We walked for three days through the fertile countryside of eastern Myanmar, from the altitudinous cool of Kalaw, along the tops of steep hills, through valleys and villages, to the serenity of Inle Lake and its unique leg-paddling fishermen. We eschewed some of the more straightforward routes, and ventured south, climbing forested mountainside and then east into tracks less travelled by tourists. Villagers welcomed us into their homes, offering us locally-grown tea and snacks. All ages were happy to pose for the photos that you can see in this blog, and some of the younger ones were keen to practise their English, eager for contact with the outside world. Most of the people we encountered were from the Shan ethnic group, which makes up roughly a tenth of the country's population, in addition to clusters in
... read more