Mount Popa is a volcano 1518 metres (4981 feet) above sea level, and located in central Burma. It is located about 50 km southeast of Bagan in the Pegu Range. It can be seen from the Ayeyarwady River as far away as 60 km in clear weather. Mount Popa is perhaps best known as a pilgrimage site, with numerous Nat temples and relic sites atop the mountain. 

 

Southwest of Mount Popa is Taung Kalat, a sheer-sided volcanic plug, which rises 737 metres above sea level. A Buddhist monastery is located at the summit of Taung Kalat. At one time, the Buddhist hermit U Khandi maintained the stairway of 777 steps to the summit of Taung Kalat. The Taung Kalat pedestal hill is sometimes itself called Mount Popa and given that Mount Popa is the name of the actual volcano that caused the creation of the volcanic plug, to avoid confusion, the volcano (with its craterblown open on one side) is generally called Taung Ma-gyi (mother hill). The volcanic crater itself is a mile in diameter.

 

(Wikipedia)

You can see the steepness of the undercover steps that lead the way around the sheer side of the plug and to the monastery at the peak.

This gentleman was found on the steps.

In the monastry people are seeing hitting the drum that is suspended from the ceiling

Monkeys are everywhere !

The view from the top of the plug/monastry are magnificent

You can celarly see the plug from the national park and the monstry at the peak. For me this shows the sheer sides and the amazing steps that start from the lower right hand side and wound up the mountain around the rear side.