Perhentian Islands, Malaysia

It was time to go back to the islands. I left Georgetown and headed east across northern Malaysia to the island of Pulau Perhentian Kecil. No art, museums or fantastic street hawkers here. All of the sights are on the sandy beach or underwater.

The view of Coral Bay from Ombak Resort

I arrived at the island in the late afternoon, only to check into Ombak Resort and realize there was no water in my bathroom. Not a single drop!  I was nice about it the first evening. They gave me a bucket to use to rinse the toilet and wash up. I am understanding and realize there are small issues on an island from time to time. These things happen. I was promised I would have water before morning. Right behind Ombak Resort is Ewan's Bungalows and Restaurant. I went for dinner and met Ewan. He was horrified when I told him what I was paying for no water at Ombak Resort. Ewan loved that I could laugh through it and encouraged my happy spirit to stay positive. He became a good friend over my 4 day stay.

In the morning, I decided to walk through the jungle to the other side of the island to Long Beach. It was a short hike, maybe 10 minutes. I had my eyes out for snakes and was lucky....not a single one! Yay!

Long Beach



Beautiful water at Long Beach

Long Beach was a beautiful white sand beach with crystal clear water. The water is clear, just like a pool. It was beautiful! I spent the day lounging on the beach with some travelers from Ireland. At the end of the day, I was ready for a nice warm shower. I got back to my room to find no water. Now, I was angry and went to complain. For the cost of the room and no water for a second day...it was ridiculous. I was told the government shut down the water to the island and told them I knew it was a lie. Nobody else on the island was having an issue, I had asked around. I asked for my money back and was told no because it was not the resorts fault. I explained my position but was told there were no options because the island was fully booked. I knew they had me because I had checked on available rooms.  I told them I would be writing a negative review of their resort on all travel sites. They told me they didn't care. I refused to let this ruin my trip to the islands! The only thing they did for me was let me use the shower in the dive shop. At least I would be clean! 

The next morning I was going snorkeling. Another thing I had pre-paid at Ombak Resort. I was excited because they advertised the guide brings an underwater camera and takes photos. I was not surprised after waiting for an hour to find out the guide was "sick". Eight of us had waited and were irritated that it took an hour for Ombak to tell us the trip was cancelled. It did not make sense, why couldn't another guide have taken us? (Another example of poor customer service at Ombak Resort.) Five of us decided to go anyway and the other 3 went back to their hotel. We were taken to the Shari-La Resort to hire a boat and guide. We got a great guide and a fun group. There was a father- daughter from Spain and a brother and sister from Korea with me.

Swimming and snorkeling at Fish Bay.

Our first stop on the trip was to Fish Bay. The fish were beautiful colors. we saw many clown fish, tiger fish and barracuda. 

After I looked at the pictures from Fish Bay, I noticed a surprise....see the reef shark in the photo. Our guide was shocked when Antonio (Spanish father) said he saw one. We had a photo to prove it! Our next stop was Shark Bay where we were looking for the docile, vegetarian black-tip reef sharks. We got really lucky and saw five!  It was fantastic! Our guide was patient and made certain we all had the opportunity to see them. Before lunch we stopped at Turtle Bay. The boat pulled up and look what we could see as we prepared to jump in the water. It was a sea turtle waiting for us! Yay!

Sea Turtle munching on the ocean floor

 



We went to Fisherman Village for a delicious lunch and a rest before heading on to the Lighthouse. The Perhentian Islands was the best snorkeling I had experienced to date. The visibility was fantastic and our guide got us to places before all of the other boats arrived. We had 2 underwater cameras and  took photos throughout the day. In the evening, we all got together at Ewan's Place for dinner and to share the photos with one another.

The Perhentian Islands are beautiful. I loved the snorkeling and would have liked to do a second day but I needed to get moving towards China. 

