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| Not being Buddhist, we wonder what our pilgrimage means to a golden rock. The boulder, covered by gold leaf, balances on a cliff edge and wears a zedi like a party hat. The balancing act makes it sacred. Buddhists claim that a single hair from Buddha keeps the boulder from rolling off the edge. | |||
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The
Kyaiktiyo boulder shrine used to be off-limits for camera-toting tourists. Vehicles
remain banned so pilgrims hike to the top of the mountain. | |||
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To reach the trailhead that
leads to Kyaiktiyo, we sit on a flatbed truck crammed with Burmese pilgrims. | |||
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Walking
up the trail we stop for refreshments: snake stew and bear claw appetizers. | |||