A Giant Reclining Buddha and Kyauk Kalat Pagoda.

 Kyauk Kalat Pagoda.

Today was our roadtrip back to Yangon and all along the way, Spring took us to see sights. It was a full day and we were exhausted by the time we arrived back into Yangon!

March of the Monks.

Leaving Mawlamyine this morning, we drove by a procession of monks.  We had the driver do a U-turn and stop the car well ahead of the first monk.  We quickly scrambled out of the car and waited for the line of monks to approach us.

Kyaik-than-lan Pagoda & Mahamuni Paya.

Kyaik-than-lan Pagoda.

Kyaik-than-lan Pagoda  was erected in 875 A.D. during the reign of King Mutpi Raja.  *Kyaik* means "stupa" in the Mon  language.  The pagoda stands on a ridge, giving a panoramic view of the city and the Thanlwin River and is surrounded by 34 smaller temples.  It is believed that among its sacred treasures is a hair relic of Buddha well as a tooth relic conveyed from Sri Lanka by a delegation of monks.  Tripitaka manuscripts and gold images of the Buddha are also enshrined here.

To Mawlamyine!

At Uzina Pagoda in Mawlamyine.

Today, we left Yangon for Mawlamyine ("Maw-lay-me-yang"). We checked out of the hotel and took our suitcases downstairs where our driver was already waiting for us. But, Spring was nowhere in sight. Apparently, he lives in a neighborhood very near the airport and we'll be driving past it to Mawlamyine so we'll be picking him up on the way.