Myanmar Motorcycle Epic 20: Hey, Mon!

Thinking it would be plenty of time, I woke up at 5 AM, a good 90 minutes before sunrise. First, I needed to ride my motorbike up to the mountain town of Khin Pun Sakhan.

It was still dark when I arrived.  All I needed to do next was catch one of the infamous trucks that drove one to the summit and the pagodas of the Golden Rock, Kyaik Hteeyo. I thought I had enough time to have another cup of coffee at tea shop. 

Well, figuring out how to catch one of these trucks, what to do, where to go, that wasn't so easy. Although lots of foreign tourists do go there, it's not set up that way. There were no signs in English, except one; it heralded the fare for the ride, 2000 Kyats ($1.50) which came with a life insurance policy. Instead, I was one of the throngs of locals, eventually finding an empty seat on a truck, making my way up a harrowing road to the mountaintop. I didn't get to see sunrise.  

Nonetheless, it was spectacular up there at Golden Rock. One gets a 360 degree view of wonderful green mountains; you can see all the way to the Indian Ocean from up there. 

After the Buddhaful time I had up at Kyaikhteeyo, it was a short ride down the head of Myanmar's

Rush hour...err...any hour... in Mawlamyine

southeastern panhandle to the old town of Mawlamyine (Moulmein). I'd been there before, but there's nothing quite like the sunset over the Thanylwin River as it hits the Gulf of Martaban. 

Enjoy the video.