It was surprisingly cold on the lake in the morning, but we persisted in eating breakfast on the broad terrace next to the dining hall. We were in the boats by 9:30, and headed immediately down lake to a village that was hosting the five-day market, a largely tribal affair that shifts its location every day. It is one of the great sights in Myanmar, with a broad mix of handicrafts, produce, fresh fish and meat, and the weirdest household good imaginable. The entry to the market is memorably with literally hundreds of Inle boats jockeying for position along the makeshift docks.
A number of the group took advantage of the offerings and bought clothing and other textiles–lovely embroidered jackets, shirts, pants, and wall hangings. But the really interesting part of the market was the tribal section with its vendors.
From the market, which takes place on terra firma, we steered further south to one of the many villages built on stilts right out in the very shallow lake. Our first stop was at a weaving workshop that produced both silk and lotus fabric. The lotus cloth requires long, painstaking work, but is exceptionally beautiful. Our shoppers were soon at it again, purchasing shawls, scarves, pillow covers for themselves, family, and friends.
We then had lunch at a fascinating NGO, the Inle Lake Heritage Association, which attempts to preserve the culture of the lake tribes while also training young people to serve in the (formerly) growing tourist industry, providing decent jobs for people who otherwise have few opportunities. We had a great lunch, visited their collection of Burmese Cats (they preserve those, too), and hopped back onto the boats for our last stop, a visit to a boat building workshop. The Inle Boats are made of solid teak and sealed with lacquer–they’re extraordinarily beautiful, and extraordinarily inexpensive: about $1300 for a full sized boat!
We were back at the hotel for some well-deserved rest and, of course, some drinks by the water to watch the sunset.