Food and Street Art in Georgetown, Malaysia



I left the beautiful island of Koh Lipe and headed to Georgetown, Penang an island in northwest Malaysia. Ever time you mention Georgetown to a traveler they respond with "Oh, the food is soooo good!" I arrived in Georgetown in the evening and the aromas of the street hawkers food was enticing. I wanted to check into a guesthouse and eat my way through the city! The proprietor of my guesthouse told me the people of Penang love to eat.  And as the saying goes, when in Rome do as the Romans do! I was planning to try it all. The proprietor of my guesthouse marked a map with the hawker stalls I needed to indulge in. His last suggestion was "find a stand with a line of locals and whatever they are serving up will be delicious!" My dinner was delicious....I was going to enjoy a couple of days eating in Georgetown.

The street food encompasses Chinese, Malay and Indian food all served in a matter of minutes! I joined the locals eating by the roadside stalls and coffee shops is an experience second to none. I joined the locals in their favorite past time....food!

Georgetown has everything you would expect from an old colonial city- a fort, grand buildings, stately homes and assembly buildings.

Georgetown has traditional temples and Colonial buildings. 

Fort Cornwallis is the largest standing fort in Malaysia.

But the one thing that makes it stand out from other cities is the street art. I wandered the city, enjoying the art work and lost time exploring the cafes and art galleries for 2 days. Across the city were wirework artwork which told the history of the neighborhoods.

The murals, which I loved the most,  are by Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic who brought color to the city as part of a project called "Mirrors George Town"

The street art was spread throughout the city, with some more hidden more than others, it was a great way of seeing the main sights. At times, I stumbled upon parts of city I may not have otherwise visited. On my last night, I stop at an Unique Penang Art Gallery on Love Lane and met Clovis and Jolie. Clovis was standing on the front porch playing a ukulele. Obviously, I had to go in. I was interested in where a he had learned to play the ukulele and to see the artwork. As I entered, he told me they teach art to 160 children. Along one wall was a display of postcards. The children draw the postcards but what I loved was you could write the postcard and they would mail it anytime in the future....2 months, a year or 5 years. The cards were beautiful and I liked that it supported teaching art to children.

Clovis invited me to have tea with him. We talked about travel and life. As we talked, he asked me to join them for dinner. We walked down to a street hawker on Chulia Lane that sold the most delicious Wan Tan Mee. We sat on their porch laughing and singing until 11 pm.

When I left, Jolie gave me a set of chopsticks she had made. She explained they were knotted with a prosperity and she wished me a long and prosperous life.  I thanked her for her kindness and told them goodbye.

I enjoyed exploring the quaint nooks and crannies of Georgetown. I feasted on delicacies from hawker street stalls, shopped at the many quaint night markets and browsed the art galleries. Georgetown was a relaxing, delicious and enjoyable introduction to the tastes and culture of Malaysia.

Relaxing Beach Days in Koh Lipe, Thailand

Arriving in Koh Lipe was breathtaking! The water was crystal clear turquoise. Sunrise Beach was picturesque with longboards were floating in the bay. Yay! This is what I was looking for in an island. Tony had told me I could snorkel from the beaches and the sand was soft and white. I could see Mila Resort had sent someone to pick me up! Yes! Nothing better than your name on a sign. I waded in to shore and waited for them to unload the bags. I saw that I was going to have to wade back to the boat to get my bag. Ugh! I always expect to fall into the water with my backpack. It is inevitable and the waves always make it harder to balance with a full load. At least the water was perfect temperature. I was excited to get to Mila Resort and hit the beach.

There were 3 of us going to Mila Resort in one small cart hooked to the side of a scooter. I looked at the amount of luggage and all 3 of us were bigger. I know the guy was trying to figure out how we were all going to arrive in one piece. When I saw the roads, I wondered too! We got stuck at two hills. The first hill the driver got 2 people to grab hold of the back of the cart and run uphill pushing us. At the second hill, I looked at him and asked if he wants us to walk up. He smiled and asked if we minded. No problem. As we rode across the back roads of the island I wondered if I had made a bad decision. We passed a dump and I giggled. I have seen so many dumps in my travels! The areas we passed were homes of the villagers. It was poor. One of the guys at the resort described it as "I thought I was in the slums of South Africa." It did not have the island beach feel that I had seen as I goggled Koh Lipe. I realized this is how the people live. While those of us on vacation live it up at the big resorts with beautiful settings, the people that work at the resort have much different living situations. When we pulled into Mila Resort, I smiled. This is what I wanted. A relaxing beach stay.  It was the first grass lawn I had seen at an island resort. It was a beautiful courtyard of grass and trees surrounded by wood Balinese bungalows and a turquoise beach in the distance. I had just stepped into heaven.

