Inle Lake: Shan State: Myanmar

Inle Lake is located in Nyaung Shwe township in the Shan state. It is the second largest lake in Myanmar and one of the the highest. The people that live on the lake are called Intha they established four main cities around the lake. There are now many more smaller villages that line the lake and while it is large,  it is having a hard time sustaining its ecosystem due to the population growth and the growth in tourism.

Inle Lake is known for the Intha people who row their boats with one leg.. floating gardens... a 5 day rotating market that circles the lake... lotus root and silk weaving... silversmiths.. ironwork....handicrafts.. It is remarkable.

Inle Lake: Fisherman

A photo sequence.

 Early morning fishing on Inle lake. 

Quiet, still and unbelievably beautiful. 

I have never seen anything like it. 

Inle Lake: Cheroots

Making Cheroots in Inle Lake. Cheroots are handmade cigars that are can be flavored. 

We bought a few of the anise.. they were great-- so were the ladies making them,

Inle Lake: Lotus Root Weaving

 Lotus Root weaving.. who knew. It is a pretty intense process and take a long time to get enough to create on thread. in order to make the warp stronger on the loom the Lotus thread is soaked in both congee (rice water) and cooking oil.
The result is amazing.. almost linen like.. but a little different. Soft, thin and slightly rough.. It is insanely expensive, but worth every penny once you see the the process.

Inle Lake: Floating Gardens

 Tending to the floating gardens.. morning and night. They are solid enough to stand on and each section grows  vegetables and flowers. The Intha can not create anymore gardens.  The only way new people can use these gardens is by selling their plots.. or passing them onto new generations. It is said there is a satellite that can track when more 'land' is created.. maybe that's true.. either way for the safety of the ecosystem it's probably a good idea to keep things as they are..