Inle lake

Asia » Burma
January 18th 2015

Published: January 22nd 2015

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mikeandmarnigreatadventure

The leg rowers

The airline we used in Mynamar is called Mann Yararanpon who have been in business for just two years. Their jets are brand new and the service is just amazing - we arrived in Inle Lake the exact time we were supposed to take off. It's a 20 minute flight but impressive nonetheless.

Our transfer to our hotel Amata was 45 minutes by car then a further hour by motorised long boat. Mike didn't tog up for the occasion and ended up with two blankets wrapped around himself but certainly the best airport transfer we've ever experienced. The hotel was beautiful but totally isolated so we were prisoners to their international cuisine and one direction / Celine dion compilations on repeat whilst Mike beat me at pool.

Inle is a beautiful lake measuring 11 km wide and 22 km long. There are thousands of people living In houses on stilts with the main trade being fishermen or farmers. 60 percent of Myanmar's tomatoes come from the region, and most are farmed on reclaimed land. Apparently it's not how many acres of land you have that makes you wealthy its how many rows of tomatoes you have. Without an abundant

Chilly!

supply of animal dung, they use seaweed as a fertiliser which they collect from the lake. There are some animals kept, mainly cats and chickens, but also the occasional pig!

The Inle lake people have not simply relied on the natural resources available and have developed several areas of expertise; weaving factories, silversmiths, cheroot making and blacksmiths are amongst those now living off the new wave of tourism. The wages however remain low, with the girls weaving and rolling cheroots being paid around 2 pound day for 8 hours work......

There are five star hotels popping up everywhere and we found out that a developer (probably linked with the military / government) had bought a large chunk of the side of the lake to build 19 hotels. People were upset as their land was taken by force with little or no compensation, and they also stripped down thousands of trees which will have an impact on the ecosystem of the lake. Who cares as long as the tourists keep coming! right ?

The fishermen on the lake are renowned for the unusual technique they have developed to keep their boat in the correct position while leaving both

Our hotel dining room

A little like hogwarts

hands free to use their nets - the 'leg rowers' have their right leg tucked around the oar whilst using both hands to pull in the line. They do this from early morning to night and I wonder how strong their glutes are and how damaged their labrum is... Need to stop thinking about work!

Anyway, we saw the 1054 stupas on the hill located in the area inhabited by the Pa O tribe. They have very colourful turbans and the boys look like girls, in that they were makeup and look very pretty.

On our final day we were battered by the rain as we boated across the lake to start our cycle tour. It wasn't looking good but the sun popped its head out and we visited Myanmar's best wine producer "Red Mountain" ( there are only two). All I can say is that if you are offered some of their vintage, then politely decline. We also stopped by a sugar producers which was run by a Hugh Jackman lookalike. We saw the sugar cane being squished, then boiled to form treacle which we tasted and it was great!

We have loved Myanmar so much.

One of the original stupas

Unfortunately they have been ransacked by treasure hunters (Mynamar and Japanese) so all very damaged.

The people are just so friendly. We have felt safe at all times and I think due to the lack of tourism thus far,we are still seen as an oddity so people talk to us and say hello wherever we go. I wish we had spent more time here but Thailand is calling....... Enjoy the photos

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