Advertisement
Published: August 6th 2009
Edit Blog Post
Before we left Kalaw we paid a visit to the Catholic Church (photo in previous blog) and met the lovely priest, Father Paul. It was interesting how many places of worship there were in this small town - a mosque, various Christian Churches and numerous temples. Nevertheless the government has been known to discriminate against those who are not Buddhist, so while people practice different religions their freedom of worship is often inhibited. We were told that the government had tried to open up schools and businesses on Sundays in Burma and had to retract their plans once they realised that other countries closed on these days (particularly in the western world) and that it would be unsuccessful.
About 87% of Burma’s population is Buddhist. We heard regular chanting and bells ringing from temples in all the towns we stayed. It was particularly loud and hard to ignore in Kalaw because sermons were read for 24 hours each day on a loud speaker and the sound resonated throughout the mountains. On the first night I thought it was just because of Buddhist Lent but Joseph told us that it occurred nearly everyday and people took turns/shifts in reading the sermons
An iconic scene of Inle Lake
A fisherman using a cone shaped net and they didn’t have to be monks.
From Kalaw we caught a taxi to Inle Lake which took about 2 hours. Our accommodation was at a beautiful hotel on stilts situated on Inle Lake. You could see the water in the cracks of the boardwalk and it was a magnificent setting. Inle Lake is the second largest lake in Burma. It is 22km long, roughly 11km wide and 875m above sea level and a complete mirage. It is surrounded by mountains and the lakeshore and lake islands are home to 17 villages on stilts, which are mostly inhabited by the Intha people. Around 70,000 people live on the shores and islands of the lake comprising Intha, Shan, Pa-O, Taung-yoo Danu, Kayah and Danu.
Most transportation on the lake is by small boats or by larger boats fitted with outboard motors. Local fishermen are known for practicing a unique rowing style involving standing at the stern on one leg and wrapping the other leg around the oar. This distinctive leg-rowing technique began because the lake is covered in reeds and by standing it provides them with a better view. It also allows rowers some relief to their arms. Villagers
grow a wide range of fruits, vegetables and flowers and the region is well known for its tomatoes. Crops are cultivated on floating islands and canals provide a thoroughfare for transportation. There are various species of fish, the most common is carp. Intha fisherman harvest nga hpein (a type of carp) by using cone shaped nets stretched over wood and bamboo frames, as shown in the video footage.
We spent the afternoon we arrived taking a boat tour around Inle Lake. We visited the following sites
Intha Village: where soybean cakes and noodles are made
Phaung Daw Oo Paya: the holiest religious site in southern Shan State,
Kyauk Kan East: specialises in using threads drawn from the long stems of lotus plants
Various shops: weaving, where they make cheerots (Burmese cigarettes), the blacksmith and silver jewellery maker.
The next day we went on a short 2 hour trek from Nyangshwe, located on the northern shore of the lake. Our guide took us to 2 caves where monks reside (at one there was a room where you can isolate yourself from everyone for as long as you want), through villages and a school. We were able to get
a view of Inle Lake from the school as it was on a mountain. Our guide showed us a tree that the Burmese use as shampoo and another one that they use for petrol (we were amazed with this one). We handed out some mor mor to the kids at the school and some Australian souvenirs. I had to laugh when the teacher thought I was Burmese (that was a first and only for our trip) and when she told us that she could not understand what the young kids said when they spoke to each other because most of the time they spoke in their own tribal language. The things they must be saying and getting away with!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.122s; Tpl: 0.014s; cc: 12; qc: 51; dbt: 0.0736s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb