This blog post may be a little short. The internet connection here is horrible and this is now the third time I have written and tried to publish this post. So, here is today's Great Adventure Of 2015, short version.
I traveled from Bagan to Inle Lake, Myanmar today. I left Bagan at about 8:30 this morning and arrived in Heho/ Inle Lake about an hour later. I got my luggage and found my guide and driver and we were off. There was not much planned for today except taking me to my hotel, so the guide had the driver stop at a market in Heho.
This market only happens every 5 days so it was a pretty large market. It was a typical SE Asian market. People selling clothes and every day items. There was also dried and fresh fish, chickens, amazing fruits and vegetables and other random meats. The Inle Lake region is all about farming and fishing. They grow and raise all their food here. So all of the vegetables and fruit were so fresh, they looked amazing. The meats on the other hand...not so much. There is something about buying meat that has been sitting out in the heat all morning that doesn't seem right. But hey, it's how things are done here so who am I to say it's not right. It seems to work out for everyone. There is also a definite smell to these types of markets. It's difficult to explain exactly. Maybe it's a smell of a combination of dirty socks with a little bit of poo added. I'm not sure what it is. Maybe it's the dried fish and other random meats in the sun. That is what I like about travel though. I come to places out of my element and so different from my everyday life. So, when I walk into a market and that smell hits me, it brings back memories of past Great Adventures. It's a great thing. I didn't buy anything at the market. My guide bought some underwears and strawberries. The strawberries were for his daughters.
After the market, we made our way into a valley and to a small town on a river. We made our way to the river and I was transported to my hotel by boat. It was pretty awesome. We made our way down a small river for about 15 minutes and then came to Inle Lake. We headed straight across the lake and arrived at my hotel. This hotel is probably the fanciest hotel I've ever stayed at. I feel a bit out of my element here. A little too fancy for me. It's the type of place I imagine rich retirees come to on holiday. I'm pretty sure I'm right about that one after seeing the crowd at dinner tonight. Definitely no backpackers here.
After checking in and a bit of unpacking I had most of the day to myself. I wasn't sure what to do since the hotel is pretty isolated. So, I borrowed one of the hotel bikes and decided to bike to a small village near here. It was probably my favorite part of today. Just riding through the countryside. I was a little bit worried at first because the road was HORRIBLE and the bike was a little old and rickety. But it all worked out in the end. I rode to the village and hung out by the lake for a bit, bought a pack of smokes and headed back to the hotel. When I got back to the hotel I still had quite a bit left in the day. So I decided to go for a swim and have a beer. After a swim, beer, nap and reading I came back to my room just as the sun was setting on the lake. It was beautiful.
I got back from dinner a while ago and decided to write the blog post for today. Hopefully this time it will work out. Tomorrow I am taking a boat journey on the river. I'm not quite sure what I will see but I think that I will go to a floating village. I know we are going to see some fishermen that fish with their feet. Maybe they just run the boat with their feet but I'm hoping they do everything with their feet.
Tomorrow will be my last post from Myanmar, then I'm off to Vietnam for a week. I will meet up with my Sister and Nephew in Vietnam on Thursday. It should be fun!
Thanks for reading, again!!!
Peanuts for sale. I'm not sure why they are shiny, but I'm pretty sure they are peanuts. Inle Lake, Myanmar
Dried fish for sale. Inle Lake, Myanmar
Fish for sale. Inle Lake, Myanmar
More fish for sale. Inle Lake, Myanmar
Dried chili peppers for sale. Inle Lake, Myanmar
Tomatoes and other vegetables for sale. Inle Lake, Myanmar
Boat to hotel. Inle Lake, Myanmar
Sunset over Inle Lake, view from my hotel room. Inle Lake, Myanmar