Biking, Buddhas, Boats in Beautiful Bagan and Inle... by...

After having just returned from an adventurous week in Myanmar, I feel completely grounded and connected. It's amazing what a week can do for the mind, body and soul. I spent the majority of my time alone and found myself, more often than not, quiet and not having uttered a word throughout the entire day.

I started my trip with a quick stop over in Yangon, before catching a flight on Air KBZ to Bagan. When I arrived in Bagan, there really wasn't much to see, until I got to the resort (that my friend highly recommended) and rented a motorbike right-a-way! It was around $5USD for all day use. What a bargain! So, I grabbed a map (who uses those in this day in age), and began exploring. About 1 minute down the road, I saw my first Pagoda. It was brick, crumbly and beautiful. I continued on for a few more minutes, and began to notice all these turn offs on the road, so I took one. Endless Pagodas...for as far as the flat land you could see! The dirt and dust was plenty, as was the opportunity to take photographs. Being on a motorbike made this task quite laborious, and it was too hot to get off and walk the far distances between each cluster of Pagodas, so I stopped and started, over and over again, sometimes getting stuck in the deep sand (grateful for all that snow in New England...I rocked the bike back and forth eventually getting it un-stuck!). Time and time again, the photo opportunities were endless. I found myself wanting, needing, begging for a wide angle lens to catch all the beauty inside the ever so tiny pagodas that I was visiting. The Buddha, the writing on the wall, the crumbing brick...it was all so much to take in at once. After having explored all afternoon, I settled in for dinner at the hotel. It was a long first day and I still had 2 full days ahead of me. What to explore next? Well, the three days that I spent wandering around Bagan landed me at a local's house with my face being painted, a run through the pagodas at sunset, eating at a local "Be Kind To Animals" lunch and dinner spot with cheap and delicious food, and a pool that I could relax at and actually finish the book that I had started on the plane "Into Thin Air", which connected me to another place that is so very special to me, Nepal.

I hopped another quick Air KBZ flight to Heho, which is where you will find Inle Lake. The resort I stayed at came highly recommended, and it was just awesome. Sanctum Isle Resort knows how to take care of their guests. Their first suggestion was that I take one of their bikes down to the foot bridge and take a tour on one of the "kayaks" in the village. I did just that. One of my favorite memories of my time at Inle Lake. This older woman sat quietly, while a younger boy talked to me in his very good English about all that Inle Lake had to offer. He told me about life on the lake, and how everyone had electricity and even TV! He told me that the water level was low and that during the rainy season, their floating tomato gardens grow quickly. He explained how they carved out boats and that people who live on stilted houses over the water, are a different "people" than the people who live in the hills. "We don't mix" he told me. Once I got on the boat with the old woman, she paddled away, at a snail's pace passing a man lost among the bamboo, a woman doing her laundry in the lake, a child looking on from the window above. Young boys transporting the most beautiful dark, moist soil, that I have ever seen, women working int he tomato fields from their canoes. Everyone was working. The village was quiet, calm and peaceful...making it almost mysterious. The sun was blazing down from high in the sky, as canoes floated by gently knocking into each other, a soft smile and wave would be exchanged by fellow villagers...

After my time first day in Inle, I awoke to the beautiful sound of birds and was surprised by an absolutely amazing breakfast at the resort before I hopped another boat to tour the vastness of the pristine lake below! I found myself wanting to share in the experience with someone. A partner. Friend. Relative. Someone to talk to...but there was nobody. It is difficult to travel alone sometimes, "Will anyone else be joining you this evening?" that I heard day after day, meal after meal...it wears on you after a while. Then, you realize that you are not alone. You might be traveling alone, but you are surrounded by smiles, fresh air, mother earth and all it has to offer. You appreciate more than just good conversation. You begin to notice the world around you. You actually do stop and smell the roses, because what else is there to do.

One of my most favorite memories in Inle Lake was when I took one of the resort bikes out for a spin. I began peddling up a big hill toward a massively huge pagoda, and along the way down, I saw a girl trying to get her bicycle with training wheels going. She was trying to go up hill and wasn't getting very far. Naturally, I grabbed my camera, because what is sweeter than a little girl on her bicycle. She kept trying, and I kept shooting. When the thought passed my mind, "I should help her"...I did just that. I saw her dad upstairs in the window smiling down, and I gestured toward him to see if it was okay to push her up the hill. He nodded and I crossed the street. I put my hand on the back of the seat, and one on the handlebars, smiling at the little girl, I began to push. Just like my dad did when I was her age. We went up the hill a ways and then back down. The little girl didn't smile, until after I had crossed back to my own bike and we connected eyes. I waved goodbye to her and her dad, both with grins ear to ear, put my sunglasses over my eyes and began to cry. I cried all the way down the hill and back to the resort, wondering if it would ever be me, with my own child...

Biking, Buddhas, Boats in Beautiful Bagan and Inle...

Biking, Buddhas, Boats in Beautiful Bagan and Inle...

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