SPOTTED Abroad

Street Food: Husband & Wives

Street Food: Husband & Wives

Yeah they argue and have those little, weird idiosyncrasies they share but the idea of it all is that two become one. So it is the same with the husbands and wives street snacks that we've grown to love here in SE Asia. I'm not entirely sure what they are but I'll give it a go. From what I can tell a very thin batter that seems to be very heavy on the egg and sometimes contains a broth base rather than a water or milk base, is poured into a large fryer with half moon divot

Inle to Yangon by Rail

Inle to Yangon by Rail

Rather than take the VIP air conditioned, wifi equipped, time efficient bus to Yangon from Inle Lake, we were talked into boarding the train for an experience unique to Myanmar and not seen by many tourists who travel there. Our amazing host Mr. A convinced us of this genius idea and guaranteed it would be like none other. He was spot on about that. The morning of our departure Mr. A drove us to the train station, treated us to a traditional Myanmar style breakfast, helped

Asiatico Pub, Inle Lake

Asiatico Pub, Inle Lake

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

Maing Tauk, Inle Lake

Maing Tauk, Inle Lake

This little village was the finale to our day. It was a very cute and quiet village with a 500-meter teak bridge similar to Amarpura’s U Bein Bridge, just not as long or as wide. We both took in a little stroll down the bridge reminiscing over all that we had seen and done that day. Inle Lake really is a magical place. We agreed, it was a fantastic day that we will cherish forever. #Myanmar

Longneck Tribe, Inle Lake

Longneck Tribe, Inle Lake

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

Lunch & Lounging with Locals, Inle Lake

Lunch & Lounging with Locals, Inle Lake

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

Traditional Clay Pottery in Myanmar

Traditional Clay Pottery in Myanmar

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

Jack's Temple (Shwe Inn Thein Pagoda)

Jack's Temple (Shwe Inn Thein Pagoda)

Part of our day long adventure around Inle Lake included a stop at Shwe Inn Thein pagoda. Though we were pagoda-ed out after a full day of visiting pagodas and stupas in Bagan we decided to make the 700 meter walk from the boat launch area through the covered path up to the temple. It turned out to be one of our highlights of the day. But, not for the reason you would think. Along the walk to the temple we met Jack. As mentioned in our post regarding stray dogs in Myanma

Lotus Weaving, Inle Lake

Lotus Weaving, Inle Lake

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

Life on Inle Lake

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

Making Cheroot in Myanmar

Making Cheroot in Myanmar

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

Boat Making, Inle Lake

Boat Making, Inle Lake

The primary means of transportation on Inle Lake is the long tail boat. There are water ways that resemble roads, blocks of homes, and even what appeared to be traffic rules for the boats. These long tail boats are made from teak and come in several different sizes and styles. Needless to say the creation and maintenance of boats is a very important job. Most of the boats are made from teak because of its ability to hold up so well in a consistently wet environment. Smal

Farming Village, Inle Lake

Farming Village, Inle Lake

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.

Sunrise Breakfast on Inle Lake

Sunrise Breakfast on Inle Lake

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

Red Mountain Estate Vineyards & Winery, Myanmar

Red Mountain Estate Vineyards & Winery, Myanmar

Wineries and vineyards are not common in SE Asia. We've encountered only a handful that actually grow their grapes for their wine production. When we learned of one just a short bicycle ride away from our hotel from our helpful host, Mr. A, we knew we'd have to make a pilgrimage there. Red Mountain Estate is located on the mountain range to the east of the Inle Valley. The grapes they grow range from your typical Merlot to a unique white wine that bears the namesake of th

Nyaungshwe, Myanmar

Nyaungshwe, Myanmar

Note to self, when booking a seat on an air conditioned bus from a hotel concierge, make sure said service is the real deal before the day of. The morning we left Bagan to head to Nyaungshwe (one of the larger port cities on the lake) we were crammed into a mini van (not a bus as advertised) without air conditioning. I'm typically not one to complain, but with 12 people in a van made to carry 9 in 100 degree plus temperatures, not to mention the windows not opening, a guy c

Beautiful Bagan, Myanmar

Beautiful Bagan, Myanmar

From Mandalay we made our way by mini bus to the ancient city of Bagan. The city is perhaps the largest tourist attraction in Myanmar and should not be missed if traveling in the country. Bagan was founded in 849 CE by King Pyinba - the first king to unify all of Myanmar. After its construction it quickly became the political and economic capital of the Pagan Kingdom. Apart from the history of the city the main draw of Bagan is the vast amount of temples and stupas that w

Puppet Show in Mandalay

Puppet Show in Mandalay

In Myanmar, puppet shows are big. They are part of their long and rich history and tell folk stories and myths indigenous to Myanmar. We noticed vendors selling puppets of every size where ever we went. Every evening at sunset, our lovely hotel in Mandalay, Hotel Yadanarbon, offered its guests a free rum cocktail and puppet show on their rooftop restaurant. Not being ones who decline anything free while on the road, we decided to partake of the offer. Though there is no dialo

Tea Leaf Salad in Myanmar

Tea Leaf Salad in Myanmar

To say Myanmar cuisine makes generous use of oil is an understatement. Oil seems to be the key ingredient in every dish we encountered. It's as if the waitstaff are asking you, "Would you like some salad to go with your oil?" Because we've been trying to watch what we eat on the road, we weren't too keen on the over abundance of oil in the food in Myanmar. However, with some help and advice of where to eat and the best dishes to try from some of the locals in Mandalay we

Mandalay Hill

Mandalay Hill

We wanted to end our Mandalay day outing the best way possible - watching the sunset atop Mandalay hill. The weather was perfect - humidity was low and the heat index was dropping as the day ended. Unfortunately a large mass of evening clouds moved in and prevented a picture perfect sunset. Though we weren't able to actually see the sunset, we had a beautiful view of the city below to end our day in Mandalay. Oh, and the wood Buddha at the exit of the hill was worth the tr

1

2 3

SARAH + STEVEN

Just a midwestern hubby and wife team of photographers searching for self discovery thru the lens of life. Based in Milwaukee, WI. Destination: Anywhere!

FOLLOW US

WHERE ARE WE NOW?

ARCHIVE

No tags yet.