I left Bagan early in the moarnin' and arrived at the airport to find that the time on my ticket was merely a suggestion. We would have to wait for the actual flight time to be announced. A couple hours later, tired of sitting on wooden benches, I finally boarded the short flight. I always try to have the mentality that even if things don't work the way I understand, they usually work. The Bangladeshi bus system is the prime example of this. Moving on...
The easiest way to get to Inlay Lake is to fly into Heho and then get a ride (about one hour) to the lake. I found fellow travelers going in the same direction and we split a cab. I checked into my nice, if basic, guesthouse and quickly hopped on a bike to cruise around the small town and catch the sunset from a lovely vineyard. I biked past many fields and homes and got lots of waves and smiles from villagers. The sun felt so nice on my skin, a sensation I miss during my workdays in the fluorescent-lit offices of AUW.
On the way home, pushing dark, I - of course - got lost as I tried to remember my way to the guesthouse. But through the kindness of a stranger I arrived home and got a good night's sleep in preparation for my early wake up the next morning.
After a complimentary breakfast featuring a huge, ripe AVOCADO (where have you been?!!) I met my guide for the day and followed him to his longtail boat. The guide spoke no English and was a bit gruff, but he knew where to take me. I shivered and dug my toesies under my tote bag to protect them from the frigid air as the boat cruised toward the lake. I really wished I had had the foresight to bring a blanket. But it was that magical morning hour when the sun is new in the sky and everything has a bright glimmer. Eventually it became warm. We soon reached the entrance to the huge lake and drifted past fishermen, locals on their way to work or school, and of course other tourist boats.
People visit Inlay Lake not only for its beauty, but also because of the numerous tribes that live on or around the lake. There are whole settlements built onto the lake itself, full of handicraft workshops that make silver and gold jewelry, lacquerware, spun silk, and tobacco products (or at least those are the ones I saw). And everyone also wants to go to the markets. That was where we started. We pulled up to a landing where hundreds of other boats had also parked and I hopped over bridges to get to the market setup. The front stalls were full of touristy "souvenirs," but behind them was (what I think) an authentic market - rows and rows and fresh vegetables, spices, and local products. There was also someone making what looked to be delicious donuts, and of course I had to buy one. It was gooey and coconutty...mmm. Theory that all countries have their own tasty version of the donut further proven.
I then hopped back on the boat and had a lovely day of tourin'. We passed by numerous wooden stilt homes and workshops, stopping at some so I could observe the process of whatever they made. We also ventured to a lovely temple on a hill that was surrounded by hundreds of stupas, a golden temple, a monastery, floating gardens, and a restaurant where I had a delicious avocado salad (aka guacamole, deconstructed!) and Burmese noodles.
The day was my last in Burma, so I had a nice dinner of the local food and prepared for another early wake up for my flight back to Yangon and then Bangkok. My time in the country was too short, but so enjoyable. Despite some early complications, I felt so calm and at peace among the people and beautiful scenery there. Get to Burma, friends, while it's still relatively uncrowded and affordable! I can't wait to see what happens to that country in the next ten years. Since being back at AUW I've had so much fun sharing my pictures and experiences with students, especially the Burmese ones.
And that's all, folks! The new semester is keeping me busy, but I promise to update soon with more tales from the Desh!
The easiest way to get to Inlay Lake is to fly into Heho and then get a ride (about one hour) to the lake. I found fellow travelers going in the same direction and we split a cab. I checked into my nice, if basic, guesthouse and quickly hopped on a bike to cruise around the small town and catch the sunset from a lovely vineyard. I biked past many fields and homes and got lots of waves and smiles from villagers. The sun felt so nice on my skin, a sensation I miss during my workdays in the fluorescent-lit offices of AUW.
On the way home, pushing dark, I - of course - got lost as I tried to remember my way to the guesthouse. But through the kindness of a stranger I arrived home and got a good night's sleep in preparation for my early wake up the next morning.
After a complimentary breakfast featuring a huge, ripe AVOCADO (where have you been?!!) I met my guide for the day and followed him to his longtail boat. The guide spoke no English and was a bit gruff, but he knew where to take me. I shivered and dug my toesies under my tote bag to protect them from the frigid air as the boat cruised toward the lake. I really wished I had had the foresight to bring a blanket. But it was that magical morning hour when the sun is new in the sky and everything has a bright glimmer. Eventually it became warm. We soon reached the entrance to the huge lake and drifted past fishermen, locals on their way to work or school, and of course other tourist boats.
People visit Inlay Lake not only for its beauty, but also because of the numerous tribes that live on or around the lake. There are whole settlements built onto the lake itself, full of handicraft workshops that make silver and gold jewelry, lacquerware, spun silk, and tobacco products (or at least those are the ones I saw). And everyone also wants to go to the markets. That was where we started. We pulled up to a landing where hundreds of other boats had also parked and I hopped over bridges to get to the market setup. The front stalls were full of touristy "souvenirs," but behind them was (what I think) an authentic market - rows and rows and fresh vegetables, spices, and local products. There was also someone making what looked to be delicious donuts, and of course I had to buy one. It was gooey and coconutty...mmm. Theory that all countries have their own tasty version of the donut further proven.
I then hopped back on the boat and had a lovely day of tourin'. We passed by numerous wooden stilt homes and workshops, stopping at some so I could observe the process of whatever they made. We also ventured to a lovely temple on a hill that was surrounded by hundreds of stupas, a golden temple, a monastery, floating gardens, and a restaurant where I had a delicious avocado salad (aka guacamole, deconstructed!) and Burmese noodles.
And that's all, folks! The new semester is keeping me busy, but I promise to update soon with more tales from the Desh!
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