17 February
The author has a natural bent for travelling. My family shares the same view; no efforts are necessary to coordinate once we have holidauys, making me arrange a trip to the seaside. Most of my friends encourage travelling; they are also trippers.
This year the Yangon Kahtein Festival was alive with a teeming crowd. Donations by Myanmar people are amazingly abundant; donations are made once in a blue moon. Some people want the essence of the religion to be covered with superficial knowledge of happiness. Worst of all, they keep on dancing noisily without discipline, bothering the elderly and the young alike. That is why some people have been discussing about enforcement of laws for the use of loudspeakers. That is the reason why I want to stay away from noisy places once we have a long holiday.
Travellogue
I got a gift of a book from writer Shwegu Maynhen; the name of the book is Goodbye America. Sayagyi wrote a lot of articles,short stories, essays , novels and translated works. The book revealed all findings and experiences during a trip of a month to the eight States of the United States, covering literary talks and discussions. The States she visited included San Francisco, Los Angles, New York, Washington D.C , Buffalo, desert and snowy mountains, panoramic views of Maple Heights, Grand museums, Churches and Shopping centres. Naturally I read a lot about articles on Travellogue.
The rain has not ended yet, winter fogs swirl up the windows, letting me breathe in winter fresh air. Dizziness has disappeared and made mefresh in my mind. Our trip is not bound for America, but rather foggy Yangon-Twantay trip. It is not possible for us to go on a trip to America. We have to start with what we have in hand. There are many places I have never been to even in our country. Nile, Amazon, Yangtze and Ganges rivers are scenic and beautiful and so is the Ayeyawaddy.
Alps and Indies are beautiful and so are Hkakabo Razi and Gumlun Razi in some ways. The most important thing is to find a beautiful thing and enjoy it.
Letkhokgon
Soon we are going to get to Twantay Bridge; from there to a row of ten houses and have a panoramic view on the horizon of the open sea. There is a beach by the name of Letkhokgon near the sea. The beach is virtually 30 miles away from Yangon; it is situated near the village of Letkhokgon, Kunchangon Town.( The trip is estimated by crossing Yangon River to Dalla by Z-craft. The beach is about 9 miles long.
There is a Myaseintaung island to which a suspension bridge is connected; bird-watching, natural beauty of the environment and mangrove forests can be observed from the bridge. After walking for 15 minutes away from the island, one can have a panoramic view of the open sea.
The Hotel ravaged by cyclone Nargis in 2008 has been reopened as Orchid Adventure Cher Present Hotel on the beach. The beach is known as Muddy Water Resort; rows of tents were built so that they could be used as lodging houses for family members to put up at a reasonable price.
Towards the row of ten houses
We could go to Twantay bridge via the old circle after crossing the Bayinaung Bridge. After the Bridge, we get to the junction of Hlaingthaya, Dalla and Twantay which covers 11 miles. We drive to Kawhmu after turning to Kanbe road from Twantay Road which covers 21 miles. From Kawhmu to the row of ten houses is 20 miles away by crossing Warbalouthog road. Now the row of ten houses has been changed as Letkhokgon. We have to drive fast at least for three hours. The road along Twantay Kawhmu and Warbalouthog is good; that of Warbalouthog to the row of ten houses is paved with reinforced concrete. The road is too narrow for two cars to go through when nearing 3 or 4 miles to the Beach.
Letkhokgon Beach Temporary tents and multicolored benches are meticulously arranged along the 9-mile-long beach. Thatched tents are shady and also give spaces for parking lots. You have a panoramic view over the horizon of the sea. Small trawlers can be seen at a distance. Horse-riding, driving cars and motor-boat riding are seen few and far between on the vast beach where many photographers are found here and there.
Different kinds of seafood
Bungalows are available in villages. Shopkeepers on the beach could arrange parking lots and for recreation. Foods available are crabs cooked in different types, fried hilsa and seaweed salads. Drug abuses and sales of alcoholic beverages are not found. Sea Water and Alluvial Soil We got to the beach at about 10am. Sea water lowers four furlongs from the bank. Two furlongs cover sandy soil and another two do muddy alluvium. A shopkeeper told us the tide is coming in, covering two furlongs at 12 noon with little waves. At about one o’clock the sea water reaches towards the temporary tents where people are taking a rest.
At this time, shopkeepers who hire multicolored tubes, descend on the beach. As the sea water nears the bank, the swimmers with their tubes throw themselves into the water. The beach was thronged with the people from tents and lodging houses along the 9-mile-long beach.
A Day of Rest and Recreation
The Letkhokgon beach is virtually a day-trip from Yangon. It is nearer by crossing to Dalla by Z-craft. One can also use the Kawhmu-Kunchangon Road. Some defects in the beach are that the water is not as clear as that of Chaungtha and Ngwesaung beaches; not much sand is found. The water is muddy, alluvial and not greenish. Except those things, the beach itself is serene and enraptured with rows of palm trees. The sunset over the horizon of the open sea is scenic and beautiful.
A piece of advice
Letkhokgon beach is not a faraway place from Yangon. That is why people could visit there easily. Transportation is good; but without road signs, leaving holidaymakers to ask the way. People heartily answer when they are asked. As the beach is of alluvial soil, the sea water comes in, making it muddy. It is not fit for having a bath near the edge of the beach. There are a lot of man-made waterfalls in the world nowadays. If the beach has been renovated and created with the help of modern technology.
By Khin Maung Htay (Education)
Translated by Arakan Sein
