On the way we stopped at a local toddy and peanut operation, where there was an ongoing demo of palm nut collection and processing
(for sugar and alcoholic drink) .....
and of peanut processing.
We sampled the palm sugar (quite good), and had tea with snacks in peanut oil - the tea leaf salad in the center was our favorite.
The attraction at Mt. Popa is a set of "nat" shrines perched on a spire of volcanic rock that somewhat resembles Beacon Rock in the Columbia Gorge.
Nats are spirit beings the Burmese worshipped long before Buddhism was introduced. Despite the efforts of King Anawharata to convert the entire country to Buddhism in the 11th century, the Burmese people have continued nat worship to the present day. In fact, Anawharatra, recognizing its tenacity, allowed it to continue, and even added a Hindu nat to the then existing 36, made it the king of the nats, and, because of its affiliation with Buddhism, established Buddhist supremacy over the nats.
The 37 nats at Popa make it the nat Mecca for Myanmar.
The nats, much like some Catholic saints, have job descriptions. One, Lord Kywaswa (aka drunk nat) is the unapologetic guardian of drunkards and gamblers.
Note the whiskey bottles around his horse's neck.
Among the more respectable, is chubby little Shin Nemi (Little Lady), a guardian of children....
who gets gifts from school kids around exam time.
We climbed the 777 steps to the golden Buddhist temple at the top - placed there no doubt to affirm the supremacy of Buddhism over nat worship. In fact, as we neared the top there were an increasing number of Buddha images in the shrines, with the nat images near the top only shown paying homage to Buddha. The top is where we also found the "Montage, Portland Oregon" sign in the previous post.
We decided to make it a full day by returning via Salay - a town of interest for...:
1. Youqson Kyaung, a teakwood monastery...
with beautiful walls and ceilings...
and excellent wood carvings along its exterior, some of a moralistic nature.
2. Mann Paya, housing a golden straw lacquer Buddha, said to have been washed down to Salay from another village during a flood.
3. My favorite, Sasanayaunggyi Kyaung, a monastic school and meditation center built in 1228, and its 200 yo glass armoire with painted Jatakas panels, holding 400 yo Buddhist scripture on Palm leaves pressed into 174 "packs".
The friendly-looking monk is Ashin Pandita, Headmaster, of the school and proudly on Facebook at U Pandita Pandita (we have two of his business cards).
Daily Musing: The Ugly American has Passed
In the countries we've visited over the years, the common folk with little to no command of English have known a few basic English words: Hello, Bye Bye, What your name? What your country? In the past six years, when we answer "USA" to the last question, the immediate reply is "Obama!" usually followed by "Good!" We are finding that to be true in Myanmar. No matter what various leaders may say, the folks like our president - billions of them I imagine - and by association we are ok. It feels good.
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Notorious Nats! All videos now embedded
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