Inle Lake …

After an endless way down the montain,we finally reach our finale destination :Inle Lake ! Like fr every trip we do, we like to end up on a relax touch ! Usually it is a beach, this time it is a lake !

 

 

 

Inle Lake it is around 120 km2 of lake in the middle of the mountain, surrounded by floating villages and gardens.  The only way to go around is therefore to rent a boat and a driver.

 

We arrive at the hostel after 2 days trek, exhausted and more than happy to finally take a hot shower !After this, we decide that we strongly deserve a good massage ! I have tried massages in almost of the countries I have been ! Why would I refrain from a 5 dol full body massage right ? Burmese massage is an excellent surprise, definitely among my favourites.  It is a fully dressed massage , where the massage women actually stands on you ! Awesome!

 

Once the massage is over , we start looking for a meal that Aurelie keeps talking about : the Chan Noodles ! We found it, try it adopt it ! It is a delicious noodle soup, with peanuts and a few veggie ! For 1000k, it is just perfect !

 

The same night, we experience a general power shutdown around 8 pm … We don’t have much option as it is night inside and outside,we decide to just go back to the hotel and have a good night of sleep !

 

Early morning we take a walk around Nyaungshwe market. There are selling flowers, fruits, sweet but more than everything … TOMATOES ! Millions of tomatoes are traded here , coming directly from the floating plantations. More tomatoes than I have seen in my entire life ! No wonder there is so many Italian restaurants around., enough tomatoes for a life time of pizza !

 

Then we rent a boat in order to go visit the temples, the floating gardens and villages, and the 5 days market. Almost everything can be found there, from cheap plastic comb to silver necklace, delicious food (including some mini crepes filled with cream of mushrooms !) etc…

 

Then we do a lot of more or less interesting factory visits … Silk, cigars, umbrella and silver factory.

It is way too touristic,but the driver is more or less forcng us to go there, refusing to bring us to the places we wanted … And because God knows why we paid him in advance, we have no solution… 

Furious against that douche, we decide to go back to the hotel and just chill around.

 

Anyway, the lake is beautiful … and worth to visit, just to see the traditional fisherman, we row with the leg winded around the oar. IT is a very traditional technic and probably one of the most typical sight of Myanmar !

 

The following day is epic ! We have half a day ahead before taking the bus back to Yangon. Camile has one and only wish… visit the tofu factory !(probably the only factory the douche from yesterday didn't bring us to !) We rent some bikes and go for a ride ! We probably drove for 3 hours and asked 20 people … the tofu factory is impossible to find ! But the good news is ! The way to not find the factory is just beautiful ! We stop every 10 min to shoot the surroundings,

 

 

Voila … our trip is now over ! It is time to go back to Yangon. Because the girls want to save up, we decide to take a bus ! 15 hours over night bus …. I almost decide to catch a flight, but I don't want us to split. Well, lets be honest, if you can spend 100 USD on a plane ticket, do so !

 

The travel was a nightmare, as there is no proper road for the first 10 hours. The bus has to stop every 5 min to avoid a hole …. Thus the locals in the bus with us a throwing up all they can . The air is sooo high we are completely frozen, and  the Burmese pop is killing my ears ! I want commit a suicide, right now !

 

But I am sure you can do it ! And eventually it gives you some cool stories to tell when you are back !

 

 

 

 

Inle Lake

Hostel: Four Sister Inn. Nice hoste, the best we had in Myanmar, Good breakfast and very kish yet confortable rooms. The sisters can help you booking pretty much everything (boat, bike, plane, bus, massage etc …)

 

Massage : Ask the sister, There is only one in town anyway, It is next close to the central market, a bit more north.

 

Try the Chan Noodle in the main street, on the tiny shops … Also try the different tea houses to eat some good pastries and a milk tea ! But forget about the diet !