This is going to be a short post guys. I can’t find the words to give Inle Lake the reverent portrayal it deserves. The pictures will do a better job of showing why it left such a lasting impression. The town we stayed in (pictures at [1]) was technically a bit north of the lake, and clearly spurred on by the recent influx of tourism to the area. But it’s a tourist attraction for a reason so we got up early and took a tour of the lake by boat. Oh man. It was probably the most consistently breathtaking sightseeing of the entire trip. You should just go ahead and skip to the gallery at [2]. It was interesting to see a place so different from what we were used to. Things are so uniquely adapted to life on the lake. The Intha people create floating gardens to do their cultivation directly on the water. Its reputation is for some of the best tasting and freshest produce in the country. It’s some good dro is what I’m sayin’. Now, since the lake is shallow, they have to use long thin vessels to make their way across it. But since they need to see if they’re about to cut into someone’s garden, they stand on the edge of the boat and use their feet to row. It’s a clever approach that is unique to the Intha people of Inle lake. It’s probably not the best explanation so here’s a video (not mine):
When I was going through the pictures i felt like kind of an idiot for not capturing it myself, but that just goes to show how much the whole experience on the lake commanded our interest and attention. I’ll sheepishly admit that at one point in particular I felt grateful for all the basic things we have in the west when we drove past some people using buckets of icy water from the lake to bathe outside in the morning cold. But in general it was admirable to see their adherence to tradition and at the same time their adaptive nature with solar panels and satellite dishes on several of the stilt house rooftops. And in case you’re wondering, still no sign of the mythical green algae beer, although I read numerous accounts of people having it in this very town. It was probably the only disappointment of being here, and that trumps even the biting cold.
[1] http://www.flickr.com/photos/97388931@N08/sets/72157641508712525/
[2] http://www.flickr.com/photos/97388931@N08/sets/72157641515512425/
One Comment
Inle lake is so beautiful. sunset is so brilliant. Golden temples are so shiny bright. It is a huge lake and you have done full justice to its beauty with your camera by using right angles and shadows. Nice work.
love you both.
Bihari