N  130 Domestic Travels  ( To Mogok )

The travels I am writing about are mostly what I took  long ago, round about 1990s when I was working as the principle of BEHS 2.It usually would be during Christmas ,or early summer holidays. Once we chose to go to Mogok,the famous ruby producing town.Beside that Mogok was a place we hadn't been ,there was another reason that we chose to visit it.Our niece  Nang Ku's ( Mya Win May )family was doing mining in Mogok and as their house is in Mandalay we had no problem of staying for the nights, either in Mandalay or Mogok.  

So as usual we gathered  people who would be going with us, relatives and friends. Most were relatives, including Nang Ku's parents and relatives who came down from Kunhing. I didn't remember well ,but I thought we travelled in two cars.The road from Taunggyi to Mandalay is 210 miles and smooth ,so we reached Mandalay before dusk fell and drove right to Nang Ku's house which is on the Mandalay Sagaing Road. 

I don't remember much about Mandalay Mogok road except that it was not very good, with curves and bends,ups and downs. But I remember that we got excited when we knew that A Nyar Thihadaw Paya is situated on the way and we would visit it. It is in Khin Oo Township.When we reached there we had to cross the Irrawaddy river by  ferry because the famous Buddha statue is on an island. 

I knew something about this statue because I had been to Pakokku, Shwe Tan Tit Paya ,where there also is a statue like this there. Actually , I learned that there are three statues , carved from one  sacred tree trunk, with myths and legends surrounded them,which my rusty mind cannot retell. So beside these two I already mentioned the remaining one is at Shwe Kyee Myin Paya in Mandalay. The statues are believed to be very sacred and wishes fulfilled that they are valued much , that they are showered with valuable offerings like gold jewelries and guarded well.(There are also variations concerning the statues, but I am  writing only what I heard ) 

After our usual paying homage and donations were made we continued our tiresome journey until we reached our destination by dusk. We put up at a house U Yone Sein arranged for us. 

The next morning after we had eaten the famous  Mogok warm tofu we visited and paid homage to famous pagodas of Mogok, namely Chanthagyi Paya, Paungdaw Oo Paya,Daw Nan Kyi Taung, and Kyauk Pya That  Paya. Mogok is not a town built on flat land,but surrounded by hills and mountains. The views of the town from where the pagodas are situated are awesome  and can see parts of the town clearly. As for our group, photo taking was a thing that could not be resisted like elsewhere. Could  not remember what camera was used, as handphones were not common then ,but we surely took and saved some photos. 

Later in the afternoon U Yone Sein took our group to visit Merng Mit. I heard that the road to Merng Mit is rough, with many ups and downs. I am afraid that it would make me tired, so that I didn't go with the group. Now I am regretting that I had not gone there. Merng Mit is an important Sawbwa township with a long history. Its ruler Sao Khun Cho had also played an important role in   Shan State's post war history. 

The next day U Yone Sein took us to the Oo Paing workplace to observe how rubies and other gems are produced. The earth that contain the rough gems are excavated by machines like backhoes, or brought up from deep shafts or pits by labourers. This earth is washed down by power water hose and the residue  is scrutinized for gems.Because gems are small and can be stolen and hidden in the workers bodies, that security is tight and workers scrutinized thoroughly.

Mogok is world famous for the rubies, sapphires and other gems that it produced.The rough gems from workplaces went direct to gems bazaar called htar pwe, where cut and polished gemstones are also sold. Htar pwe of Mogok is not a grand place ,though  precious gems are sold. That is due to the coditions of our country and the mindset of the people in power. As nobody in our group were interested to buy gems we didn't go to the htar pwe. 

But I want to relate an incident concerning Mogok in the early  19 century. In 1906 Mr Reginald Lee from England came to Taunggyi with his family to take over Shan Chief School as its principle. While settling in Taunggyi this Englishman and his family did a lot of travelling, either by bullock carts or by walking.They even walked down to Nyaungshwe, which nobody did in those days.( Nang Nang ( Shan Pyay ) Moe Pyar out ka Thanlwin ) 

When they travelled they would take all they need for their comfort. Beside food they took tents, beddings, furnitures,or even bathtub for bathing. So they travelled in caravans of bullock carts for the family, and horses and mules to carry their things. 

Once they intended to travel to Mogok by the way of Loilem/ Merng Keung.They would have to replace their mules with a set of new  mules there. But when they reached Merng Keung the famous Pagoda festival was in full swing. No muleteer and mules could be hired in that condition,even by orders from the Sawbwa.So after waiting some days they had to turn back to Taunggyi. 

They did not give up their plan to visit Mogok. But the next time they went by the way of Mandalay through Maymyo to northern Shanland. So this time  they reached their destination successfully. According to the book they bought some rubies ,but not at htar pwe. One incident described how a man with worn out clothes came to their dwelling place to sell gems to them. He would took off his dirty turban, unfold it and from there a packet of rubies would appear. And then the hagging for the price would follow, and when agreed the buying and selling would come to an end.I am thinking if the rubies Mr Lee bought then were of good quality and were still in his descendants possession  they would be cradling a fortune now.

As we didn't have intentions to buy rubies or other gems , we didn't go to htar pwe. We were satisfied just to have visited the world famous Mogok. And so after staying two nights , we said Good bye to Mogok and started our return journey to Mandalay.