Inle Lake: Bolshoi On The Water
February 11, 2007
We were last here in Inle Lake around 1993, when there were very few Westerners around, and we had a fantastic time on the lake. This place is known for leg-rowing fishermen, who wrap their leg around an oar and use that to propel the boat, while they use their hands to manipulate nets. I assumed that by now those guys were either gone, or were all “imitation fisherman” who were out there posing for hordes of tourists to take their picture.
Luckily, I was wrong! There are certainly plenty of Westerners around, and if you follow the tour groups on the standard route (leave 8AM, see lake, see market, etc.), then the experience feels very "touristy." However, we took the approach of letting the tour groups have the lake in the mornings, and we went out in the late afternoons. This was a great strategy! We had the place to ourselves: The fisherman were still out, no crowds, no noise, just hanging out on the peaceful lake. I’d take along a beer, and we’d make it a sunset cruise. Magical!
The leg-rowing fishermen demonstrate the most amazing balance that I’ve ever seen. They perch themselves on the back of a long boat, row with one leg, and with their two hands toss or retrieve the nets. Some use standard nylon nets, but others use large, hard, conical bamboo nets instead. Wrestling a bamboo neet in and out of the water while perched on one leg is just an amazing thing to see. Seeing a resemblance to ballet, I coined this "Bolshoi On The Water.
One night while we were out for our “sunset cruise,” our boat driver was chatting with a fisherman, and decided to buy one of his fish for dinner. They agreed on a price, but our driver couldn’t pay for the fish because he only had dollars and the fisherman wanted Kyat. So, I had my first experience as a money-changer, selling our driver Kyat for his dollars!
Lodging in the Inle Lake area is mixed. Relatively new on the scene are a bunch of upscale resorts, right on the lake. Nice places, expensive, and focused on package tourists. The other options are in the town of Nyaungshwe, and for me this is the way to go. We stumbled upon a new hotel called “Amazing Nyaung Schwe,” and it was a nice, new midrange place that was great value.
Nyaungshwe is a small town, and like everywhere in Asia, I love seeing the town from a cyclo. Cyclos in Myanmar are unique in that the passenger sits beside of the driver as he pedals, with both of you facing forward. There's a second seat facing backwards where another passenger can ride, though my large frame is plenty enough for one cyclo. Once when mounting a cyclo I forgot about the physics involved, jumped in the back seat, and like a teeter-totter, the front end went up, the driver went flying off the seat....and a few dozen witnesses all doubled over with laughter.
Nyaungshwe is home to a very active local market, which is particularly busy one day a week. On this “big market day,” trucks roll-in from outer villages crammed with people and goods. People ride on the top, hang off the back and sides, anywhere they can get a grip. In the market itself were hundreds of stalls, and we had a great time wandering around.
Now I don’t like the idea of just wandering through a market, taking pictures, and then leaving. Instead of just taking their pictures and "observing," I think it's much more fun to interact with the locals, do a little haggling, show them respect, and give them some business. So I bought flowers, fruits, some sort of peanut brittle, and various unknown sweets, and then gave it all to the staff at our hotel. For me this is a great “win-win,” the folks at the market were happy that I bought something; I enjoyed the experience; and we greatly endeared ourselves to the hotel staff with these gifts.
In Inle I once again needed to change some more money. In Myanmar there’s no such thing as a licensed moneychanger with a shop on the street, so you need to find someone on the black market. It’s not a challenge; absolutely everyone knows someone who is anxious to change money. In this case, I went off to some guy’s home, where I was given tea and offered snacks while he rooted around for the money. It may sound a little dicey, and while I wouldn’t think of doing this kind of thing in most countries, here in Myanmar it’s accepted and safe.
Like everyone here, my money-changer wanted US dollars….but the bills needed to be new and in pristine condition. Large denomination bills must be of the newer design, which here is called “big face.” Each bill is scrutinized for flaws. If it has a tear it’s useless. If a bill has a scuff, crease, or pen markings, then it will be returned to you with a request of “do you have another?” I had some fun with this when I changed money on the lake for the fisherman: He gave me a US $1 bill, at which point I immediately shoved it back, asking “do you have another?” We all cracked up….
After three days here at Inle, we’re now moving on. Neither of us are really ready to go, but we’re locked-in to a flight out today. On the bright side, it’s always better to leave a place while the going is great, instead of getting tired of a place, so away we go!
Bob’s ratings (1=terrible, 5=ok, 10=fantastic)
- Inle Lake leg-rowers, etc.: 9 (particularly if you go on the lake late in the day)
- Amazing Nyaungshwe Hotel: 8 (for a midrange place)
- Market day: 7