Trekking Day 2

It was 0 degrees at night. The cool night air seeped in through all the cracks in the wooden boards, and there was a draft at every joint. We huddled together on the floor under a couple of blankets, wrapped up in our woolen long johns. Still, we were cold. We woke up several times during the night, shivering from the chill. We had gone to bed at 8 PM and got up with the rooster at 6 AM. That was a long night spent trying to sleep. Yet, we didn’t feel rested in the morning. Our bodies ached from the hard floor. But it felt wonderful to feel the sun’s warm rays again. After a hearty breakfast of bread, potatoes, and pumpkin, we set off back towards Kalaw. Our feet were sore, so we were looking forward to getting back – today’s trek was only 3 hours. In Kalaw, we found a taxi to take us to Inle Lake. The ride took just under 2 hours and cost 35,000 kyats. Eating local dishes is super cheap – thankfully, their food is delicious! A meal costs only about 2,000 kyats. A night’s stay is around 10 USD. We treated our sore bodies to a massage. One hour cost 4,000 kyats. Inle Lake is a beautiful area with towns lining the shores. It’s 22 km long and 11 km wide. We’re staying in the town of Nyaungshwe, where most houses are built on stilts because there are canals everywhere. All the gardens are made of water :) We’ve heard great things about a guesthouse called "The 4 Sisters," so we decided to have dinner there. The menu was set in advance by the sisters. The price was “pay as much as you like…” We were served potatoes, pork, beans with crushed peanuts, and a bunch of other lovely vegetables. The wine produced in Myanmar is surprisingly good – but pricey. A bottle of rosé cost 12 USD. We paid 7,000 for the meal.