Patrick Love Photography » Travel Photography

It was a real joy to hike for a couple of days in the hills above Lake Inle.  The trekking itself was not all that amazing.  However the places we visited were quite unique and interesting.  I expected the trail to be ‘well-worn’ by the all the travelers who had gone before us, but instead I found out that this was not so.  People would come up to us, kind of puzzled, and ask how we had gotten there, and where we were going to sleep.  We hiked with a guide from Two Thumbs Up Travel Services.  They can be found across the street from the Mingalar Inn, or reached at kankaung2008@gmail.com.  Good prices too.

Below – rice paper, I think. 

Below – We stayed the night with a family our guide was friends with.  She cooked on an open fire that was inside of the home.  There was no electricity or running water, but things were actually comfortable and clean.

Once we got back to the lake, we took a boat back to where we started.  There are entire villages on Lake Inle that are put up on stilts.

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Nyaung Shwe is an interesting place.  It is the main city on the edge of Lake Inle, so most visitors to the lake spend some time here.  Now on our second visit, Anne and I knew that we could expect to enjoy a great market and our favorite tea shop in Myanmar.  Neither one let us down.  We stayed at the PYI Guesthouse and Restaurant, which would definitely be our first choice, if we go again.  Book early, because if fills up fast.

The market is always a great place to meet new people, and find some amazing deals.   (below) Donuts, Myanmar style.  They are quite good.

(below) Tomatoes are the main crop in this area.  They are grown hydroponically on Lake Inle.  On the lake, fishermen use cone shaped nets.

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We visited Lake Inle during the Phaung Daw U festival.  Basically, it’s an 18-day festival where golden Buddha statues are taken around the lake in a special boat, which is pulled by teams of men who row with their legs instead of their arms.  It’s all really nice, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to see it again.

(Above) One of the boats that pulls the Buddha statues. (Above) This is the special boat that carries the Buddha statues.

(Above) During each day of the festival, the Buddha statues are brought to a different Pagoda on Lake Inle.  Men continually wrap small robes, or put pieces of gold leaf on the Buddha statues.  They take the small robes back for the Buddha shrines they have in their own homes.  The gold leaf builds up over time, until the statues are unrecognizable.

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Oh how I love to get me some good market! Lake Inle has a great market.  Local hill people come down for the market and sell their things.  Thailand has got nothing on this place.

We stayed at the Mingalar Inn in Nyaungshwe.  It was amazing!  Best breakfasts we had the whole time.  I still remember the thin banana pancakes.  The people who own the place couldn’t have been any more accommodating or helpful.  They even arranged plane tickets for us.

One of (many of) Myanmar’s quirks is that steering wheels are on the right and cars drive on the right.  That means that when passengers exit a bus or any other vehicle, it’s always in the middle of the road in the worst traffic.

We bought a bag of some amazing green tea from this lady.  I would describe it as woody and buttery.  So good.

Our guide around the lake.  Great guy.

This is the only place in the world where fishermen stand up, paddle with one foot, throw a net cage into the water, and then spear the fish.  How else would you fish in a 5 foot deep grass filled marsh?

When the water is up they can use nets too.

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