Myanmar was put in my bucket list when I first saw pictures of the Burmese long neck women. With some research I found out that years of political instabilities, dictatorships and civil war resulted in closed borders until as recently as 2011. This isolation helped preserve a distinct culture, untouched from the western world.
Every traveler cherishes the unique feeling of arriving in a place different than anything they have ever seen before. And Myanmar, more than any country in Southeast Asia, was the country that made me feel this way.
Arriving in Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar, is a great introduction to this outstanding country. While looking for my accommodation, I got my chance for the first contact with this new environment. Men and women wearing long skirts and covering their face with a white paste. An ocean of people walking in the city center’s narrow streets and loud vendors selling everything from colorful fruits to live chickens.
The locals were friendly and smiley, but it was hard not to notice the red stains in their smiling teeth. This “bloody smile” was a result of chewing the typical betel nut. Many street vendors sell areca nuts with lime and tobacco surrounded by a betel leaf. Burmese would buy and chew this packed leaf and enjoy the high-energy and euphoric effects it offers, regardless of the red stain and the damage in the teeth.
After a few days of exploring the golden buddhist temples and the bustling markets of Yangon, it was time for the next destination. Other travelers in the hostel were talking about meeting the long necked women in a lake in central Myanmar. According to them, Inle lake was a place that would blow my mind, and could also be the starting point for an adventurous 3-day hike through remote countryside.
Seemed like the ideal next stop, and as a result the same day me and another friend took the 12 hour night bus to Inle lake.
In the next few days I would see things that seemed from another world and experience stories that will carry with me forever. I hope that by sharing these stories, I can also share my passion for this experience and some useful information on how you can do it as well.
What to do in Inle lake?
After the 12 hour bus ride from Yangon, I arrived early in the morning in the small town of Nyaung Shwe. This quiet fishing town serves as a base for most tourists visiting Inle lake.
Next morning, with a group of travelers that I met in the hostel, we decided to rent a boat for the day, explore the water-covered local villages, and finally meet the long neck women. We wandered around the Nyaung Shwe for some time comparing tour prices and we ended up getting a boat for the whole day for about 7$ per person. The driver guided us to the little lake harbor, we got in his boat and set off for the day.
The 116km² lake started spreading in front of our eyes. The muddy shallow water of the first few meters, changed into a deep blue, reminding more of an ocean rather than a lake view.
Few miles later, we were amazed to pass by the iconic leg rowing fishermen of Inle lake. Their unique technique goes back to the 12th century and demands superhuman balance, strength and stamina. The fisherman stands on one leg like a flamingo in the edge of a small boat, while the other leg is around the oar, moving slowly the boat forward. He needs both his hands free, so that he can quickly put his basket in the water when a fish is detected. My sight was magnetized by those hard working fishermen. They seemed like dancing, perfectly executing every balanced movement that would bring fish on their hands.
Still amazed by the spectacle, we soon started entering the floating lake communities. The water roadways formed in the lake would be surrounded by wooden houses constructed on high poles to prevent the water from entering. This first floating village was famous for the handmade silver jewelry. We tied our boat and entered one of the workshops. A young woman would keep the coals burning, and turn the liquid silver into solid patterns. The whole floating house was filled with young workers, focused on the elaborate hand movements that would turn silver into beautiful pieces of art. After admiring their work, we got back in the boat, and drove further down the lake.
Myanmar is one of the countries with the biggest percentage of Buddhist population in the world. All over the country there is a huge number of temples and Pagodas, some of which are of great spiritual importance and architectural beauty. One of those is the Nga Phe Chaung Monastery, built near the shore in the middle of the lake. It is a wooden monastery and what makes it special were the huge stilts holding it over the lake, and the ancient collection of wooden Buddha images.
Even more special was the crowds of locals around the shore, washing their clothes and taking a shower in the lake’s water. Seemed like Sunday was the laundry day!
After a quick stop for lunch in a floating, of course, restaurant we had one more stop in the lotus weaving community. Very skilled women would use the soft fibers from lotus plants in order to create cloth, which then they would process with traditional machinery or by hand to make scarfs and clothing pieces unique in this part of the world. Even more unique and interesting where the products in the following stop.
We tied our boat once more to the shore and entered a big floating house. More than 10 women and teenage girls would sit on the floor and quickly prepare piles of cigars. I have seen these light-green cigars in yangon before but the difference in Inle lake is the flavored cheroots and the ingredients that give the cigar a short life span and make it impossible to export.
The smiling women welcomed us and explained to us that those ingredients are dried banana, pineapple, star anise, brown sugar, tamarind, honey, and rice wine. The only tobacco used is the surrounding one leaf holding everything together.
I am not a smoker, but I was curious to try this indubitably delicious combination. From the first puff, you sense that this cigar has nothing to do with other tobacco products. A sweetness and freshness that made you actually feel lighter than heavier. While normally a pack of similar burmese cigars costs 0.30$ for a pack of 20, the ones in Inle lake would come in at a shocking 1.25$ for a pack of 10. Still, worthed getting some for the rest of the trip. I didn’t really know the harm of smoking pineapple and sugar, but I was certain I wouldn’t get back to Inle lake that often to get any addiction.
It was quite late in the afternoon, so we had to move on for our last stop. And this was the most awaited part of the day, since we finally got to meet the long neck women. A translator informed us that those rings weigh up to 10kgs and they start wearing them when they are 9 years old. They add rings to their neck almost every year until ending up with 18 rings. They even wear them while sleeping. Even though many legends exist, the reality is they keep on wearing those rings for beauty reasons, since they think that a longer neck means better looks.
Traveling breaks one’s cultural barriers of what beauty is considered. In remote parts like this, I met the most beautiful people, who carry on their face the marks of a different way of life.
The sun started going down, turning the scenery over the lake into light pink. The lake fishermen would now gather the day’s effort and head back to their families. And our group of friends, tired from a day full of surprises, drove their way back to the small lake harbor.
Three day trekking from Inle lake to Kalaw.
I spent the next couple of days in Nyaung Shwe planning the trek to Kalaw. It is more common and cheap to do the trek with the final destination Inle lake. However, this direction can get busier with groups of hikers. We found a local guide who would navigate us and also help us get hosts in the remote villages that we would stop. We would have our food and accommodation covered for about 15$ per day, and the only “group” members would be me and my Norwegian friend.
Trekking day 1 Inle to Kalaw: Sneaking in a local wedding.
A morning tuk-tuk ride would get us to the last point of the road system and civilization. From there, we started our long hike to the first village that we would spend the night.
In the first kilometers, I got to know more of our guide, that we would spend together every moment of the next 3 days. He explained to me that he grew up in this land and he knew it very well. He has been working on various jobs but as he told me he liked to drink, gamble and have fun with his friends and those passions would create conflicts between him and his wife. So definitely he was happy to be away for a few days. He was always smiling and helpful and I appreciated his politeness and good manners from the first moment. Seemed like an original countryside Burmese, with an honest heart and eager to assist.
After those first kilometers of walking in nature, we started listening to music and people celebrating. Few wooden houses appeared behind the trees along with a crowd of people dancing and drinking. A wedding was happening between two families of this tiny village, and the celebrations started taking place early in the morning. The villagers were excited to see us and quickly came over to welcome us. As I found out later, it is considered good luck to have foreigners in a local wedding. Accompanied by kids and adults with colorful skirts and beautiful designs on their faces, we entered the house where the event was taking place. After wishing a happy life to the couple, we sat on the floor with the rest of the guests. We definitely turned into the main wedding attraction.
We enjoyed some tea and watermelon and discussed with the locals for some time. Our guide chewed some betel nut and disappeared with another group of partiers. We explored more of the village and after being invited for some delicious typical food, we thought it was time to keep on walking. Our guide appeared and the reunited group started walking up the hills. Our smiling guide confessed that he was drinking with other guests and he felt a bit drunk. It was 09:00 in the morning. We all laughed and kept on our way.
We have now been walking for 3 hours under the hot sun. The landscape was mainly dry throught the way, but had an alien and different beauty. Small fields here and there with only residents, a few smiling locals and farm animals.
To protect us from the angry animals, our guide drew a design in his palm. He explained to us that when wild animals or angry bulls see that, they will leave us alone. Feeling already safer, we kept on walking until the lunch stop.
