Inle Lake: Fishermen and Farmers

The unique One-leg rowing fishermen in Inle Lake.
The Burmese fishermen who have mastered an unusual technique when it comes to padding their boats, balance carefully on one leg, and wrap their second leg around the oar to guide the vessel through the freshwater lake. As there are many reeds and water plants in the lake, standing on the end of the boat helps them have a great view and can lead the way better. They need to keep both their hands free to handle the cumbersome nets which are submerged in the lake, about 10ft deep. The fishermen trap the fish by throwing the cone-shape net into the water, pressing on it with their feet so that the net sinks to the bottom where the fish are. Then, with the cone sank and the fish trapped, they spear from above through the hole at the top of the cone.

Floating island farmers gather water plants for fertilizer.Read more