Now, I am on a budget and went with the cheap option, I did not book the Balinese bungalows. I went for the cheap garden view bungalow. It was the best room I have had in my 4 months of travel. And the bed! OMG! It was soft and cozy! There were 4 pillows on the bed. I laid down and new immediately I was going to sleep really well here. I have loved Asia, but the beds are rock hard.

I settled in, put on my swimsuit and hit the beach. It was perfect! The water was clear. I barrowed snorkel gear and went out to explore. I was having a hard time finding a mask that fit. I finally decided to ask if anyplace on the island sold snorkeling gear. After lunch, I walked to town to the Walking Street. The first shop was a dive shop and they helped me find a mask. Afterwards, I walked down the main street it was evident that I was visiting during low season. Most of the shops were closed. I did not see many people or restaurants that were open. I liked it. My own island! 

I loved this sign in town! No, I did not get a tattoo. 

When I got back to the resort I enjoyed the beach and relaxed before dinner. I filled my days with sleeping, snorkeling, kayaking and eating. It was a perfect getaway and I extended my stay to 5 days. Koh Lipe is small enough you can walk from one side to the other to swim or snorkel. I loved my time at Mila Resort. The staff are friendly and welcoming. Most of them were from Myanmar and were excited to hear that I had visited their home.

I had planned to take a snorkeling trip of the islands but never found an opening for one person. I decided the snorkeling was good off the beach. It was a relaxing 5 days just enjoying life. Ahhh...this is living! How will I ever go back to a 9-5 job? No worries, I have several more months of pure joy ahead of me!

Snorkeling and Relaxing in Koh Tao, Thailand

I left Myanmar on June 18 and made a quick stopover in Bangkok. I enjoyed some good food, bought a few supplies and was ready to head south to the islands! I am planning on the next month hopping from one island to the next looking for some relaxation, snorkeling and a little break from sightseeing. I am tired and need a break from sightseeing. I need to just to live life. I may even try to find an apartment for a week just to decompress and get ready for China. Yes, this daily life traveling is hard work! Ha, ha! But I love it!

My first island of choice was Koh Tao. I have decided to skip Phuket and Phi Phi since it is rainy season. I booked the night bus leaving Bangkok and a ferry to Koh Tao. Why Koh Tao? Well, it is in the Gulf of Thailand and it is not rainy season. Most people head to Koh Tao to get certified to scuba diving. With asthma, I know better so I was planning a snorkeling trip and relaxing in a hammock while I figured out where to go next.

The bus trip was long and hot. You put a bus load full of westerners on an overnight bus and it is long, hot and sweaty. Add in that it was the week of the full moon party in Koh Phengan and it was an adventure on its own. People were drinking on the bus and it felt like the days of a frat party! Not in the good way, the bad way. It was a long trip to the ferry. After 7.5 hours we arrived at Chumphon to wait 2 hours for the first ferry to Koh Tao. As we boarded the boat and left the harbor I was happy to be at the sea. I have noticed I get calmer when I am surrounded by water. The ferry ride was pretty rough. Guys were throwing up over the side....probably from the beer on the bus all night. On of them was shocked as he talked to a scuba diver and realized he had to take tests. He actually thought he could just put on the gear and go in the water. He asked if he had to be sober. Seriously!?!?! The ferries first stop was the national park Koh Nuang Tuan. It was beautiful. Three small islands connected by sandbars. Only one hotel/bungalows were on the island. The water was crystal clear.  I knew when I saw it that I wanted to get back over to swim at this beach. It was beautiful! 

Moondance Majic View Bungalows

I was lucky I had read the reveiws to request a pick-up at the pier. The hotel was on the east side and a 10 minute ride but 45 minute walk to the main town. You definitely need 4x4 to get there as the raod was not paved and a rocky. But when I arrived at the hotel I was happy. I had a great bungalow overlooking the ocean with a fantastic bamboo hammock on the porch.  

