Crossing Bridges

In my first visit to Kyauk-tan over a decade ago, there's only a remarkable bridge—crossing over Bago River, near the junction with Yangon River and Pazundaung Creek. When it's first opened in the 90s, Thanlyin Bridge was boasted to be the longest and largest in Myanmar; now Yatanarpone or Mawlamyaig Bridges, perhaps. I reached Kyauk-tan out of sheer curiosity on a full-moon day of Thidingyut in 1999.

Taking one or two hours to reach Kyauk-tan by bus and hilux ferries, it's an unusual day-trip for me, but  paying obeisance to Kyauk-tan Yay-lae Pagoda was truly worth visiting. The Strand Road of Kyauk-tan is the bus terminal, which is next to the jetty harbouring small motored boats carrying pilgrims to and from "the pagoda in the middle of waters".

The legend and history said much about Kyauk-tan, one of the ancient Kingdoms hundreds of years back.

The jetty was hugely crowded when I reached on that full-moon day, and as the distinguished features of this pagoda says, the pagoda platform always provide enough space for all pilgrims; other features include the pagoda platform never being flooded even with tides and rains.

Despite living some 20 miles or so from Kyauk-tan, I couldn't pay another visit for many years, though occasionally missed the lovely little town. Then in new year holidays this year, I followed a group of pilgrims to Kyauk-tan again for the second time in my life, wondering what would be changing there, flicking diary renewing my first experience there long ago.

It's alone when I'm there first, now I was like a special guest thanks to a famous local writer who helped preparing the trip. Visually, except some new paintings, I hardly notice significent new features; sellers and shops of souvenirs, ferry boats, the old jetty, the scenic environment and the swirling catfish in the muddy waters around the pagoda; all seemed like back in my first visit. 

I could spend less than an hour at the pagoda and on way back also entered Thanlyin and other famous places, finally crossing back the old Thanlyin Bridge and another newer one, the Mahabandoola Bridge linking Thaketa across Pazundaung Creek to downtown Yangon.