Hike from Kalaw to Inle Lake Day 2

After a breakfast with pancakes, cookies and a local sweet that looks like cornflakes pressed into dices we started our second hiking day.
On day 1 we hiked about 20km and today the distance would be a bit shorter.
This part seemed also slightly steeper but after a few hours we reached the checkpoint that marks the boarder to the Inle Lake area. Visitors are asked to pay around 8 Euro to enter it and it allows one to stay for up to 5 days.
After a short coffee break the trek let us trough open fields, over red earth and then through areas formed by volcanos before we could spot the shimmering surface of the lake in the distance.

The heat and a slightly swollen ankle made me look forward to the boat ride on the lake even more.
But chats and jokes with our new friends let the time fly and soon we got to the restaurant where we would stop for lunch before getting picked up by the boat.
The slim, long motorboat then took us on the small channel to the open lake.
Along the channel but already in the water farmers were planting all kinds of vegetables and fruits in swimming gardens - tomatoes, beans, strawberries,... to maintain the gardens and for the harvest they are moving around in small canoes.
It seemed like a beautiful working place but loads of hard work.
The houses around the lake are build on stilts and made of metal, wood or bamboo matts.
As part of the trip we stopped by local silversmith, weaving and Shan paper workshops also located in houses on stilts.
The weaving is done by the quite famous long neck
Although the techniques and the products looked interesting and beautiful it seemed to be mainly a tourist attraction with horrendous prices.
From the workshops we took off towards the open lake, passing by golden pagodas that are almost build on the water. The lake itself (one of the most famous spots in Myanmar) is full of boats moving locals, goods an tourist across the lake and in between this bustle and hustle fishermen are maneuvering their boats. The traditional boats are moved with an oar that the fisherman operates with his leg. He balancing himself with one foot standing on the edge of the boat. With this method his hands stay free to handle the net and bring in his catch.
After an exciting day we checked into our hostel - the Song of Travel Hostel - an amazing place in Nyaung Shwe, one of the main towns at the lake and closed the day with bbq, some Myanmar beer and lots of laughter with the funny Belgium guys.Read more