We entered a small community of houses, where most of the locals with their kids would sit in the field and make bamboo baskets all day. Our guide greeded one of the villagers and he welcomed us to his house to prepare our lunch.
While waiting, our guide became once more the main attraction. He started showing us his magic tricks, earning wows and laughs from all his crowd.
After some homemade beef stew and many laughs, we continued walking, in order to reach our night stop. The hike was mainly flat, with few intense uphills along the way. It would now be our casual break every couple of hours to stop and share a burmese cigar. Definitely a strange way to recover powers.
However, before the sun set we finally made it to our last day’s stop. Another village coming out of a fairytale, more smiling villagers with their colorful clothes and women with their babies tied carefully on their backs. They have just come back from an hour’s walk in order to get the day’s water.
After a long walk in the dusty countryside a shower seemed mandatory. Of course, there was no other option than the local way. Out of the house that we would sleep in, there was a wooden cubicle with a bucket of water.
In the end of this freezing but memorable shower, we enjoyed a delicious dinner, shared some Mandalay rum with our hosts and, tired from such a long day, had to abandon our guide with the joyful company and head for some rest.
Trekking inle to kalaw day 2: A rural school with young monks.
At six in the morning we all were ready to go. On our first steps getting out of the village, we passed by the local school, and the kids started gathering for the day’s first class. We decided to ask for permission to enter the school, and get a glimpse of the morning routine in this remote part of the world.
We were such a strange spectacle for those burmese kids. They were curious to observe us from far but also hesitant to come and talk. Some kids were playing football in the front yard. This could be a good opportunity to make some new friends, so me and the guide joined the game.
What quickly caught my attention was that some of the kids had their heads shaved and wore a long red robe. These tiny monks were running around, laughing and playing with the other kids. As I was explained, it is common in Myanmar for some parents to devote their kids to Buddhism, either for some months or indefinitely.
The game went on, until kids and teachers had to gather in the center of the yard and practice the typical daily ceremony. First, the students formed rows and started all repeating sentences together and moving their head and arms perfectly coordinated. Then everyone would start clapping and singing enthusiastically. After about 15 minutes this out of the world morning show came to an end and the students entered the classrooms.
Quietly and respectfully the young kids would sit on their desks and follow all the teacher’s instructions. This classroom didn’t remind me of the ones in the western world. The 6 year old students needed no confrontation from the teacher, and showed a real urge to learn while having fun. These kids enjoyed school!
Maybe because they appreciated the fact that they didn’t have to work and help their parents under the hot sun. Maybe because they knew how to have fun not depending on a tablet or a videogame. But definitely they seemed curious, polite and healthy.
The time had passed, so we had to move towards our lunch stop. Three hours of walk, interrupted by our casual cigar breaks, and we entered another picturesque village. Lunch prepared by a smiling mother carrying her baby on her back and a hot tea to get powers for the rest of the way.
Walking had already become a habit. Was made easier by the alternating scenery and the villages coming out of another era along the way. Seemed like walking in a time machine, or a movie where every set was made only for us. The struggles of those people though are very real, and the hardships they are daily going through are unimaginable for an average westerner.
Just before the sun set, we reached our final destination. This tiny village also had a small grocery shop, so after our dinner we paid a visit for some night snacks. The locals around the grocery store drinking beer and rum inspired us to get another bottle of Mandalay. After a long night’s conversation under the complete silence of the Burmese countryside we found a peaceful sleep in our tiny brick cabin, right next to the chicken house.
Day 3: Arriving to Kalaw.
Next morning, we hit the road, a bit sad to have our last day of hiking in this special part of the world. However I was excited to have basic comforts again, like a toilet or running water.
The walk was easy and we had to make just one stop out of Kalaw in the famous Pindaya caves. This Bhuddhst pilgrimage site, with thousands of buddhist statues spread in 3 huge caves, was the perfect way to end our adventure.
We have seen another side of the world, one that until then I have read only in the books. The landscapes will be curved in my memory. But what really makes Myanmar special are its people. For many years they have been fighting with political turbulence, and a great part of the population barely survives, but they never stopped to surprise me with their kindness and their hospitality. If you are looking for an out of the box destination, then Myanmar should be high in your bucket list.
