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Published: June 25th 2017
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The Iconic Fishermen of Inle Lake
As far as I know, Inle lake is the only place this fishing technique is practiced. We took an eight hour bus overland from Bagan to Nyaungshwe and Inle Lake, which gave us more opportunities to see the rugged, mountainous terrain of Myanmar, and glimpses into Burmese culture.
Inle lake will undoubtedly go down as the most beautiful place we visited in Myanmar. It is a huge lake which has numerous inlets on which communities have lived, and continue to live, as they had for generations. The streets are waterways, where all transportation is by boat. We passed children boating to school, and mothers paddling to pick up their children after school; vendors selling their wares on the waterways, and workers going about their day to day tasks, along with many taxis transporting tourists like ourselves. It is the land of houses built on stilts, to adapt to the water levels that rise several feet during the monsoon season. And it is the lake of the renowned fishermen who paddle with one leg while manning their fish nets with the other. We spent one entire day touring the lake, visiting its floating gardens, as well as its many cottage industries. We saw incredibly talented men and women - including the famous long necked women - spinning
The Winery Viewpoint
We stopped here en route to Inle Lake, which you can just see in the distance. No need to look for the wine made here in your local LB store though. We were told it is not exported anywhere. fabric; we saw blacksmiths forging knives, silversmiths making jewelry, and of course, many, many fishermen. It is a magical place, and Stan's favorite place in Myanmar.
Although there are numerous resorts on Inle Lake, which would appeal to anyone looking for a beautiful but secluded get away, we chose to stay at the nearby town of Nyaungshwe, as we prefer the energy of community, and it was full of energy and activity - restaurants, canals, bridges, and quaint places to visit - but still small enough to safely and easily navigate your way around. We had barely arrived and already knew it was going to be a sweet place. So we rented bicycles the next day and took to the countryside to visit a nearby winery. We then made our way to Inle Lake, tossed the bikes in a boat for a ride across to the other side, where we picked up the road along the northern shore of Inle Lake and biked back to town for a couple more hours, in the process having the rare and very special opportunity to witness daily life in rural Myanmar. And everyone we met welcomed us.
We stayed in a
Crossing Over
Toss the bikes in the boat, Inle Lake, here we come. modest but delightful guest house - The Lady Princess - named so we discovered later because it was run entirely by women of various ages. We will not forget the incredible efficiency and helpfulness of Khin, the hotel manager, or the three delightful, playful young women who, when we first met them, were giggling and pillow fighting while cleaning our room, and who later helped teach me a favorite Burmese melody. Nor will we forget "K", the token male working at The Lady Princess, who was our very excellent guide on our Inle Lake tour.
We spent four days at this magical place, but could easily have stayed on longer, if the road to Yangon and beyond hadn't been calling us.
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Caroline Godden
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Just read your blog guys. All sounds amazing. Especially liked the last one. Sounded as if you had a great stay with all the ladies looking after you. Pics are smashing, and lovely to know your living the dream guys. Xxx