03 TRAVEL LOG 2012

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A DIFFERENT KIND OF FOOTSIE

On a recent trip to Myanmar with AirAsia, Matt Colautti tried his hand... or rather legs at a unique kind of boat rowing at Inle Lake.

RIGHT: Watching the sun set over Inle Lake is one of the highlights of a trip to Myanmar. BELOW: Matt Colautti attempts the difficult foot-paddling technique.

Before entering the canoe I considered what a fall into the water would cost me. My pants would dry eventually. The camera in my pocket would be a write-off and my passport would be soaked beyond ruin. Worst of all, the small bag holding all those crisp US dollar bills needed for travel to Myanmar would be lost. I decided that I couldnt allow myself to fall. Getting into the canoe, everything seemed steady enough. I took a cautious step toward the back of the boat. Suddenly, the wooden bottom under me started rocking violently, as if a sea creature was attacking. I threw myself onto the deck and waited for the boat to stabilise. Slowly, after a few minutes, I slid bum-rst to the back of the boat, all the while wondering how the villagers of Myanmars Inle Lake made this look so effortless. You can swim? asked my boat renter, Myathon, as he looked on with amusement while passing a paddle to me. I mumbled an 98
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afrmative grunt and tried to look like I knew what I was doing. He pushed the boat from the dock and I started paddling out to the canals. The goal to any visit to Myanmars world famous Inle Lake is to experience life that is intrinsically related to water.Villagers tended to enormous oating gardens pegged together with bamboo poles, houses on stilts lined canals, instead of roads, and golden pagodas reected majestically on the deep blue waters. But the most unique sight was the foot-rowing practised by the Intha people, a strange balancing act that allowed the shermen to row with their legs while laying traps with their hands. Taking a break from the normal motorboat tours available to tourists, I decided to brave the waters on my own in one of the lakes ubiquitous canoes. My condence improved while I sat at the back of the boat, paddling merrily under the cloudless sky. I passed under a decrepit

RIGHT: The Intha people learn their unique foot-paddling technique at a young age. BELOW, RIGHT: The villages in the Inle region have canals instead of roads.

wooden footbridge and entered the village of Nanthe. Women washing clothes by the waters edge waved and shouted Mengala-ba (Myanmarese for hello). I passed a waterfront monastery, where I saw red-robed young novices too engrossed ying kites to notice me. A devoutly Buddhist nation, religion holds an important place in Myanmar. Almost every man and woman spends some time as a monk or nun at least once in their lifetime while growing up. Golden pagodas pepper the landscape in Myanmar, offering a glimpse into this deeply religious nation. On my short canoe ride, I passed at least a dozen temples. Outside of the village of Nanthe, I canoed into a watery grove surrounded by a thick forest. In the centre was a simple wooden building on stilts. This was a nat shrine, inhabited by ancient spirits that are another interesting aspect of Myanmarese belief. These spirits have the power to bring prosperity or destruction, and there are many festivals and offerings made to appease them. There was a noise behind me. Another canoe, packed with three people and boxes of vegetables, rowed past me. What looked like the youngest son, stood up, wrapped his leg around the paddle and expertly began to foot-paddle. I decided to follow suit and see if I could do what the little boy was doing. At the next food bridge, I stopped the boat and grabbed one of the foundations. Standing up carefully, I inched to the edge of the boat. My balance was precarious. It only got worse as I raised one leg and wrapped it around the paddle. People on the shore were rolling in laughter at the sight of my attempted foot-row. I tried a few more modest movements, and then quickly retreated to my seat to row by hand, conceding defeat. Myathon was waiting for me with tea and snacks when I returned to shore. I wasted no time asking him if he ever fell into the water while learning to foot-row. Oh yes. Many times, he said. I considered myself lucky. He patted me on the back and I gazed out at the watery maze I had come out from. An afternoon canoeing by yourself on Inle Lake may not make you a certied Intha, but it was a rewarding up-close look into Myanmarese life. Just dont fall in.

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