Day 4 in Myanmar

My flight to Heho was booked for12:30pm, which allowed a nice little lay in for day four. Heho is a small town with the nearest domestic airport for access to Inlay Lake, fast becoming a popular destination for western tourists. Arriving at the very retro domestic terminal I searched for the small booth for my airline to check in. The process was remarkably simple; state your name, show your passport, get a sticker plonked on your chest and pass over your to be checked luggage to a random man, who suddenly appeared behind you. Arriving at the airport extremely early, I went in search of some breakfast. I had skipped the awful offerings at the hotel yet again. I found an Asian fast food café called Singapore Toast and opted for some sweet iced tea some sugary bread pastry of course!

As time idled by I tried not to stick to the plastic airport chairs as I read a book about backpacker escapades in Cambodia. Constantly looking up at the flight information screen I realised how monotonous it was, but how hard it was not to look. My flight number and departure time continued to blare back at me, unchanged. Finally a man with a sign on a stick called out the flight number and we lined up in a haggle at a small exit door with a bus parked in front. The shanty bus loaded with passengers steered its way over to a small plane on the runway. I had only been on a few of these small planes before, one to Boracay in the Philippines, and one to Palm Springs in California.

The flight was short and uneventful. Arriving in Heho in one piece I disembarked the plane and showed my passport to a lady in a small booth that said Foreigner. Finding my bag easily, I walked out to find a young boy aged about 11 years old holding my name on an A4 sheet of paper. He’s a little to young to be my driver I thought, as he eagerly tried to grab my backpack and carry it himself, of which I denied him the pleasure. We walked down the dusty dirt path and out the entrance to the airport. I soon discovered the driver had paid him a few dollars to do the waiting for him, a smart decision. The boy returned to the small soft drink and snack stall that he had been previously manning.

The drive to Inlay took after 45 minutes and I soon arrived in a small town surrounding the large lake. As we drove through the town I saw small shops with woven baskets and traditional fabrics. It wasn’t long before I saw western tourists trooping by the side of the road, a common sight that brought a little sadness to my soul. It wasn’t a surprise how fast things were changing in Myanmar, not unlike Vietnam and Thailand tourism is huge revenue for the growth of the countries economy. As those thoughts were crossing my mind we pulled up at a small dock where long boats were lined up. A man grabbed my backpack and led me down a small path and onto a rickety jetty. We stepped over a few boats to get to the one that would take me to my floating hotel.

We took off without hast and I settled in to my little cushioned seat positioned towards the back of the long boat. Thumping and bumping along the channels of the lake we were passed by numerous long boats full of Western and Chinese tourists. The Chinese were easy to spot as they were all holding umbrellas up to block the sun although they had large flappy hats, long sleeves and sunglasses on.

During the journey we passed local Burmese going about their daily lives, transporting goods, selling produce and shuttling themselves amongst the floating villages. Soon the waterways on which we were traveling opened up to a vast lake surrounded by rolling mountains. I continued to take photos, trying to capture the beauty of which my eyes were becoming accustomed to. Wow! This really was a photographers dream destination. It wasn’t long before we came across some local fisherman, unique in the way they fish the local waters. Using wire or cane nets they stand on the end of their long boats balancing with one foot while the other paddles the oar. It truly is a wonderful sight to see and it sure made some spectacular shots for my album.

Upon arriving at the hotel, we entered through a quaint wooden archway and floated up to the jetty where I was greeted by the staff dressed in white shirts and orange longyis. The setting was serene and I felt truly grateful to be able to travel to such worldly destinations. I checked in and was led to a beautiful little wooden hut on the end of a long jetty. I had opted for a middle range hotel and wasn’t expecting five star luxury but hoped I wouldn’t have another night of buzzing mosquitos and noisy neighbours. Thankfully I had chosen well! The room was gorgeous, a four posted bed with netting, a view of the lake and a luscious bathroom.

Unpacking a few things I found the minibar and grabbed a can of Myanmar beer. Sitting out on the decking looking out on the scenic lake as the sun set, I decided this was a really nice way to end the day!