I’m taking a bus from Bagan to Inle Lake, and this time it is a real bus. I mean, it matches my concept of a bus. Once again I have chosen the cheapest option the hostel had to offer and it was pretty nice. I believe that the easiest way to get from town to town is scheduling with the hostel you are staying, as it isn’t expensive and you don’t need to care about where to get the bus etc… as they take care of all the process.
On this bus from Bagan to Inle Lake, I realized that many people are going to Kalaw. I was the only tourist on the bus that left in Inle Lake. The other foreigners – there weren’t much– left in Kalaw to trek until Inle. I regret not doing it also. I met a lot of people that did this trekking from Kalaw to Inle and they all said wonderful things about it. Again, another reason why it’s preferable to visit the country immediately after the rainy season as you will get a much greener landscape along those trekked mountains. Some people do it in 3 days, other in 4 or even 2. It’s up to you to choose and it is a cheap experience with everything for the trekking days included. You just need to take appropriate footwear as blisters will join you along the day if you don’t make the right choice. Some people were telling me that they were sleeping in Monasteries. It looks so much fun. Next time I will do it!!!
This was a long bus ride, but I enjoyed it as like I stated before, I like to ride buses cause I can see the landscape and the Burmese people on their regular daily tasks. Again, the corridor of the bus is not to walk. It is to put little benches so more people can sit. haha
It was during this ride that I felt like all Myanmar is under construction. I saw so many works on the street… It really looks like they are developing and building a lot of new streets. The thing is that they build the streets by hand. Yes! I saw the tar being warmed in barrels and placed by hand on the floor by women. I saw women building streets for the 1st time in my life. And that is gender equality.
It was also on this ride that I get in contact with Burmese music. I always love to have a sound to associate with each country I visited. Just like I have it for India, I also have my own sound of Myanmar and it brings me so much joy just to listen to it. Can you believe that even today my playlist is made out of Myanmar songs?
Anyway, it was a very pleasant ride this one from Bagan to Inle Lake! Before entering Inle Lake, you need to pay for an entrance fee that allows you 5 days in the area. I reach it after 5 PM and I’m so tired of the ride that I just chill for the rest of the day at the hostel.
So far, Inle also looks as calm as Bagan.
