Our last week in Myanmar is in the center-east of the country, in the heart of Shan State. We already know the Shans community a little, since we met them on the other side of the border in Thailand. Cultures and traditions do not stop at administrative boundaries and that’s what is nice to discover.
Kalaw, a breath of fresh air and pine tree scents
The first step of our trip to Inle Lake is the small town of Kalaw. The journey from Mandalay is done by train (we have no choice, it’s still the waterfestival celebration anyway …), and Ben becomes the hero of the car watching from the window the buckets of water coming from outside. Indeed, water buckets are waiting for us on the path. To thank us, a family of four women with whom we share our booths offer us all the snacks and sweets prepared for the journey overflowing their tote. It’s really their thing to feed us here! We must make a one-night correspondence to Thazi. This city stop is without much interest, except a good laugh when we left the train under a tropical rainfall magnitude 8 on our head! And this downpour will of course only last 15 minutes top, exactly the time needed to reach our hotel for the night (very shabby, by the way!). The six hours train in the early morning are exquisite, bucolic countryside and small villages served only by this train twice a day (one way and one return). Kalaw, starting point of many treks for the Inle Lake, here we come!
Well, after a stay in Myanmar that is quite tough in terms of travel time and many destinations, we decided to spend two days in Kalaw, and enjoy this small former colonial town, relaxing and fresh in the evening (what a treat!). We decide not to trek to Inle Lake, the overwhelming heat dissuading us somehow. We stroll and enjoy the atmosphere of the local market and pine-lined streets. A real breath of fresh air.
So we reach the famous Inle Lake by road (two and a half hours behind a pick-up, it’s not the first class TGV), the water festival celebration being well over, transport is again fully operationnal.
Inle, people more than a lake
In Inle, we enjoy a rather rare thing in Myanmar and it’s a chance for us, a homestay. We then have a huge room (with 9 windows and two double beds!) in a bungalow on stilts in the heart of a “floating” village south of Inle Lake. Isolated, we share some moments with the family owning the place. “Mama” is cooking all day (we have a snack every two hours!), and she cooks divinely well! It is very varied, a lot of vegetables, and only typical dishes, not from the country or even the Shan state, but specificly from the Inle Lake. Indeed people here really claim their singularity. They have been living on the lake for generations, weaving lotus fibers, cotton and silk, rolling cigars (cheeroot), shaping silver and gold from the north of the country to make jewelry, building their boats, fishing, or growing their vegetables on the water (yes yes a tomato plan floats).
We discover the surroundings by rowing boat or motor (when we do not run out of gas…true story). Temples, volleyball match on stilts (no joke, the pitch was on the ground), real and false fishermen (yeah, some just paused for photos in “traditional” clothes), sunrise and sunset and even a monastery on stilts with free buffet. A generous donor had made a substantial offering and asked that in return lunch to be offered to whoever would like, so Ben took the opportunity to try all the dishes that the local offered him with a big smile! Of course it ends up generally with a stomach pain…
The villages of the lake do not exceed a thousand inhabitants and their life is quite simple and remote because access to the road is not easy. But they still seem happy. The heat of the farewells still leaves a certain loneliness and the pleasure of being able to share with travelers some of their daily life. The smiles of these people are not forced and will remain engraved in our memories, somewhere on the wall of the treasures of our trip around the world.
Associative break
Following the advice of our favorite blog (thank you Novo-monde), we meet Zi Zi and discover her restaurant Paw Paw (pronounced Po Po) on the shores of the lake. A restaurant that does not just serve fried rice and curries because since 2016, Zi Zi (to pronounce Zi Zi, yeah not easy to school as a first name if it had been back home) takes benefits of her traditional restaurant to help young Burmese women find their place in society. Myanmar is evolving very fast and trying to cope with change towards Westerner countries and young people are more and more aware of the way of life of our “rich” countries. Smartphones and Facebook are becoming more common. Benchmarks change, and in a country where the position of the woman is still far behind (say between the kitchen and the laundry to simplify), a young single mother can quickly lose footing.
Zi Zi helps local volunteers to regain their self-confidence, to remain invested in the development of their babies and especially to become autonomous. To do all that, it takes a few ways, hence the restaurant. But above all it is necessary to get visibility. That’s where we come in with our project management, communication, web development, photography and empathy expertise. Zi Zi needs a website that lives up to her project and we naturally offer her our help for our last two days in his country. The advantage is that we can continue remotly and why not advise the travelers we meet to carry on helping her. If you are curious or if you plan to visit Inle Lake and wish to make the most of your time by giving English lessons, making small furniture or seeking funding, do not hesitate to contact Zi Zi at the Paw Paw restaurant!
If time is lacking, you will be welcome to enjoy a healthy, traditional meal or take a cooking class with Zi Zi and her 93-year-old mother.
Goodbye surprising and delicious Myanmar
After almost four weeks in the heart of this beautiful country, we must fly away (after another 13 hours ride bus for to reach the airport). Without any hesitation we give the score of 9.5 / 10 (0.5 removed because of bus delays) for the generous and smiling people, the incredibly varied landscapes, the plain of Bagan temples, the crazyness of the water festival celebration, the exotic train journeys and the gastronomy always varied and tasty (although a little fat, but that’s how it’s good, isn’t it?).
We would have stayed there for another week or even three months, but we have an appointment in Singapore and the Philippines for new adventures.
See you soon,
Audrey & Ben