Tuesday 15 November: INLE LAKE

We are on our bikes by 7.30am and head out of Nyaungshwe towards the eastern shore of Lake Inle. We soon pass a large and colourful Buddhist temple with golden stupas. We gather that every Burmese boy has to spend time as a trainee monk learning about Budhism at the age of 7 and again in their later teens. We cycle along rough back roads through small villages, rice paddies and sugar cane fields. The scenery is unbelievable and I want to relish it all. After about 20 miles we reach Intha minority group villages where the Exodus magic bus is waiting for us. We are able to change out of our cycling gear and then explore the rustic lakeside market. Bustling with locals and tourists we see colourful longhis, jewellery, puppets and local souvenirs as well as flowers, unusual fruit and vegetables and traditional food.  Then we board local long boats and head out in style onto the lake. We are surrounded by traditional wooden houses on stilts and wild hyacinths and water lilies grow from the water. Unfortunately the tourist boats and modern day fishing boats are fitted with very loud and smelly two-stroke diesel engines which rather spoils the otherwise tranquil ambience. We visit the local Inthe industries: silk weaving from the stems of lotus flowers, a blacksmiths, teak boat builders and a cheroot factory where cigars are rolled by hand. We have a group lunch in a restaurant on stilts before another boat ride through the villages and floating gardens. We see the famous leg-rowing fishermen casting their nets in the lake, standing up holding a long paddle in one hand and their leg wrapped around the paddle lower down leaving them free to cast their conical nets. Back to Nyaungshwe by boat and a cool down in our hotel. What an amazing experience this is.