Paradise Inle Resort Mine Thauk Inle Lake

... chick pea), chick pea crisps (chips) that were not deep fried, and some apples and avocado for later. I also bought a fake silver bracelet that was pretty, but I paid too much (9000 Kyat). Phaung Daw OO Paya is near the market. It is one of the holiest religious sites in the Shan State. It contains five images (4 are original, 1 is a replica; there was an accident once, the boat sank, and all five went into the lake, only 4 were recovered). Across the channel there ...

... surprise came in our destination, Kalaw, where we were dropped off at 3am into 10°C cold. After spending 5 months in hot weather it was quite a shock. Locals say occasionally they get also snow over there. Kalaw is an unhurried little town at the altitude of over 1300m, serving as a base point for trekking tours. It does not offer many sights to see, but you can spend whole day just relaxing in cute teashops. While there, we ...

Inle lake is magical and unforgettable. Reflections of clear blue skies, fluffy white clouds, distant rolling hills in the peaceful lake. And in a distant, fishermen cast their nets, or row their boats with their famous leg-rowing skills - they are the well-known Inle leg-rowers. Add a display of cats jumping through a hoop in a monastery along the river, makes the whole journey somewhat surreal.

... bottom of the trek about an hour or so in front of them. It was about 2:30 in the afternoon, I think. We waited for them of course, enjoying the shade and some snacks. After they made it to the bottom we let them rest of a little while and then we all got in a motor boat and headed down the river to Inle Lake. It took about an hour on the riverboat, going through villages. We dropped Warren and Danielle off at their guesthouse and then continued across the lake to where we were staying.

... the lake. I think the pictures speak for themselves. The inhabitants of Inle all live on the lake and boats are the only mode of transport. They all have long boats made out of teak. Most boats don't have engines, they are simply rowed by their owners. They have an amazing rowing technique, they use their legs in order to get more power and free up their arms to do more important things like layin out a fishing net or ...

... yellow blossoms) and the villages and people that inhabited them. Soft spoken, he had an aura of sadness about him (doesn't need much delving into, suffice it to say, what other state would you expect a man who's only prospect of a 'relationship', so to speak was a pre-ordained Sikh girl many villages away, to be in?), but professed to be utterly content with his life and job. Granted, being a tour guide for foreigners is supposedly a very enviable position. Our trek led us ...

... stilt villages built right on/over the lake, eighty more Shan style villages ringing the lake, and some 200,000 people all living on and off this big, blue, placid mirror reflecting the mountains that surround it. Most of the lake dwellers are from the Intha ethnic group whose origins remain mysterious. For Jeff who grew up fascinated by the boating life it seemed like some sort of childhood dream where you paddle your dugout canoe home from school with all your best ...

... So note, if you do go to Kalaw, you have been asked. But even if you don't he'd love to see you; his house which is very close to the only petrol station in town, at its edge...just ask around there and someone will take you to it. Percy married a Burmese woman some time ago, and chose to make his home here where the climate is more moderate for his "retired bones" than Yangon . He's the first to testify that the Burmese Junta almost ...

... State, there and in neighbouring Kayin State there there has been fighting for many years between tribal insurgents and the Burmese army, and many of the Padaung have migrated to neighbouring Thailand and more peaceful areas of Burma such as Inle. They support themselves by weaving their traditional costumes and selling them to tourists and of course exhibiting themselves to tourists. Its not as bad as across the border in Thailand where there are well known long ...

... wrapped in a tobacco leaf. Supposedly a smooth, mild smoke. I was tempted, but unlike beetle nuts, didn't sample them. Life on this lake is fascinating. The lake itself is over 20 km long, half as wide and from what we saw, often quite shallow. The bottom and shorelines are a mass of vegetation, and the surrounding hills present interesting backdrops from every angle. Several communities exist on the lake in village complexes built ...