June - July 2013 - Association of Dutch Businessmen

Travel
Temple, Sulamani Temple and Damarazika Stupa. Shwe San
Daw, Bupaya, Lawkananda and Mingalar Stupas are famous
for good sunset views. Besides that, we also visited many
stupas, we talked with many very friendly locals trying to sell
souvenirs, had lovely dinners and we had a beautiful private
sunset cruise on Ayeyarwaddy River.
After two night in Bagan we had our one hour flight to
Mandalay. Mandalay is the second capital of Myanmar and
it was the last capital of the Myanmar kingdoms before
the British Empire took control. Gold leaf beating, tapestry,
turnery, marble stone carving, silk weaving and gold smiths
are worth visiting if you are interested. Mandalay, as a
town, is not as attractive as others in the country, but we
loved walking around the market. We were almost the
only foreigners walking there; we were invited to try the
local food, we bought some great shopping bags and other
local souvenirs, and chatted with many vendors about
their products. Besides the almost half day we spend
in the market, we had a very relaxing boat tour on the
Ayeyarwaddy River to the small town off Mingun. We visited
Mandalay Palace, Mandalay Hill, the old Mandalay palace
and moat, the longest teak wood foot bridge, the touristy
Bargaya Monastery and the amazing serene and more quiet
Shwe Kyaung Monastery.
Our next stop was Inle Lake. The closest airport is Heho,
which is approximately a one-hour taxi-ride away from Inle
Lake. Inle Lake is situated 900 meters above sea level and
is surrounded by blue and hazy mountain ranges. There are
about 100,000 people inhibiting Inle Lake and its shores. It
is 22 kilometers in length and 10 kilometers at the widest
point. Various tribal (e.g. Intha, Pa-O and Shan) people’s
daily life and markets, the leg rowing Intha fishermen and
the floating gardens are the main tourist attraction.
Market days in Shan State are most attractive to tourists
who love to see the daily lives of ethnic people. The Market
is not held daily in certain places, but is held every five days.
The Feudal Lord of Shan State invented the system. The
distance between the villages and the market places is quite
big, so sellers and buyers cannot come to the market places
everyday. This five-day market system is convenient to local
people as well as to the sellers. The market rotates from
one village to another and comes back every five days to
each place. Markets in Shan State also double as community
centers where people meet friends from other villages and
exchange news. Food, beverages and most necessities can
be bought at the markets. The markets are colourful, and
tribal people wearing their traditional costumes can be
seen. Visitors should not miss the market day while being in
Shan State.
The Intha people row their boats with their legs. It is
more powerful and more suitable to use their traditional
fishing method by putting a conical shaped fishing trap into
the lake. In addition they can see ahead by standing in reedy
areas. The Intha are the only tribe who row their boats with
their legs.
These floating gardens are formed naturally from the
mixture of hyacinth, buoyancy and some decaying roots, and
are anchored with bamboo poles in the shallow lake. Mainly
tomatoes and gourds are planted on the floating gardens.
After two night nights at Inle Lake we flew back to
Yangon and then to Singapore. Eight days in Myanmar is
not enough, but it gave us a great experience of life in this
beautiful country. We look back on a wonderful experience
and advise you to go as soon as you can to experience this
complex, vibrant, profound and beautiful country.
For more info on travelling to Myanmar:
• www.myanmartravel.com/
• www.lonelyplanet.com/myanmar-burma
• www.travelmyanmar.com
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