06/06/2016
Kyet Gu is situated only 10 miles in the eastern side of Loikaw, Kayah state and at 2990 feet of elevation. It is said that cave is limestone cave and nobody reaches to the end yet. In that survey, Kyet Gu ( Kyet cave ) is 2.2 km in length and the third longest cave in Myanmar. Anyway this cave is quite weird.
Actually the cave has its own name called “ Yar Su Ku “ but most of the people call “ Kyet Gu “ for so many coffins inside the cave. Kyet is type of ghost in Myanmar and Gu is cave. So Kyet Gu means Ghosts' cave.
What I know about kyet ghost when I was young is ; Those Kyet ghosts normally live in the deep forest and rare to haunt people. They just only ask for help to make good deed for them or something to do for them. The story what I often heard about kyet ghost is somebody will get lost in the deep forest and at night he or she may find a village holding a festival or feast by a group of people who are dressing up well. Then he was invited by those people and may have fun the whole night. Then those people will asked him to do good deed for them or finding or doing something for them. After that he will fall asleep for he was tired of having super delicious meals and dancing all night long. But when he gets up in the next morning, he will find himself sleeping on the tree or in the bushes.
This is what I learnt about Kyet ghost when I was young. But for this cave, there may have some more reasons to call as Kyet Gu.
By the way, local still strongly believe that the cave is very sensitive and dislike talking rude words in the cave (otherwise that person will be in bad luck or in danger), dislike having meat in the cave. Being believing so, local rare to go around that cave. But one day, a woman needed to go to a pagoda festival nearby and she had no choice to pass that cave. When she got in front of the cave, a tall woman who has got long hair suddenly appeared in front of her bullock cart and asked her where she is going. She wanted to backward and ran away but she couldn’t. So she replied that she has to go to pagoda festival. So the tall woman asked her to find her husband in the festival and told him to back home as soon as possible for their baby son was ill. The village woman promised to find her husband because she wanted to go away from here in a hurry. But she asked that tall woman bravely about how she can notice her husband. The tall woman gave her something which looks like a root and instructed her to rub in the festival to be able to see her husband. Then that tall woman suddenly disappeared in front of her. When she got to the festival, she rubbed that piece and she found out very tall man and told him to go back home. He asked her how she notices him in the crowd and she showed off that piece and that man took it away and disappeared in the crowd. That is the legend what local believe. Because of this legend, the cave is so interesting. But moreover the experience visiting there is unique and unforgettable.
When we walk in to the cave, firstly we will see a pagoda because this cave used to be certain areas for a monk to take meditate alone. Then we will see a bridge to go inside. As soon as we across the bridge, we will find the cave is completely dark because it is huge. In some area, it is like 2 or 3 story building high. The floor is not as smooth as we think. We need to walk in the different sizes of stones, the floor as well. Here one thing is we need to be bare foot because of the monk. ( it is not a good idea though) . After a few walks, we started see the different sizes of broken coffins which are completely carved out of one single block of teak wood and balance stones making as little pagodas.
My guide explained that the coffins used to be in the holes of ceiling which is really high enough. But later on they fall down to the ground for the weather and people pulled them down because they wanted to make sure something is inside or not. After saying that, he pointed me out to ceiling with his flashlight by saying ‘Have a look at it. That coffin might be new one for its color.’
Oh my goodness!
There is a coffin up there and really high. And as he said it looks quite new. Because the coffins around us are brownish ( may be for they are on the ground ) and that one above us is yellowish. I was taken aback but still have no idea to go back. But I didn’t take photo of it because I didn’t have a good mood but I aimed to take it on the way back.
The more we keep going, it is quieter and quieter and darker and darker and more and more coffins and broken parts are around us. Sometimes we even need to walk on the coffins. Here some coffins are quite tall up to 15 feet in length. Of course the cave has electric bulbs but they are too weak being using solar power. So we could see only a few steps ahead.
