Kyauk Kalap
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Kyauk Kalap Monastery
  As soon as we began walking from the
car park I thought this is a place to visit at sunset. I like Bear’s first two pictures.
  The
monastery.
       Lonely Planet says: Standing proud in the middle of
a small, artificial lake is Kyauk Kalap, a tall
finger of sheer rock mounted by one of the most unlikely pagodas in Myanmar. The
rock offers great views of the surrounding countryside and nearby Mt Zwegabin,
and is allegedly the best place to see the sunset over this mountain…….The
compound is a working monastery and is closed every day from noon to 1pm to
allow the monks to meditate.
The monastery is also where the highly respected monk U Winaya, whose solid support of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is well known in Myanmar, first resided. U Winaya passed away several years ago and his body was entombed in a glass case at Thamanyat Kyaung, another monastery about 25 miles southeast of Hpa-an. On one night in April 2007, the monk’s body was stolen (allegedly by soldiers) and has never been recovered.
We did not visit the monastery as prayers were in progress, we simply enjoyed the vista and walked over the bridge to what reminded us of James Bond Island in Thailand.
A unique stupa.
We climbed the steep steps at the rock stupa to find a monk sitting in prayer, lots of rubbish and dirt.
The usual suspects.
The scenery from the rock was pleasant.
The bread sellers did a brisk trade with hungry ducks, lucky carp and curious geese.
A pretty building on the other side of the lake.
ALL IN ALL A PHOTOGENIC STOP REALLY WEIRD BUT BEAUTIFUL SCENERY |
