Run with the Wolfies: Photo tour to Myanmar (Burma) & Laos – Day 2 and 3
Stupas of the pagoda complex at Taungto village on the west bank of Inlay Lake in Myanmar.
Day 2 – This morning we slid in our slender boats amidst fishermen’s and farmers’ reed shacks, raised on stilts above the lake, and traveled to Taungto to a temple of many gold stupas.
A woman is looking out of a window of a house at the village of Kuwoo on Inle Lake in Myanmar.
Afterwards we continued south to the village of Kuwoo. In our boat we carried precious gifts, boxes full of donuts for the school children. Ne Ne, who organized our visit, told us that this was a special present for the kids—they had never tasted donuts before! Upon our arrival, monks greeted us and served us fish, sweets and rice snacks. The children then sang us about five carefully rehearsed English songs, many we recognized from our own childhoods. The teacher passed out the donuts, topped with red and green gelatin flowers, which the children eyed suspiciously. Then the girls began poking the gooey treats and licking the icing from their fingers, while the boys bravely bit into the treats. I questioned our sugary gift, but it was accompanied by a donation to build a bathroom for the school as well as a donation for the monks.
School children in school uniform tasting donuts for the first time in their life at the village of Kuwoo on Inle Lake in Myanmar.
A woman is making lotus thread out of stems of the lotus plants in Innpawkhone Village, built on stilts in Inle Lake in Myanmar.
Later we saw women weaving with lotus, silk and cotton in the Innpawkhone Village and men creating sweet blocks of golden sugar from sugarcane at Naungtaw Village.
View of backlit reeds and a stupa near the Naungtaw Village on Inle Lake in Myanmar.
A farmer leading Brahma cattle in the Naungtaw Village on Inle Lake in Myanmar.
Day 3- At 5:00, as the full moon still hung languidly in the sky, we glided in our boats through Inle Lake to find the local fishermen. As the morning mist still veiled the water’s edge, we found a young man painstakingly drawing in his endless net, as he masterfully paddled his skiff with one leg. Like a well-trained gymnast, he balanced, rowed, and meticulously folded his netting in a rhythmic dance. Inle Lake’s Intha people are known for this unique skill.
Before sunrise a leg-rowing fisherman in his boat is pulling in his fishing net he set the day before on Inle Lake in Myanmar.
A fisherman in his boat is demonstrating the fishing technique with a fishing basket on Inle Lake in Myanmar.
Local people on the way to a party, dancing and singing in a boat on Inle Lake in Myanmar.
Late afternoon, we were able to see them apply the same impressive technique in a boat race, arranged especially for our photographers. Each boat of about 70-80 paddlers sped through the water as we snapped our shutters. The race resembled dragon boat competitions, but I have not seen this method anywhere else in the world.
A traditional leg-rowing boat race accompanied with music on Inle Lake in Myanmar with each boat having about 70-80 paddlers.
A traditional leg-rowing boat race accompanied by traditional music on Inle Lake in Myanmar with each boat having about 70-80 paddlers (slow shutter speed to capture movement).
The winning of the traditional leg-rowing boat race is doing a victory dance on Inle Lake in Myanmar.
During the day we also visited a market at Khaung Tai, where vendors sold everything from chicken feet and intestines to locally-made jewelry.
A colorful market scene in the village of Khaung Tai on Inle Lake in Myanmar.
A portrait of a young woman wearing a straw hat on the market in the village of Khaung Tai on Inle Lake in Myanmar.
A portrait of a local tribal woman on the market in the village of Khaung Tai on Inle Lake in Myanmar.
If you are interested in a future photo tour to Myanmar and Laos, please email me at [email protected]