Category: Shan State: Inle Lake, Kalaw & Pindaya

Today was our final road journey before flying to Ngapali Beach tomorrow for five full days of beach time. We had a short day that started in Kalaw, where we headed east and then north to the village of Pindaya.

There is a small lake in town where we made a pit stop to have a look, then proceeded up into the nearby hills to visit the Shwe Oo Min natural cave temple.

Before driving up into the mountains, we stopped at a local craft shop where they make beautiful umbrellas, writing paper, envelopes, lampshades and a multitude of other paper-oriented products. The paper is made from the bark of the mulberry tree.

The bark is dried and then soaked in brine for 12 hours. Once soaked, the pulp is, well, hammered to a pulp for about 15 minutes, then put into a small pot and stirred. They take the pulpy sludge, spread it onto a screen submerged in water, distribute it evenly, drain the water from the screen and set the resulting mash in the sun to dry.

The result is mulberry paper, which they peel off the screen and use for a myriad of applications. One very talented man works in the corner preparing bamboo to use as the umbrella’s support and locking mechanism. It’s hard to describe, but we were wowed! A very simple procedure to make paper, yet so foreign to us.

The Shwe Oo Min cave temple has the same name as the Shwe Oo Min temple we saw outside Kalaw. This is the Shwe Oo Min Temple in Pindaya. It is a huge natural cave that houses thousands of Buddha figures and stretches probably about 750 metres into the mountainside. Buddhas everywhere!

We spent at least an hour in the caves and then caught some fresh air and a view of Pindaya from the cave entrance. I will probably say it later, but the people of Myanmar love their Buddhas.

After a long day, we arrived in Kalaw, where we will spend two nights. Nestled in the Shan Mountains, the town is like every other village we have seen: clean, organized and relaxed.

We have said several times to each other that we are amazed by the difference between this country and India. I know, two different countries, different populations, etc., but when we imagined Burma—Myanmar, for us anyway—we pictured far less development. It has been a very pleasant surprise.

The next morning, we headed out to explore two cave temples and visit Hnee Paya, where a 500-year-old bamboo Buddha is housed.

Shwe Oo Min Cave Temple

Hnee Paya and a 500-year-old bamboo Buddha

Myin Ma Hti Caves

Kalaw by day and night

 

 

Today was a lot of driving, but worth every minute. The beauty of driving versus flying is obvious: you get to see the real Myanmar. We headed off from Nyaung Shwe, over the Shan Mountains to the hills east of Inle Lake.

The Kakku Pagoda site is believed to date back to the 3rd century BC and is one of Asia’s largest and most spectacular ancient monuments. There are 2,478 pagodas at present, but many were damaged by a tornado in 2016, so repair work is underway. Our guide, Robbin, explained that there were once more than 7,000 pagodas, but earthquakes and time have taken their toll on this magnificent site.

The Aythaya Winery was established in 1999 by a German expat. The area is perfect for grapes, and the white Sauvignon Blanc was exceptional.

The wine industry in Myanmar has nowhere to go but up. They have quality soil, temperature and elevation, so keep your eyes open for some good vintage wine coming out of this area in the future.

Aythaya Winery

Yesterday we spent a full day on a narrow longboat cruising the lake and the myriad canals that finger out into the southwestern area of the lake. Fishermen dot the waterways, but there were also many who were not fishing, instead clearing the water hyacinth that is seriously invading the lake.

Like many other freshwater lakes in the world, this rapid infestation is caused by farming on the surrounding land. Fertilizer and livestock runoff feed the plants to the point that the lake is being choked. If not controlled, it will probably lead to the destruction of the small fishery that exists on the lake and the eventual death of much of its aquatic life, save the hyacinths.

This is not exclusive to Myanmar. Where I grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Lake Winnipeg, among the largest freshwater lakes in the world, is now severely threatened by the same problem. It doesn’t matter if you are in the first world or third world, developed or not; this is a serious worldwide issue that needs immediate attention and probably radical solutions to reverse this course of destruction. Sorry to sound so gloomy.

The lake is 22 km long and 10 km wide and is located in central Myanmar. It is fringed by floating marshes and floating gardens. Stilt-house villages rise above the water and, along with fishing, handicrafts, silk and lotus weaving and silversmithing, contribute to the lake-based economy.

Our first stop, after about a 45-minute ride across the lake and then through a winding canal, was the village of Indein. It is famous for its crumbling groups of ancient pagodas, Nyaung Oak and Shwe Inn Thein Paya, noted for the hundreds of densely packed stupas.

Nyuang Oak

Shwe Inn Thein Paya Pagoda

Our final stop before heading back to our departure jetty was Nga Phe Kyaung Monastery. At over 200 years old, it is the oldest and largest in the Inle Lake region. It is built on wooden stilts and set among floating gardens.

It is also known as the “Cat Monastery.” The monks once trained cats to jump through hoops when boredom set in, but apparently this tradition has faded and we didn’t see one cat. The wooden monastery houses a collection of Buddha images in Shan, Tibetan, Bagan and Inwa styles.

On our way, we navigated through a maze of canals, passing Shan and Intha villages along the banks.

 

We reluctantly left Bagan today and made our way by car across the plains and then through the Shan Mountains to the town of Nyaung Shwe.

We stayed at a very nice colonial-style hotel, about a 15-minute drive from town and the jetty that provides access to the canal leading to Inle Lake.

As has been the case so far in Myanmar, the staff were over-the-top friendly and helpful. Within five minutes of checking in, we had our next day planned: touring the lake, villages, monasteries and ancient pagodas dotted around the second-largest lake in Myanmar.

The Shan Mountains rise around the lake to heights of 2,000 metres, providing a beautiful contrast to the views across the water.

Tomorrow we’ll leave the hotel early and spend the day on the lake, enjoying all that the area has to offer.

Before departing Bagan, we made a plan and arranged transportation for our next five days of exploring Shan State. The map below shows our intended route.