Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
FRUIT OF THE PALMS
On the way to or from Mt Popa, stop by at one of the several toddy and jaggery
(palm sugar) operations that are set up along the road. The operators will give you
a basic demo of how the alcoholic drink and sweets are made from the sap of the
toddy palm. After, it is possible to sample and buy these local products.
AROUND BAGAN
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Mt Popa
061
Like a Burmese Mt Olympus, Mt Popa is the spiritual HQ to Myanmar's infamous
'37
nat'
and thus the most popular location in the country for
nat
worship.
Mt Popa is now the official name of the famous Popa Taung Kalat, a towerlike 2418ft
(740m) volcanic plug crowned with a gilded Buddhist temple accessed by 777 steps, on
the mother mountain's lower flank. The 4980ft (1500m) extinct volcano previously
known as Mt Popa has been renamed Taung Ma-gyi or Mother Mountain to distinguish it
from the more famous Popa Taung Kalat. Covered in lush forests protected within the
Popa Mountain Park and home to the exclusive Popa Mountain Resort, the volcano last
erupted some 250,000 years ago (some locals suggest 40 million years ago). One local
told us: 'Popa is like the sun or moon; no one can guess how old it is.'
From the temple there are mammoth views back towards the Myingyan Plain and bey-
ond. It's stunning if a little kitsch, but only a few visitors make the half-day trip from
Bagan. Many of those who do fail to grasp the spiritual significance of the place find it's
because they don't have a guide to enliven the experience with stories and explanations -
going on a day trip to Mt Popa without some sort of guide is like watching a foreign-lan-
guage film without subtitles.
Myanmar superstition says you shouldn't wear red or black on the mountain, nor
should you curse, say bad things about other people or bring along any meat (especially
pork). Any of these actions could offend the resident
nat,
who might then retaliate with a
spate of ill fortune, as they are not as forgiving as Lord Buddha. And no-one wants
trouble from a mad
nat
.
