e rented bikes and cycled through the dirt trails in this now, archaeological zone. As we pedaled around, we met buses of Burmese tourists making pilgrimmages to this place. There were so many sites for them to visit and pay tribute to Buddha that their efforts seemed ludicrous at times. Upon reaching a site, everyone would pile out of the bus and enter the temple. A few minutes later they would all emerge, load up, and the bus would head out to the next spot where the pattern was repeated again.
n the morning, the pilgrims seemed to linger, praying and relishing a holy site. As the day wore on, they began to move faster and faster - sometimes running through a shrine, little kids shoving new small bills into donation boxes and scurrying off, old ladies peering out the bus window - too slow to make a quick trip inside. At the end of an exhausting day, all the pilgrims seemed to congregate at one pagoda which, when lit up at night, gave a carnival-like atmosphere to the place. Street stalls sold food, vendors hawked souvenirs and pilgrims wound down. On the pagoda site stood a booth where people could throw coins into bins for different wishes (health, wealth, romance). Everything felt so festive, we couldn't help but wonder where the "Guess the weight of the pig?" table was located.
fter visiting our share of religious sites, we found ourselves spending a few days on Inle Lake. Primarily inhabited by the Intha tribe, they have turned the majority of this shallow lake into a unique floating garden. As we boated through a snaking maze of man-made canals, our guide pointed out different fruits and vegetables growing on top of the boggy canal walls. In what could be called the original hydroponic plantation, Intha people plucked and pruned their produce from small shallow canoes. They rowed from site to site standing, using an arm and a leg to maneuver the paddle.
his contorting type move worked, but required tremendous balance. Little boys looked awkward trying to master their technique while some men seemed to gracefully dance along the water. Fishermen would quietly glide the water looking for prey. Once spotted, the fisher dropped a large cage into the shallow water trapping the fish inside. Using a spear, they could then remove the catch at their leisure from a hole on the top of the cage.
e rented bikes and cycled through the dirt trails in this now, archaeological zone. As we pedaled around, we met buses of Burmese tourists making pilgrimmages to this place. There were so many sites for them to visit and pay tribute to Buddha that their efforts seemed ludicrous at times. Upon reaching a site, everyone would pile out of the bus and enter the temple. A few minutes later they would all emerge, load up, and the bus would head out to the next spot where the pattern was repeated again.
n the morning, the pilgrims seemed to linger, praying and relishing a holy site. As the day wore on, they began to move faster and faster - sometimes running through a shrine, little kids shoving new small bills into donation boxes and scurrying off, old ladies peering out the bus window - too slow to make a quick trip inside. At the end of an exhausting day, all the pilgrims seemed to congregate at one pagoda which, when lit up at night, gave a carnival-like atmosphere to the place. Street stalls sold food, vendors hawked souvenirs and pilgrims wound down. On the pagoda site stood a booth where people could throw coins into bins for different wishes (health, wealth, romance). Everything felt so festive, we couldn't help but wonder where the "Guess the weight of the pig?" table was located.
fter visiting our share of religious sites, we found ourselves spending a few days on Inle Lake. Primarily inhabited by the Intha tribe, they have turned the majority of this shallow lake into a unique floating garden. As we boated through a snaking maze of man-made canals, our guide pointed out different fruits and vegetables growing on top of the boggy canal walls. In what could be called the original hydroponic plantation, Intha people plucked and pruned their produce from small shallow canoes. They rowed from site to site standing, using an arm and a leg to maneuver the paddle.
his contorting type move worked, but required tremendous balance. Little boys looked awkward trying to master their technique while some men seemed to gracefully dance along the water. Fishermen would quietly glide the water looking for prey. Once spotted, the fisher dropped a large cage into the shallow water trapping the fish inside. Using a spear, they could then remove the catch at their leisure from a hole on the top of the cage.
