I'm making a silent contract with an ogre queen in a shrine on Mount Popa, Myanmar. If the goddess grants my wish – to find my soulmate – I promise to help clean up her beloved countryside, whether by donation or physical action. I think it's a fair deal – after all, we could both do with a little help.
According to Tu Tu, our Scenic Tour Director, on this Scenic Freechoice excursion from a Scenic cruise along the Irrawaddy River, I'm in with a shot. Several years ago, Tu Tu made a deal with the goddess Mae Wunna and met her future husband two weeks later.
Mount Popa, meaning ‘flower’ in Sanskrit, is an extinct volcano rising 1,518 metres above sea level. The centrepiece is a dramatic basalt plug topped with a gilded temple and monastery, looming above the jungle like a fairytale castle.
It’s said to be home to the most powerful ‘nats’, the spirits of heroic ancestors. Today, Buddhists such as Tu Tu flock to the shrine, handing promises and money to the 37 nats represented in the pantheon.
After all, I have a promise to uphold, and this is evidence of my commitment. Watch this space to see if Mae Wunna rewards my diligence.