A Misty Morning Hike for the Kiltepan Sunrise

My carabiner thermometer was playing at a temperature of 17 and 18 degrees centigrade. The wind chill made it felt colder while I stand there on a rock at the viewpoint. It’s 4:45am on what seems to the edge of the Earth or how I imagined it to be. Waking up as early as 3:30am to hike the hill for Kiltepan Sunrise is something I don’t do everyday. Right now the view of the valley is blanketed with a thick fog with the moonshine setting behind us, only the outline of the pine trees sway like a dancing shadow at this hour were our companions.

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Perhentian Islands | The Islands and Sunrise at Long Beach

“This is crazy!” I said aloud as I look in amazement at the dense school of fish gathering by the jetty on this side of Long Beach. Never have I seen something like it on land. A large school of fish gathering a few hundred meters as if ready to invade the extensive white sand of Long Beach Perhentian Kecil.

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Bagan: Magnificent Sunrise Overlooking Old Bagan

The chill of the early morning wind was really pleasant in Bagan this time of the year. Yes, I got up early and got out of the hotel just in time when Mime and Chune just arrived at the front gate exactly 5am. We started our ride again to the direction of Old Bagan while I survey the surroundings, now familiar even under the sheaths of darkness ready to wake up any moment. I have no idea which temple Mime plans to take me for the sunrise except that it’s somewhere between Old Bagan and Myinkaba, the next village. He has proven to be very reliable and knowledgeable as a guide aside from being just a horse cart driver so I’ll trust his recommendation this time.

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Bagan: May Kha Lar and Chasing Sunrise at Thetyapho Paya

Do I try to sleep or do I go out explore? Its 5am in the morning and somehow doing some chores has dampened the sleepiness I was feeling earlier. I just arrived from my Bus ride from Yangon and checked in at May Kha Lar Guest House in Nyaung U, Bagan and the first thing I did was do the laundry so it would dry out for the day. I lay for a few minutes on the bed but I couldn’t sleep so I took my camera bag and tripod and went out in the early morning blue.

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Mountain Province: Sagada’s Cinematic Sunrise at Kiltepan Viewpoint

I was amused when I saw this dog from Rock Inn, the place where we were staying, running in front of our jeep as we rode up the dirt road towards the Kiltepan Viewpoint. He was panting heavily with his tongue ridiculously hanging from his wide open mouth when we got there but I thought it was really nice to have a dog as a personal escort. It was already bright when reached the viewpoint and I saw the dog continue on to the cliff-side of the peak where a few people were already waiting for the sunrise. He soon sandwiched himself in between a couple as they waited for the sun to reveal itself behind the mountains.

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