If you were me, how would you feel?
I couldn’t loose my guide anyway at that time because I felt like somebody is behind or above me and the walls are looking at me. I am serious.
In the middle of our way, ( may be 900 feet around ), found so many bats above us flying here and there. Bats’ sh*ts are also everywhere and didn’t have fresh air. But I kept going.
Overall I walked until 1900 feet inside. When I got that point, the cave turns right. If we want to go straight, we need to go down where there has a lake underneath ( my guide said so ). But I decided to go back because the cave is getting small in that area and I couldn’t breathe well. May be I was nervous. Another reason to go back is the 1900 feet point, to turn right area is decorated with teak wood as a door. So I felt like it is a scary house and I still have a feeling that somebody is behind me. So I asked my guide to go back.
On the way back when I got half way, I found a snake. Being a natural cave, no wonder to have snake inside and I have never got the information that somebody died by the snake in this cave. But local believe made me scared and nervous till I wanted to run and run.
It is said that not all the people will see the snakes. Just a few will be.
They have 2 believes and the first one is ; if somebody finds a snake, that is the sign that unseen people ( ghosts ) want to approach to you or that person used to have relationship in the previous life. Another one is that person will be in bad luck in near future. That information made me crazier and my steps faster and faster.
When I got to my guide, I told him about my experience and his wife getting nervous too like me. But now what I regret is I should have taken the picture of snake. The snake is not that big, more or less 4 feet in length and size is like our wrist, and color is green in reflection and black in normal. I have no idea what type of snake it is. Just got frighten. When I looked at the comments about the cave before I write this, some said they saw white color of snake and some are big but don’t mention the color. Only I saw green and black. I don’t know!!!! It is still odd.
I still wanted to get the photo of coffin on the ceiling but when I asked my guide it is just passed by. Because I didn’t ask him to point out on the way back and may be he and his wife also afraid because in the cave is just 3 of us and they have never been here with a small group like this and before was with big groups, my guide couple have never met snake before. So may be they also afraid of my experience. We can breathe and smile only when we got the entrance.
But I can’t stop thinking my experience and still nervous until now. But I didn’t show off my nervous for I don’t want to bother my guide couple.
Another scary thing I want to talk >>> a couple of days ago, I showed my photos that I took inside the cave to my boyfriend on video call ( we are long distance relationship ). While we were talking, I turned my ph to computer screen and showed my photo and zoomed in. He said “ hold on, hold on, I saw sort of shape in your picture behind “ . He himself seems felt something because I know his voice well and I suddenly closed that photo. And I kept asking “ what did you see, what did you see?” and he said ‘ I will talk later and it is something strange’. Until now I haven’t asked him yet actually I don’t want to know his answer. But when I check my photo in the day time, it is normal.
My suggestions for this cave ;
• If you are interested in making adventure, recommend you to go there. if you can get scared easily, it is better not to go.
• Better to bring a strong and big flashlight. Normal flashlight and your mobile won’t work it.
• Better to go a group of people. Even our group, 3 people including me is not worth to go if something is wrong.
• If you are foreigner, should have local partner to go. ( for Loikaw city, you don’t need any permission. But out of the city, you need to ask permission 3 days ahead.) There still have no zone fees for Kayah state. Only when you want to visit Pan Pat Village ( Long neck women ), need to pay 5000 MMK ( more or less 5 USD ) and for museum is 2000 MMK ( 2 USD ).
• Better to go in the morning and afternoon. Not late afternoon.
* Loikaw, Kayah state can call Virgin land and you will find it real people if you visit within 3 or 4 years since now.
Overall it is such a Wow place in Myanmar.
# I am too afraid because most of the people said the teak wood inside are coffins. But some people said that might be boats that our king used them while he went and fought to Thailand. I don’t know what is right or wrong. But if you believe those are our king’s boats to Thailand, I don’t and you don’t need to afraid too much.
Credit :Ladi Yadana
