Susan's NGTAW Blog: Views of the Burmese countryside via bus to Inle Lake

Traveling to market at HeHo village

Wednesday , February 28 Myanmar

This morning we said goodbye to Bagan and left on the FMI prop jet at about 9:30. We are flying east to Inle Lake region, which has become a popular tourist spot. The flight was less than an hour. It was interesting to see the terrain – mostly agriculture and lowland hills. Lots of brown patches, as it's still winter/dry season. We arrived at the Heho airport – more greetings and roses – and got on a bus to take us through the countryside to our location for the next 2 days: Aureum Palace Resort & Spa, Inle Lake.

Back on the Myanmar FMI regional prop jet this morning

Quick flight to the east - Heho airport is closest to our next destination - Inle Lake

Looking forward to our 90 minute bus ride through the Burmese country side - drive by photos!

Saw a number of horse carts traveling to market - along with tractors, motorbikes and other options

Of course, walking and carrying your goods on your head works well too!

Gathering at the street corner

Myanmar has 135 ethnic minorities - this head wear is popular in the Shin area

Most likely transporting workers out to the fields - sugar cane, rice, seasonal vegetables all abound

These women form a road crew - moving rocks in baskets to pave a road bed

Transporting bags of chips - both potato and taro are popular here

Our Burmese guide, May, provided wonderful information about the region

We drove for almost 90 minutes – first through Heho. Hehe means where oxcarts travel to meet merchants. Indeed, there were many carts, tractors, bikes and other means of transportation. The countryside is very agricultural – now the seasonal crops include Chinese cabbage, tomatoes, avocado, beans. In the summer they grow rice. There is also a great deal of tea grown around this region (called Shin). They eat tea leaves in salads and also pickle the tea leaves. There is a great deal of sugar cane grown here – some is being harvested now – by hand of course, and then the field is burned and the ashes are spread for the nitrogen. We passed at least 2 sugar cane processing plants – they make molasses. The cane syrup can also be distilled for alcohol (rum!)

Bathing and washing in the river

Fertile area for agriculture

Typical buildings made of woven bamboo walls and thatched roofs

We stopped to see a temple built in 1888 – the Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery. It was unique because it’s made from wood and has large round windows. We saw the abbot heading off for lunch, and a number of contented kitties.

Dressed to visit temples - wearing my longi to cover knees and barefoot

The temple abbot's teaching and writing space

Mike respectfully removing shoes before entering the temple

Tables of trinkets and souvenirs are ubiquitous outside of the temples - hoping we will part with some kip

We passed a small town and it was clear that today was market day. Our guide, May, said that market day occurs every 5 days. The tradition from many generations is that 5 towns get together and share the market “circuit”. Each day the market is in one of the towns. That way the farmers can work for 4 days and have one day “off” to sell their produce.

I noticed large fig and banyon trees had little shrines in front of their trunks. May said that the shrine is for the spirit that lives in the tree. People usually don’t cut down large trees – they’re too afraid of the nat that guards the tree.