Even after the flight from Mandalay and a stop at the monastery, it was still only mid-morning when we arrived at Nyaung Shwe, the Gateway to Inle Lake. Last stop by land!

It has the feel of a frontier sort of town, though no doubt it is not. Something in the size and scale, the non-busy street. The Five-Day Market (more about this later!) was in Nyaung Shwe this morning, but it’s wrapping up when we get there. People have bought whatever they were going to buy and are heading home to cook or to restock small stores in more remote areas.

Some head home by land.

Others, by water.

This boat is full! Look how low she sits in the water. But still, the men keep packing their merchandise in.

At last our boat arrived. Car and driver dismissed, this boat was our transportation while we were here. Pretty, isn’t she?

We climbed aboard, and off we went! There’s no speed limit here.  🙂  The outskirts of Nyaung Shwe raced by.

You may be wondering why the water is so brown, and is the whole lake like this? The answer is silt, I think. And no. Nyaung Shwe sits on a narrow canal that flows into the lake. When we reach the lake the water is much clearer.

The pace of life changes when we’re out on the water. We relax. We’re happy to be here.