It was a small hotel and more suitable for newlyweds so I was prepared for some quiet time. When I checked in to the hotel, I was greeted by Tony. He does everything and makes sure the guests get what they want/need. He showed me the path to get down to the water and where to find the snorkel gear. I told him thanks and asked for breakfast first. After 3 weeks of eggs and toast I was happy to see museli, yougurt and fruit on the menu! Afterwards I decided to hike down to the beach and enjoy some swimming. The hike was fun and felt a little adventurous. I enjoyed the water and had it to myself. This was perfect.

When I went back up to the restaurant, I sat and had a beer with Tony and met a couple of guys that were traveling. We shared stories and felt like old friends in no time. The joys of a small resort means making friends quickly.

I scheduled a snorkeling trip for me second day. It was a full day of fun. Our guide was jovial and made sure everyone had fun. He was one of the few guides that got in the water and would take and show you the area. 

I learned quickly to follow him. As we were swimming, he went down and got a clam. It was huge. was watching and he grabbed my camera and handed the clam to me. I think it weighed 15 lbs. I started sinking.

Then, I felt bad that he had picked it up off the ocean floor. Later, girls were screaming because they saw barracuda. He looked at me and told me to follow him. I was stupid and did not realize we were going looking for the barracuda. Ha ha! He liked the few of us that were open to anything. I loved snorkeling and was looking forward to more of this over the next few weeks. At the end of the trip, we stopped at Koh Nuang Tuan beach for 2 hours. It was so relaxing and beautiful. 

At then end of the day I had swallowed enough sea water and was ready to go back to the bungalow. Tony was waiting and I told him it was a great day. He had cold beer waiting and I sat and talked with the other guests. It was a nice little group of fun and relaxed people just chilling and enjoying the views. I went to bed tired and happy. 

I decided to extend my stay on Koh Tao and went down to the beach for another day of relaxing by the ocean. I was swimming with a couple of German guys. We see what we thought was a dolphin and all start swimming towards it. Then, we realized it was a shark. The German guys almost drowned me trying t get to the steps first! I gave them a hard time about how chicken they were. It was a baby reef shark and does not like to eat humans. It was a good laugh over beers.

I talked to the knowledgeable Tony about my next plan. I was trying to decide between Koh Phangan and Koh Samui when he had a better suggestion. He suggested Koh Lipe as a beautiful quiet resort. I asked him if he could book transportation for me. Yes! I decided to take his suggestion and was headed on my 2 day trip to Koh Lipe.

I left Koh Tao the next night on the night ferry. Tony had told me it was like the trains for sleeping. Stupid me thought that meant I was getting a bunk bed. I was happy to have a bed for the 8 hour trip to Saranhatti. It just was not what I had expected. I walked the plank to board.... it was a plank and I had two backpacks on! Thank goodness Noah, my personal trainer, had made me work on my balance for the previous 2 years! I was happy not to be in the water! The beds on the ferry were pads that were laid out on the floor with a pillow. They were small, Asian sized. All of the westerners were complaining our feet hung out over the board on the aisle. The aisle was down the center with 31 beds on each side. 

I laid down and looked around. I realized this was going to be a fun social experience. Stupid old me! Maybe back in the 1990's but today, everyone was on their iphone, ipad or had their headphones on with music. Nobody was talking to each other. I am still shocked as I see this. We have more and more technology and people turn to it rather than talking to the person next to them. I am an oldie and love the socialization of these types of travel. Two girls sit down next to me and I said hi. They start talking and I bring up that nobody talks. One of the girl said that her parents had backpacked after college and are amazed that she does not meet more people. She said it was because everyone has all their entertainment with them. They don't need to talk. Ha ha! So true! But I find it sad. they don't know what they are missing. She talked tome about   her travels to India and encouraged me to give it two weeks. I will love it or hate it. Hmmm...still thinking about it. I have to make a plan. I am starting month 5 and will have to decide what is next.

