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Olympus OM-2N | Kodak Portra 400NC
There are market-type stalls all around Kyaukme as well as a large indoors market that operates until about 5PM. But those can't compare to the morning market that explodes all over the streets until about 11AM. As the center of the district and basically the largest town surrounded by remote villages, Kyaukme is where people come from miles around for their necessities.
Olympus OM-2N | Kodak Plus-X
Part of a gentle and unfortunately somewhat boring trek near Inle Lake. The meditation caves were nice, though. I visited two caves with my guide Khin Khin Soe, and in both the monks were welcoming and generous.
At the first we were given cookies and papaya—extra ripe and sweet—plus the opportunity to soak up the atmosphere as long as possible. Two monks lived at the first cave, the one who'd lived there 11 years acting as mentor.
At this second cave the monk was much older, and had been alone in the cave for 8 years. He showed us around the various shrines in the darkness of the cave, then brought us back to his living quarters, where Khin Khin Soe decided to cook lunch on his outdoor fire pit.
Canon A630
This sweet man works as a waiter but occasionally as a boat driver. I assume the boat pays well compared to serving at a restaurant with 5-6 customers per night—15000 is the going rate for a day trip, although I don't know how much of that goes to gas or rent of the boat.
His village was further away than Paw Son's, so he'd moved to Nyaungshwe for work. His wife was Burmese, so he considered his daughter "true Bamar" as well. He had another on the way, which he was convinced would be a boy.
Although he complained that there hadn't been many tourists lately, the staff agreed the biggest hit had been due to the Bangkok Airport's shutdown. No mention of whether tourism had steadily decreased since Cyclone Nargis, whether it had basically been bad all year from his perspective.
He clearly adored his daughter, but the "white liquor" (rice wine) he shared with me also brought out the fact that he wished sometimes he was still single, that it was too much work having to worry about the family all the time, that he never felt like he could catch up financially.
Canon A630
Olympus OM-2N | Kodak Portra 400NC
A large part of an Inle Lake trip—quite anti-climactic after spending the morning at a home in Helon village—is shopping stops disguised as education. I skipped a few near the end, but of the ones I did visit, the weaving was by far the most interesting. This contraption for spinning threads was operated by six people.
Olympus OM-2N | Kodak Portra 400NC
The Padaung don't live anywhere near Inle Lake, but come in hopes of earning some tourist dollars. The young cousins at this shopping stop were very sweet, only 15 and 16 years old. The older one was in the process of weaving some fabric for bags on a loom strapped to her waist, while the younger was just hanging out.
Olympus OM-2N | Kodak Plus-X
At Kyau Kund's home in Helon village, one of these boats unloaded its crowd of people to receive donations and blessings from the family. The younger boy--awfully young for a monk--was so cute. The older one was just over it.
Olympus OM-2N | Kodak Plus-X
Due to Kyau Kund and Paw Son's limited English, I didn't fully understand what was going on with these boats--outfitted with loudspeakers and boys dressed like pink princesses shaded under golden umbrellas--until I ran into a guide that explained the young boys were preparing to enter monkhood.
Olympus OM-2N | Kodak Plus-X
Due to Kyau Kund and Paw Son's limited English, I didn't fully understand what was going on with these boats--outfitted with loudspeakers and boys dressed like pink princesses shaded under golden umbrellas--until I ran into a guide that explained the young boys were preparing to enter monkhood.
Olympus OM-2N | Kodak Plus-X | Forte Polywarmtone
Helon village isn't on the tourist map for Myanmar. The friendly receptionist at my Inle guesthouse, Kyau Kund, was headed home for the weekend—rare time off due to monk novitiation ceremonies—and suggested he come on my tour of the lake so I could visit his family when dropping him off.
We visited the market together—while he actually shopped for food and other household necessities for his mother far from the tourist-oriented trinket stalls—then headed to his tiny village, one of several stilt-house villages ringing Inle. Most of the canoes there were non-motorized, so the sound from our motor—indicating an outsider!—brought plenty of people to the windows and doorways. His family was especially excited, already happy to see him but additionally eager to meet a tourist. No one in his family spoke a word of English (and Kyau Kund was limited as well), but it was an incredibly pleasant morning.
They also had a great view of the village from their window, which Kyau Kund's young niece seemed to enjoy sharing with me. This was shot from that window.
Olympus OM-2N | Fuji Reala
Minority women at the Nampan market—largest of the 5-day market cycle around Inle Lake.
Olympus OM-2N | Fuji Reala
Although Nampan is the best-known village for its stilt houses, they seemed pretty common all over Inle.
Olympus OM-2N | Delta 3200 @ 1600
Don't make eye contact.
Olympus OM-2N | Delta 3200 @ 1600
Competing groups beat their drums louder and louder.
Olympus OM-2N | Delta 3200 @ 1600
Competing groups beat their drums louder and louder.