We set out again with San San, this time with our destination being Kakku, the red dot SE of Taungyi, which we had to go through from Nyaungshwe. The countryside along the way was nice, tho not noteworthy, except for a lovely drive up an escarpment to Taungyi (which used to be a British colonial hill station), and the increasing presence of Pa-o folks in traditional dress, as friendly as we have come to expect.
The increase in the size of Pa-o population was obvious from the variety of colors of turbans, presumably reflecting style individualization.
We picked up a lovely Pa-o guide, Pyu, at the local Pa-o headquarters - the relationship to the national government is intriguing, still haven't got it figured out. Pyu said there had been war with the Shan until 2000, when the Pa-o got some independence, and they now pay for their own education and infrastructure improvements.
Anyway, our goal was an amazing pagoda complex at Kakku....
which contained both Pa-o and Shan stupas, distinguishable by the umbrellas on the spires, with the Shan being wider and lacy, and the Pa-o narrower and more solid appearing.
There were some interesting features:
1. A marble horse that was supposed to relieve stomach distress when you rubbed its belly.
Didn't help Dana - she had a diarrhea attack immediately after doing it. Several older Pa-o women touched pretty much every part of the horse - to cover the aches and pains of aging, no doubt.
2. An unusual Buddha array - had to take the pic, from a vantage point where only men were allowed.
3. And a gilded pig, to honor a legendary one said to have helped the Pa-o people find this place.
There was also a little altar that told the story of the birth of the Pa-o people.
The figure on the right is a female dragon that took the form of a beautiful woman to attract the alchemist (shaman?) on the left. They fell in love and the woman/dragon got pregnant. One day when the alchemist was out, she fell asleep and when she awoke as he was returning, she didn't realize she had resumed dragon form. He freaked out and ran away, never to return. She hatched an egg, left it in a cave and returned to dragon land. Many years later a monk found the egg, and after some time cracked it open. The first Pa-o person emerged. Pyu assured me it was not a scientific explanation. She also said that the Pa-o traditional dress is meant to represent a dragon.
On the way out, she took me to a neat camera spot for this view.
As further illustration of the plethora of Pa-o in the area, some of the men were also wearing turbans.
As we started back we stopped for a walk through a Pa-o village, where there were older houses with very small holes for windows, which Pyu said was for protection during the warring and banditry that preceded their 2000 peace with the Shan.
We also visited a Pa-o home where a vigorous 85 yo woman was preparing sticky rice bundles for sale.
Some points of interest on our return trip:
1. Folks weeding the garlic fields (it was the season, two crops are grown on the same plot each year, rice and garlic).
2. Non-linear telephone poles.
3. Pre-mechanization road tar production.
Another fascinating day in Myanmar.
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ReplyDeleteThe pagoda complex will fit nicely into the classic cartoon movie "The Point". Did you ever see that? And love the not-so-straight utility pole!
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