We arrived at 5 AM and I had time for a quick bathroom break before my minivan was ready to leave for Pakbara, Thailand. Thank goodness I had time because that was it until I arrived in Pakbara at 4:30 PM. My minivan driver took me to Hat Yai where I had to switch vans. The problem was he could not find the location where I was suppose to go. We went to 3 bus stops and I followed him around as he tried to find my minivan to Pakbara. I arrived an hour late and expected to have to spend the night in Hat Yai. Lucky for me the minivan was waiting for me to arrive. Whew! I felt bad that 12 other people were delayed. I apologized and waited to take the bad seat nobody else wanted. it was the least I could do. The van driver was nice enough to take me to a hotel where I could spend the night and catch the ferry to Koh Lipe in the morning.

Back to Yangon, Myanmar

I arrived back at the Yangon bus station. It was crowded in the early morning and I was thankful that taxis were waiting to take me to the city.  I had planned to go on to the Mon State in southeastern Myanmar but I was tired form being sick. My body decided it needed to rest and recuperate. So, I was staying in Yangon until my flight back to Bangkok. 

I had a few things on my list I still wanted to see in Yangon.

1. A day trip to Dala Island
2. Evening at Shwedagon Pagoda
3. Kandawgyi Park
4. Fortune telling at Sule Pagoda

After checking in to the hotel, I was going for a good meal. I was excited to have food that I knew would be safe. I had been sick too many days in Myanmar. It was not a surprise, I was expecting it. Everyone seemed to have a few incidents with food poisoning.  After a delicious and quick lunch, I headed towards Dala Island when a monsoon rain started. I turned around and decided to go to the National Museum for a break from the rain. The only thing I wanted to see was the Golden Lion throne. It was magnificent. It was one of nine thrones and the only one to survive the WWII bombings. Unfortunately, the museum confiscates all of your belongings at the entry so no pictures (if you are interested http://www.myanmar-image.com/enchantingmyanmar/enchantingmyanmar2-2/thrones.htm ). The throne was enormous and opulent compared to the thrones of the European kings. I would describe it as a staircase and doorway rather than a throne. It is easy to see how intimidated people were when they visited the king. The museum has an interesting selection of musical instruments, sculptures and clothing from the royalty. I also liked the royal slippers encrusted with diamonds and jewels.  I suspect  Aladdin would have been envious of them too!  After I had toured most of the museum, I came back down to take another look and I met an archaeologist that was working at the museum. He took me in and pointed out some things I did not notice and he answered my questions. As we talked, he asked where I was going next. I asked if he had any suggestions. He suggested General Aung San's museum. He wrote down the name in Burmese and found me a taxi.

 The General Aung San Museum is located in his previous residence. The museum was not very good. It is basically a tour of the home where he lived with his family. I was told the building in Yangon where he was assassinated will be made into a museum in his honor also. I hope that it tells more about his life and explain to tourists why the Burmese consider him the father of Burma. This museum gave very little information. General Aung San is responsible for bringing Burma's independence from Britain but he was assassinated 6 months before independence. During my travels I saw his picture hanging in the homes and businesses throughout the country. His daughter, Aung San Suu Kyi has followed in her father's footsteps in Burmese politics in the National League for Democracy (NLD). She was placed under house arrest for 12 years between 1989 until November 2010. The Burmese people are hopeful she will be the next president of Myanmar but it is dependent on the current government. The constitution of Myanmar was actually written to prevent her from becoming president with a clause which prevents anyone with a foreign born spouse or children from becoming president. The world will be watching to see what happens in 2015.

Beautiful park

The rain had topped so I decided to go to Kandawgyi park for a late afternoon walk.  The taxi driver let me off on the east side of the park and I started walking. The park sits below the Shwedagon Pagoda. The view of the pagoda above the lake is beautiful. It started to rain and I grabbed my umbrella and enjoyed the peacefulness of the park in the rain. It was me and the die hard joggers in the park. I had planned to go to Shwedagon Pagoda but not in the rain. I was ready for a hot shower and a good nights sleep.

The Royal boat is now a restaurant.

Shwedagon pagoda at sunset.

