Mandalay - Inle lake

Hi guys,

The next big city we visited in Myanmar after Yangon was Mandalay. Personally, I didn't like the city at all. It was too crowded, which is no surprise with a population of 1.2 million, and it was also very hot. However, the city has some beautiful places too. For example, we went to the U-Bein Bridge to watch the sunset. We also went shopping at the Jade Market. Mandalay is located in one of the world's largest jade areas. The greenish-gray stone is said to provide mental and organic balance for a person. We spent a day biking around the city and visited the Mandalay Palace and the world's largest book, which is the Kuthodaw Pagoda. Since handmade wooden dolls are a significant part of Burmese culture, we watched a puppet show at a charming theater. There was a band of five musicians playing traditional instruments in front of the stage. The theater offered us a traditional dance and music show, which provided many laughs during the performance.

After the bustling city of Mandalay, we went to the peaceful Inle Lake. The lake is surrounded by mountains and fields, all of which are used for agriculture. On the road, we encountered children riding bulls back home from their field work. Hard work is not only done on land but also on the lake. For example, the fishermen use their feet to steer the boat so that they can handle the fishing net with their hands. During our boat ride, we saw many fishermen using this technique to catch fish. We took a small boat tour through the villages on the lake, where each village specializes in handcrafted products. We visited silver and silk factories and witnessed the production of cigars and boats. For lunch, we had delicious fish from the lake. We enjoyed the sunset during a wine tasting at a beautiful mountain-top winery that provided us with a panoramic view of the entire lake.

Best regards, Egger Mädels