SPOTTED Abroad​

We found this gem at another restaurant by the same owner while we were in Nyaungschwe. Enjoying the sunset during happy hour on their rooftop dining area was the perfect way to end the day. We loved their Burmese fusion pizza. It was essentially a traditional cheese pizza with the addition of our favorite Burmese food on top - the fermented tea leaf salad. We also had the best SE Asian beer on our trip there as well, Black Shield Stout. #Myanmar #InleLake

One of the indigenous tribes that inhabit Myanmar and Northern Thailand are the Karen people. One of the subsets of the tribe, the Kayan, are know for a very unique sort of body modification performed on the women of the tribe. The ladies elongate their necks through the use of brass rings (actually a coil) that begins as early as the age of 5. It begins with only a few rings weighing maybe a kilogram then over the years at certain ages the coil is cut off and a new one wi

One of the real treats we experienced on our trip around Inle Lake was dining and having an afternoon nap with a local family. Our boat man's brother in law is the gentleman who owns several boats and runs tours of the lake with them. Included in his tour package is lunch at his home on the lake. We arrived at his home (all the homes on the lake are literally on the lake and on stilts) and sat and chatted with him on the lower "lounge" level of his home while we waited for

As with most other things on Inle Lake, the making of earthen ware vessels to hold various items is also done by hand - or rather was primarily in the past before the area was inundated with cheap plastic containers and plates. Anyway, we were treated to an example of how things were done in the past. Clay is harvested from the lake and then tossed on a very primitive hand powered pottery wheel. From one large chunk of clay, several small everyday items can be made with in

The lotus is everywhere in SE Asia. From lakes and ponds to art work, it seems as if it's the national flower. The stems of the lotus that grow underwater contain a fibrous center that can be harvested to make thread and subsequently cloth. The process is all done by hand and takes a very long time to accomplish. The cloth made from the lotus stems is very coarse but softens immensely after several washings. One of its most important uses is for making special robes for

Life on Inle Lake is something extraordinary. As soon as you get to discover a place like this, you immediately realize how special it is. The welcoming glimpses we were given into these villagers lives is something we will truly treasure forever. Here is a collection of images to represent what we fell in love with when we were given the chance to witness life on the lake. #Myanmar #InleLake

After sampling the Myanmar style cheroot with our host Mr. A, we were excited to learn our tour of the lake included a stop to view how the cheroots are made by hand. The ladies who roll the cheroots work eight hours a day and can roll over 500 in that period of time. A mixture of tobacco, banana flowers, raw sugar, and various spices are rolled into a special leaf along with a make shift newspaper filter. Once the cheroot is rolled it is banded together with a paper band tha

On Inle Lake, the lake is life. It sustains the people who live on it in every way possible. This extends also to farming. In shallow areas, soil and organic matter harvested from the lake are added to create "farming land" in the middle of the lake. Rows of various vegetables are separated by canals just large enough to navigate a canoe through to tend to the crops. We saw various crops such as tomatoes, eggplant, several squash varieties, and the occasional corn stalk.

Our first stop on our day tour of Inle Lake was sunrise breakfast in the middle of the lake. We enjoyed warm cups of coffee and sugarless doughnuts called jacqui. The idea is to sweeten them by dunking them in your sweet coffee or tea. We both enjoyed them. Life on a lake wouldn't be complete without some form of fishing to provide sustenance. Fishing sustains and provides a source of income for the inhabitants of the lake. Their methods also haven't changed much over th