The next morning was sunny so, I was headed to Dala Island. I met a woman from New Zealand that wanted to tag along. She had to be back by 4:00 PM for a bus to Bagan. We walked over to the ferry and bought our tickets and hired two young guys to give us a rickshaw ride around the island.

In 2008, Cyclone Nargis hit Dala Island  and killed 138,000 people (government stopped counting at this figure) and left many orphans. The island is a short 10 minute ferry ride from Yangon but seems like a different world.  Men were yelling out locations where the buses were going and women were selling foods. This was the center of activity as people passed between Dala and Yangon. Carla and I followed the young boys to the rickshaws and crawled in. We were off to see the island. The poverty in the community is evident on arrival. They have limited electricity and water sources.

  

The Burmese people are not bitter in this poverty. They are just looking for a way to support their families. The young men we met were happy to show us their community and teach us about their lives.  Our first stop was an old temple. First we stopped at the bell to hit it three times. Once for health, family and the world. Dong! Dong! Dong!

The boys were excited to show us a monk who died 150 years ago. His body had not decayed. I wasn't sure if it was because people had covered him in gold leaf or there was another reason. The boys told us ten (10) years ago he opened one of his eyes to warn about a coming cyclone. The photographic evidence of this is displayed beside the golden corpse. I really could not tell.

As they cycled us around the island, my rickshaw driver sang Burmese songs. He showed me where they get their water. It was a large lake in the center of town with a short dock. He told me the people use the water for bathing and cooking.  

The water is then stored in these large ceramic pots outside each families home. It is moments like this that I realize I was lucky we are in the USA.  We have poverty, but not to this extent. I never worried about my water sources. I had a roof over my head. I did not have rising water under a bamboo bungalow that was infested with mosquitos. Yet, these boys were happy and had a positive outlook for their future. They hoped tourism would continue and someday they would have $1000 USD to buy their own rickshaw. We stopped for tea and one of the rickshaw drivers wanted to buy me betel nut. My driver told me he was flirting with me and thought I was beautiful. I thanked him for the compliment but said no to the betel nut. I like my teeth and want to keep them. He laughed and shook my hand. We said our goodbyes and paid them for our tour of their island.

We returned to the ferry at the right time. It started to rain....and then the monsoon rain started. As we exited the ferry on the other side, Carla asked if I wanted to go for Indian food. Sure. Why not. We found a taxi that took us to Little India. As we exited the taxi, we were knee deep in water. Yikes! I giggled as I waded through the water. Carla and I both knew that the sidewalks were not in good shape. We shuffled along the sidewalks hoping we did not fall into a hole or twist an ankle. The rain was not letting up and we were trying to walk in knee deep water to find a restaurant someone had recommended. After a half hour, we gave up. We decided to try one with many locals. The food was good and by the time we finished eating, the rain had stopped. We waded back to our hotel in the knee deep water. I took a shower and washed the dirt out of my clothes. Ahhhh! Another night early to bed. I was tired. Then I heard a knock on my door. I opened it and there was Amy, an American girl I had met at breakfast. We had talked about doing a cooking class and she had some information. We decided to walk over to Monsoon for dinner and to sign-up for their cooking class in the morning.
Dinner with Amy was fun. She has traveled and lived in China and Azerbaijan. She had some great suggestions for travel. I shared my experiences in Myanmar and she shared hers in other countries. We signed-up for a 10 am cooking class at Monsoon after enjoying our dinner. We planned to go to Shwedagon Pagoda after dinner but we got so busy talking we lost track of time and missed it. It was 10:30 PM and we were tired. We would meet up for breakfast in the morning before class.

An Incredible Day on Inle Lake

Most travelers to Myanmar have two sights on their list to visit. Bagan and Inle Lake. I loved  Bagan and was anxious to explore the lake. Inle Lake is a freshwater lake that is the second largest lake in Myanmar. It is in the Shan state surrounded by mountains. I had done my research and knew what I wanted to see on my visit to the lake. It was relatively simple:

1. The five day market in a remote village
2. The floating vegetable gardens
3. Indein Village
4. Fisherman of Inle Lake

I had negotiated a boat price when I first arrived. The trip included the things I wanted to see in addition to the typical tourist stops. I chose to go on Tuesday so, the 5 day market was in Tuang To. The village of Thuang Tho is on the southern end of the lake, off the tourist track. I was going to have to be at the dock at 7:00 AM for the trip which would take an hour and a half to the village. I had told my guesthouse that I had gotten a boat for morning and she packed a breakfast to go for me. I had my bottle of water and some yummy foods to take on my trip. As I stepped outside of my guesthouse, I was hit by the cool air. I was almost cold in the early morning and decided to put my sarong around my shoulders. It felt good after weeks of sweating in the SE Asian heat.

