INLE   LAKE

Myanmar attractions stretches the boundaries of what can be defined as a tourist destination.  Outside of Bagan and Shwedagon Pagoda there’s relatively few standard “must see” attractions.  It may sound incredulous to recommend Inle Lake - the attraction here is fishermen using their legs, instead of arms, to propel the oar to their boat.  It doesn’t sound like much because it really isn’t all that much but somehow the sum is greater than the individual parts.  
Since there’s not much to do in Inle Lake what few tourists there are all seem to be heading in the same direction, however, there are two relatively easy ways to carve out a slice of personal experiences in a densely populated tourist area - arrive early or late [assuming it’s not a sunrise or sunset conducive site].  I opted for the former and dressed warmly for an early departure from Nyaung Shwe onto Inle Lake.  The hope is that the earlier departure will provide a glimpse of the night fishermen still in action before they head back to shore and sell their catch at one of the markets that surround the lake.  The early sunrise over the eastern ridge enhances the beauty of the calm lake.
Upon entering the lake from the canal I was rewarded to see a few fishermen still in action.  The trip consisted of several other stops but the fishermen are the main attraction.  One of the fishermen’s leg balances on the boat while the other leg circular rotates the oar without lifting the paddle out of the water.  Their unique style of propelling their boat using a free leg is beautiful and mesmerizing - the fishermen almost seem to be one with the boat as they glide across the still water.

Using the leg to paddle frees up the fisherman’s arms to pull in the fishing line with both hands.  It’s a rhythmic motion that resembles more dance than sustenance work. The balancing on the front of the boat was singularly impressive but the net movement on top makes it an extraordinary feat.  
The beauty hides the reality that the  fishermen’s livelihood relies on his catch not the pleasure of passing tourists in a motorized boat.  The lake was perfectly serene.  No ripples, no noise, just us quietly sitting on the boat.  The stillness created a perfect sunrise reflection on the lake.
The fishermen started to head back to shore and we headed to a “floating” monastery in the middle of the lake for a light breakfast.  From here I went to the western shoreline to watch individuals roll cigars for sale throughout Myanmar.  The cigar “factory” was a barn on stilts and several teenagers sat together rolling cigars.  I walked around the shoreline to a school with excited children before hopping back on the boat.
A few more Inle Lake photos before heading back to town:
On the non-boat ride day, I rented a bike and rode north to a monastery.  The monastery had mostly young men - presumably monks in training. The roads are flat but they are open to the sun.  
It was a nice and quiet place except for a group of the most awkward photographers I have seen in my travels.  The group must have received some sort of permission and made a generous payment to the monastery because they were touching and positioning the monks to make use of the sunlight and shadows inside the monastery. It was completely obnoxious to see individuals with a camera lens less than a photo away from a monks face and with their free hand adjusting the monk’s hood so it fell across the monk’s face in a perfect position.  
Because apparently, walking around and taking photos like these aren't good enough.
I then biked east and south along the Inle Lake coastline.  Somewhat surprisingly there’s a vineyard - Red Mountain Estate winery - overlooking the lake.  I ordered the four wine sampler - the wine was good, very sweet, but not too bad.  Back in town I had Inle Lake Fried Fish for dinner - the first was large and had lots of meat.
I caught a puppet show at night - Aung Sung’s marionette traditional dance and song puppet show.  No words are spoken during the show - it’s an interpretative dance performance - puppets, traditional, interpretative dance.  It’s pretty good though.  There are eight different puppets and each gives a two-three minute performance with Aung Sung pulling the strings in all different directions.  The best “dancer” had a ball the Burmese play with and he was able to bounce it from his knees, to his head to his back.  There was also a monkey doing flips.  Aung Sung has 30 years of experience and it was nice talking to him before and after the performance about his puppetry background and changes Myanmar has experienced over the past few years.
I thought the town of Nyaung Shwe was nice. It had a grid setup and was easy to walk around. Pick a restaurant. Pick a place for a beer. Pick a place for a coffee. It was easy to find whatever you wanted. The cafe/coffee shops were unique because the had cigarette lighters attached to strings hanging from the ceiling rafters.
For additional Inle Lake photos see FLICKR ALBUM.