Mandalay to Inle Lake

Day 1: An early morning, boxed breakfast day in Mandalay before heading to the airport to fly to the Heho airport, the gateway to Inle Lake. It took us about an hour from the Heho airport to reach Inle Lake, a drive, first, over mountain terrain.

Near Inle Lake

Now on flat ground, we drove through a large farming area.

At Inle Lake

These long boats would take us around Inle Lake for the day. Our luggage was placed in the front of the boats under a tarp and we carried our carry–ons on the boat with us. The boats were not all that easy to get into and out of but we were given much help to do so safely. Each boat carried five passengers, so we went in a convoy of five boats. The boats ran on landmower or motorcycle engines and could speed quite fast along the river.

Inle Lake

There are buildings and villages along the shores of the lake and also buildings and villages on stilts right on the lake.

Fishermen on Inle Lake

The most amazing sight on the lake are the fishermen. To steady and steer their boats, they put one foot on an oar. This way, they can see into the water and find a clear spot without reeds in it to lower their nets.

Cooking Class

Our first stop was at the Inle Heritage Hospitality Vocational Training Center to take an Inthar Heritage Cooking Class.

Cooking Class Garden

Before cooking our lunch, we picked greens and leaves from the cooking school garden.

Cooking Class

All ready to do our cooking, just waiting for instructions. We cooked fish soup with roasted rice powder and fresh mint leaf and Shan style chicken curry with potatoes.

I have put my photos of Day 1A of Inle Lake on a slideshow:

http://www.peggysphotos.com/inle–lake–day–1a/

(Slide Shows, Asia–2, Myanmar, “Inle Lake: Day 1A”).

Weaving Workshop

Back on our boats, then off it to visit a weaving workshop and a store.

Phaung-Daw-oo Pagoda

Again, back on our boats to our next stop: the Phaung–Daw–oo Pagoda, the main sanctuary of Inle Lake.

Phaung-Daw-oo Pagoda

In the pagoda, there are five small ancient Buddha images covered in gold leaf. Worshipers have added so much gold leaf that the statues are unrecognizable. “Ladies” are prohibited from walking on the platform where the Buddha images are but we women were allowed to take photos of them––from a distance.

Kayla, the Floating Garden

We didn’t have to get out of our boats to view Kayla, the floating garden. The poles are to prevent dirt under the plants from floating away.

Ngo-Phe-Chaung Monastery

Our next stop was at the Ngo–Phe–Chaung Monastery, built in the late 1850s on stilts. The monastery has a collection of Myanmar Buddha images from different areas of Myanmar.

Inle Palace Resort

I had my own bungalow on stilts. Especially at night, there were swarms of mosquitoes around. The DEET that I put on repelled them––very nice to know that it really works.

Inle Palace Resort

We had mosquito nets over our beds. This was a first for me. I found the net very comforting and slept well.

I have put the photos of the rest of our first day at Inle Lake on a slideshow:

http://www.peggysphotos.com/inle–lake–day–1b–2/

(Slide Shows, Asia–2, Myanmar, “Inle Lake: Day 1B”).

Shah Mountains

Day 2: This morning, we got on our boats again to get to our bus to take us on a very long drive over the Shah Mountains to an elephant camp.

Mountain Village

We took a rest break at this mountain village.

Elephant Camp

We visited the Green Hill Valley Elephant Camp. This elephant camp was founded in 2011 by a family that has worked and cared for elephants. The camp is for caring for elephants that are no longer fit to work in timber camps, so that elephants “can enjoy their full retirement and receive the veterinary care they require.”

Photo: petting the elephant.

Elephant Camp

Feeding the elephant.

Elephant Camp

Helping bathe the elephant if you wished.

Red Mountain Estate Winery

Back over the mountains from the elephant camp to our next stop: the Red Mountain Estate Winery. Photo: a view of the very pretty vineyard.

I have put my photos of Day 2 of Inle Lake on a slideshow:

http://www.peggysphotos.com/inle–lake–day–2/

(Slide Shows, Asia–2, Myanmar, “Inle Lake: Day 2”).

Going Home

Another early morning departure but this time the hotel’s restaurant opened early for us and we were able to eat a good breakfast. Then back to the Heho airport, a flight to Yangon, and then another flight to Bangkok. We arrived early evening at the Ramada Plaza Bangkok Menam Riverside hotel, the same hotel we stayed at at the beginning of our trip. I felt like I was back to civilization. This was the end of our tour. I was picked up at 5 a.m. the next morning, had breakfast at the Bangkok airport, flew 6 hours to Toyko on a Thai Airways A380, had lunch in Toyko, flew 18 hours from Tokyo to Los Angeles on United Airlines on a Boeing Dreamliner, had dinner and breakfast over the Pacific Ocean, and arrived midmorning in LA. Because of the time difference, I landed in Los Angeles only three hours after I left Bangkok.