The docks were full of activity as the boats arrived with fresh produce and people going to work in Nyaungshwe. I boarded my boat and my guide handed me an umbrella to shade the early morning sun. We left the dock and were traveling down the canal at full speed towards the lake. We passed boats full of Shan and they would smile and wave to the tourist sitting on a chair in the boat. I felt odd as the locals all sit on the floor of the boat. You can tell a tourist boat from the distance since they have chairs and the tourists sit high. I felt like I was in one of the old movies where the westerner arrives in a country with fair skin and an umbrella while the locals are working to the bone. I immediately put the umbrella away as it just felt weird and the sun was not hot at this hour.

As the boat entered the calm lake, it was like glass surrounding with hills. I smiled as I realized I was actually on Inle Lake and going to see the fabled fishermen rowing their boats! This is the only place in the world that the fishermen row the boats with one leg. They balance on the end of the boat, row with one leg and keep their hands free to fish. I could see the fisherman in the distance and I let out a small "yes!" I pointed to the group of fisherman and asked the driver if he could get a little closer for a photo. He agreed but did not get too close. I watched in amazement as they rowed. Their legs are almost like a snake as it twists around the oar and turns in the lake. I don't know how they do it! Throughout the day, I saw young boys practicing with their fathers instructing them. It appeared they learned when they were young.

Other fishermen stand on the bow of their boats and slam the oar on the waters surface to bring the fish closer. It was a different technique and interesting to watch as we sped across the lake.

At the southern end of the lake, I saw farmers gathering seaweed from the bottom of the deeper parts of the lake. I asked my guide what they did with the seaweed. He told me it was used to make the floating garden beds. Inle Lake's availability of nutrient loaded water makes these floating gardens very fertile for cultivation.  He told me there are 20 species of snails and 9 species of fish, found nowhere else in the world. Most of the people are self-sufficient farmers.

The people live on the banks of the lake in simple wooden and woven bamboo houses standing on stilts. In the early morning, many people were bathing, washing clothes or brushing their teeth in the river.

My guide turned down a small canal lined with lotus flowers. He stopped and told me to get out. I was confused and asked if this was the floating market. He told me that I was going to see Lotus silk weaving first. I asked him if the market was next and he said yes. I wanted to get to the market before all the locals left for the day.

The Inle Lake area is renowned for its silk weaving which produces high-quality hand-woven silk fabrics of distinctive design called Inle longyi. It is the only place where this unique fabric from the lotus plant fibers is produced. Originally, it wasa special weaving for the robes for Buddha images and monks. I walked up the stairs to the weaving area. Two young girls demonstrated how the silk strands were removed from the lotus flower stems. It was simple but time consuming work. They broke the stem in 1 inch increments and removed the fine silk then broke another inch and did the same. I was amazed at their patience. This was not something I could do! Afterwards, the silk was spun, died and weaved. The factory was in a beautiful area surrounded by lotus flowers and rice paddies. The woman worked the looms and made beautiful fabrics. Before I left, the woman insisted on putting some thanaka on my face. Throughout Myanmar women and children are seen with a gold paste covering their faces. Thanaka is a traditional skin conditioner which has been used in for centuries and is a cherished part of the national identity. It is made from the bark of a tree. They grind the tree bark with a little water on a flat, circular stone. The grinding motion produces a milky yellow liquid that dries quickly when applied to the skin. The woman explained that the Burmese people believe the bark protects their skin from the harsh sun, tightens their pores and controls oil. She applied it to my skin and I felt a cooling sensation. She laughed as my skin was very light and the thanaka blended well. She looked at me and said "We same same now." She told me I had beautiful coloring and gave me a small thanaka bar to use each day.

