Using the boat across Inle Lake

Due to the weather (it was incredibly hot, reaching over 40 degrees in the afternoon), I decided not to go on a trekking tour in Hsipaw and instead continued to Inle Lake the next day by night bus. The freshwater lake is also located in the Shan State. It is known for its floating villages, gardens, and one-legged rowers. The people's lives there are completely focused on the lake. On the first day, I explored the place on my own by bicycle. I rode on bumpy paths through small villages and was unsure if I was on the right track. I encountered farmers and playing children, met cows, ducks, dogs, and water buffaloes. Somehow, I couldn't really find the lake. Eventually, I reached a normal road and found a fork that led to a pier. There, I was able to take my bicycle on a longtail boat and ride across the lake. That's when I saw the famous houses standing in the water, lots of aquatic plants, and fishing boats. I rode my bike back to my accommodation through a few villages. On the way, I stopped at the hotsprings, natural hot springs. It wasn't as hot anymore, the rainy season was slowly starting, and I got caught in the rain on the way back. But equipped with a rain jacket and rain poncho, it wasn't a big deal.

The next day, I took the boat across Inle Lake. I booked the tour at the hostel, and it was supposed to last the whole day. We sailed through fields of tomatoes planted in the middle of the lake, passed by fishermen using a cage-like device to catch fish in the water. Finally, I saw the one-legged rowers, who actually stood at one end of their long narrow boat, wrapped one leg around the oar, and paddled while keeping their hands free to cast the fishing net. During our tour, we visited a weaving workshop, a jewelry workshop where silver jewelry was made, and a cigar and cigarette factory where cigarettes with different flavors like banana were rolled. Of course, everything was set up for tourists to buy something, but it was still interesting to see how things were made. For lunch, we ate at a restaurant on the water, and our last stop was a temple floating in the water. Lastly, we enjoyed the sunset in the middle of the lake.