Inle Lake, Hsipaw & Mandalay - Myanmar
Once I had sufficiently seen all of Bagan it was time to move on, so myself and a couple friends I met there decided to grab an 8 hour bus from Bagan to Inle Lake. Inle Lake is located in the village of Nyaungshwe, which lies within Taunggyi. The lake and town are within the Shan state of Myanmar, which hosts one of the 135 ethnic groups, the Shan people. It is one of the more beautiful places I have seen in southeast Asia and much of that is attributed to the natural state of the region. It was a beautiful drive into the township and the views all around the area are amazing.
The first day we arrived it was late afternoon, so we opted to walk into town from our hotel. The hotels in Inle are very small and really are setup similarly to hostels. The people who stay in these places are from the backpacking community, because almost all the rooms can be shared with 3+ people. We found a restaurant in our price range and sat down for a meal, then headed back to play cards. We woke up early the next morning and grabbed the complimentary breakfast, then headed to the lake to grab a boat driver to take us around Inle. We paid about $5 per person for close to 6 hours of travel on the lake, we made many stops throughout the day, but some of the most notable were: Burmese cigar rolling, lotus plant cloth weaving, silver welding and the longneck woman. Each stop had a tourist element, in that they offered goods to be sold, but unlike some of the other day trips I have done, since being abroad, there was very little pressure put on us to buy. If someone felt like buying something they were more than welcome to, but there wasn't the constant berating and pushing of goods. We did make a stop at a relatively bustling monastery and then the rain started pouring, so we waited for it to die down and then headed back into town. Once we got back we went for some dim sum and then ended up playing more cards. The final day just hungout around the hotel before our night bus to Mandalay. We were all pretty exhausted from the travel and the full day prior, so it was nice to just relax.
We boarded our night bus at around 8pm and arrived into Mandalay at 3:45am (convenient, right?). Nearly all the buses in Myanmar arrive at the worst times, so you have to know what your plan is prior to leaving the first location. The three of us knew that we would hire a taxi to take us about 1.5 hours northwest to Pyin Oo Lwin, where we would then board an open air train to Hsipaw. The premise of the trip was to cross over the Gotkeik Viaduct, which provides an unbelievable view of the river below and valley of lush forest. The whole 8 hour train ride was really unbelievable, because every single minute was an opportunity to view the wonderful Burmese countryside. It is full of mountains, rice paddies, green fields and local villages; it really was worth the long trip there. Once we arrived in Hsipaw we deboarded the train and immediately started getting accommodation business pitches. We opted to stay in a nearby hotel in a triple room, which would cost $7 per person + free breakfast. After dropping off our belongings we showered and then walked to a restaurant that sits right on the river, which flows through the town. It was a nice end to a long 19 hours of traveling. The next morning I woke up to the phone ringing, alerting me that my bus would be leaving 1 hour early and that I needed to be downstairs in 5 minutes. I quickly packed my bag and headed out.
I arrived in Mandalay after what felt like an eternity, in reality it was only a 9 hour bus ride, but it felt like it had taken forever. In Myanmar, the bus drivers and their riding partners have no problem pulling over at a moment's notice to smoke a cigarette or wait on a delayed passenger, so it was tedious to say the least. Upon arriving to Mandalay, I grabbed a taxi driver and arrived at the hostel I had pre-booked. I unloaded my pack and then crashed for a couple hours…even though you sit on a bus all day, it really does take the energy completely out of you. I woke up to grab a quick meal and then read my book till I fell asleep. The next morning I woke up and rented a motor bike to tour the city, which ended up being a great way to see Mandalay. I first road the 8 miles to Mandalay Hill, which is one of the best viewpoints in the city. I opted to park my bike at the base and then climb the stairs through a series of pagodas to the very top. It was approx. 45 minutes from bottom to top, but felt much longer in the 100 degree heat and 90% humidity. Once I got to the top I took some photos and then started the walk back down. After I reached the bottom I got back on my bike and then drove around the city for another few hours just looking at different city structures and the general area. Mandalay is a very dusty city, so each time I stopped I would be covered in a few milimters of grit/dirt/sand. I came back to the hostel around 4pm and then found a group going to the U Bein Bridge to watch the sunset. The sunset at this location is one of the prettiest I have seen in all of Myanmar, because it sets right behind this bridge and surrounding pagodas, right over a very scenic lake. I enjoyed this moment the most because this bridge also is a place where locals flock after a long day in the sun. We saw families and fisherman all enjoying the evening view, which in most cities are enjoyed only by the visiting population. The group posted up on a table near the lake front and had a few Burmese beers, while we watched the sun drop down below the tree line. It was a fantastic last night in a truly wonderful country. Up next…Cambodia!
Neill
See photos here.
