We have spent the last four days in ‘waterworld’ around Inle Lake in west-central Myanmar utterly fascinated by life on, over and near the water.

As I try to sleep tonight my head is swimming with the vivid images of today. We arose at first light and after a quick breakfast of delicious banana pancakes and green tea, boarded a long wooden canoe from the town of Ngaungshwe. We were bound for market-day in the village Thaung Tho at the distant south end of Inle Lake. Our boatman tells us that it is important to get to market early to truly experience the action.

A heavy fog hangs over the water and the air was cool. Barely discernible through the soft, grey, early morning mist are fishermen in flat-bottom canoes which are little more than a couple of curved, teakwood planks. They have a unique way of rowing. While standing, they wrap one leg around the oar and in a snake-like manner propel the canoe through the water. Through the mist we can also make out groups of small children padding their way to school and villagers on their way to market with their goods. We pass through hauntingly beautiful villages of bamboo built in the broad marshes at the edge of Inle Lake. Houses, schools, shops; all are built on seemingly spindly poles and stand many feet above the water. Besides daily home life in these stilt-villages, cottage industries thrive. Some work weaving longyi on enormous floor looms. High up on stilts in another bamboo building women sit in tight circles gossiping while rolling cheerot, a traditional Burmese cigar. I smoked one … not so bad at all!

In another bamboo building, half-naked, muscular, blacksmiths hammer lengths of steel into machetes and knives and in another people are are working silver into intricate pieces of jewellery.

By the time we reach the market the fog has lifted and the market was bustling.

The Pao-O people from the mountains were there in traditional dress – dark blue longyi and jackets with colorful red and orange checked head-scarves- having driven their ox carts loaded with firewood and handmade goods down from the hills to trade for vegetables grown in the incredible floating gardens of the lake people.

In the heat of the afternoon, we wind our way through the maze of canals to see that the gardens actually float on a thick mat of lotus and other fibrous vegetation. Over time, soil is built up on top and the crops planted are never wanting for water. Farmers paddle between the rows in their flat canoes to tend their crops.

In the late afternoon sunshine we make our way back to Nyaungshwe and to our hostel which sits alongside the canal which leads into Inle Lake and we look forward to watching the continuous bustle of daily life from our balcony – and we look forward a cold beer to go along with it of course. Until dark, strong, brown bodies will fill canoes with sacks of grain, huge lengths of bamboo and sugar cane and heavy beams of newly sawn timbers to be sent down the lake. It is like a great movie. Boat traffic – mostly 50 foot teak canoes with huge inboard engines begin transporting goods and people around 5:00 am and finish just after dark. The noise is rather like a steady stream of Harley’s without mufflers passing by all day – one can get used to anything over time.
But, it is dark now except for a small glow from a light bulb here and there and the canal is now quiet. It is time for bed.

Good night all. Love Monika and Randy