I returned to my boat and asked if we were going to the market. My guide said yes. As we left the canal he headed back towards the main lake. I had looked at the map at the south end of the lake and we were headed north. I realized he was going in the wrong direction. He was headed to the floating market for tourists. I turned to him and said "no, wrong market."  I know he was trying to trick me and did not want to go all the way to Thuang Tho. I insisted and he reluctantly turned the boat around. As we arrived at the market I was happy I had insisted he made the trip. My boat entered the canal and I could see several boats at the end. On land there were oxen carts with piles of wood and the Shan women in the distance.

I exited the boat and walked along the path. The farmers were ploughing the fields, sunflowers were blooming and the market was the center of the activity. A farmer saw me with my camera and pointed at it. He wanted his photo taken. He laughed and called all of the people around to see his handsome photo. I must admit, it is a favorite of mine. I have fallen in love with the warmth of the Burmese people.

  

The market had foods, crafts, wood and souvenirs all for sell. As soon as I stepped foot in the area, woman were approaching me and asking me to come visit their shop. I was pulled from one shop to another. I thanked them and went on my way exploring the area market. This was real life. Farmers buying and selling produce. I was amazed at the amount of wood for sale. One of the women explained that all cooking is still done by wood. The Shan women walk the forests and collect wood to sell at the markets. This was a young Shan girl that also asked if I would take her picture. She laughed when she saw it and I told her she was beautiful. She yelled out to her mother to come see the photo and they both giggled and thanked me for sharing it with them.

I returned to my boat and we were headed back to the Inle Lake region. I toured the silversmith, the blacksmith, and the boatmakers. They were  touristy and an attempt to sell souvenirs.

After lunch we went to a pagoda and then up the river to Indein Village. The boat trip was fun. The boat was guided through mini rapids that controlled the water levels.

As we traveled up the river, we passed a man bathing his water buffalo after a long hot day in the feilds. The water buffalo loved the river and raomed along the edge. I loved watching the water buffalo and had been trying to get a good photo of them as I have traveled throughout SE Asia.

We arrived in Indein Village and I hiked to the pagoda. I actually found the little pagodas on the sides to be more beautiful and interesting. As I walked up the hill to the pagoda, I started feeling really sick. Oh no! My lunch was not sitting well. Luckily I had a supply of medications with me and took a few to ease my stomach. I still had a few hours before I would be back to the boat dock. This is not the day I wanted to feel bad. I continued my journey up to the top of the pagoda. Slowly....and drinking lots of water. At the top I enjoyed the view and relaxed a while near a bathroom. I was having severe stomach issues. Ugh!

After an half an hour I started to feel better and made my way down the hill. A man was selling souvenirs and tried to get me to buy this hat made of water buffalo teeth. I didn't know what I would do with it or if I had an outfit to match. I declined but I love the hat! It takes a real man to pull off this look!

The next stop was the Kayan Lahwi (giraffe woman) or Padaung woman. The women in this tribe wear brass coil rings around their necks which give the appearance of lengthening their necks. The weight of the brass coils push the collar bone down which compresses the rib cage. Since I had no intent on buying anything and a few tourists had said the woman and child were treated like zoo animals, I decided to skip that stop. I was not feeling well and wanted to go back to the hotel. I also asked to skip the Jumping Cat Monastery but my driver insisted I go. I don't know why. The monks use to train cats to jump through hoops. Now, the monastery has cats lying on the floor but no tricks. As I walked the grounds I saw a Burmese movie being filmed. It was fun to watch. It seemed very overdramatic, similar to a telenovela.

My last stop was the floating gardens. They are magnificent. I was amazed at the acres and acres of tomato, cucumber, gourds and flowers I saw growing on the lake. The Shan people had beautiful produce due to their ability to make the floating gardens. As we floated through the gardens, a storm blew in followed by heavy rains. The guide handed me a poncho and I grabbed the umbrella. It had been a beautiful day on the lake and I was ready to go back to my guesthouse to reflect on an incredible day. Inle Lake was everything I had hoped it would be and so much more.