain side. The road was so curvy and steep, and riding surrounded by all these people sharing the same experience reminded me of going on a roller coaster. It was hard to stop grinning! The truck doesn't stop at the top, but a steep 45 minute hike away (it's a pilgrimage after all). So we hiked up the rest of the way, through a mountain trail with enough steps to give me sore calves the next day. The views of the surrounding mountains were gorgeous, the higher altitude making things cooler, and the Golden Rock itself was quite a lively scene. Myanmar people have a very colorful way of practicing Buddhism, with lots of meditation, chanting, ringing of bells, and people at the rock ready to camp there all night. It's a temple, so we walked around with our shoes off, enjoying the scenery and the lively people. The Rock itself was surrounded by scaffolding, but even that was unique, as it was being constructed by hand from bamboo poles by monks. The next day we hiked to a waterfall, where we were welcomed by the Burmese and had a great time (it's a good way to cool off at the end of a hike). Lots of friendly people, beautiful scenery, and good company make for happy travelers, and so we were, returning home and declaring our adventure a success. We even stopped off at a local golf course on the way home so Dick could check it out. You can play for around 80 cents.

Now they're gone and Todd and I are back at school. Todd is teaching students with the Choose Your Own Adventure books from our past, and his students are loving them. My students are currently reading Island of the Blue Dolphins, and they find it fascinating. It fits right in with our Social Studies simulation, which is of students going a stray, just as native americans coming of age would do.

Take care, and enjoy the pictures

Meghan