Inle Lake

A handful of tourists make it this far south on Lake Inle for the Taung To Market, but mostly it's a chance for locals from the hills to come down and stock up on produce and textiles. I got a chance to write about this part of the Shan District for National Geographic Traveller last year, and share a few photos. I only wish I had the whole magazine instead of a few spreads. My favourite treat at the market was the sweet milk tea and freshly fried roti bread. Delicious!

Early mornings are beautifully still on Inle Lake, with the sun taking a little extra time to clear the nearby hills. Fishermen come out as soon as the mist has cleared, armed with nets or cages. Rays of the sun reflect off the ripples like stars. In the middle of Lake Inle is a teak temple famous for jumping cats, and the shallow shoreline is hidden by miles of "floating gardens". Inle is kinda neat.

It's hard graft making a living on the shallow waters of Inle Lake. There's very little nutrients in the water and even less timber on hand to build homes. Life on the lake is hard. The weavers of Inle have managed not merely to cultivate skill in their craft but adapt a local resource to suit. Very fine fibres are extracted from the stems of Lotus plants and worked into thread.