Around Indawgyi Lake (part 1)

Events of Saturday 7th October 2017

Indawgyi Lake is the largest lake in Myanmar and one of the largest in South-East Asia, about 8 miles wide and 15 miles North to South with 20 villages (mainly Shan or Kachin) around the shore. Its isolated location means that it is unspoiled and it has been designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The best-known feature of the lake is probably the Shwe Myitzu Pagoda, actually built in the lake and accessible by causeway during the dry season but requiring a boat trip when I visited

I’d slept well on the raised but hard bed at the IndawMaHar Guest House which is built on piles at the edge of the lake and stood about two feet above the lake level when I visited in the rainy season. Near the shore, green weed grows all around, so it wasn’t particularly obvious that you were over water until you used the short wooden 'gangplank' linking the main building to the separate wooden bathroom.


Indawgyi Lake (part 1): IndawMaHar Guest House.

At about 7.30 a.m., July and I walked across the road from our Guest House to a tea shop. We passed chickens foraging for food near the road outside one house whilst a large pig was stretched out in front of another, enjoying the early morning sun. We looked at a very overloaded motor cycle festooned with various bags. This, it transpired, was the mobile shop and the lady proprietor seemed to be doing reasonable business.


Indawgyi Lake (part 1): Lonton, the Mobile Shop.

At the tea shop, the choices appeared to be Shan Noodle Soup or Shan Noodle Soup. Although I was assured that there were only vegetables in mine, I found generous lumps of chicken. But they managed a fairly cold Coca Cola.


Indawgyi Lake (part 1): Breakfast at a tea shop in Lonton.

Having finished our breakfast, we walked back to the Guest House, where a young girl was perched on one of the wooden walkways next to the building washing clothes, using a stick to beat water through the fibres of the fabric.


Indawgyi Lake (part 1): Laundry work at IndawMaHar Guest House.

Having collected what we needed for the day, July and I walked the few yards to the Inn Chit Tha Building. Inn Chit Tha are a local not-for-profit eco-tourism group set up in 2013. Their office was crammed with bicycles for hire but we’d booked a boat trip. Alongside the Inn Chit Tha building there was a small creek, filled with weed and motor boats similar in design to those used on Inle lake. A rickety single-plank wide gangway ran along one side. This appeared to be what served as the Jetty. A boatman was putting diesel in one of the engines and then he pushed the boat to a position where we could board. July and I were both equipped with lifejackets (which we discarded later in the day as being hot and uncomfortable – I saw no other person wearing one during the day). When we were aboard, the boatman extricated our craft from the weeds and the adjacent boats by a combination of pulling against the other boats and, once there was space to insert his long bamboo pole, poling.


Indawgyi Lake (part 1): Leaving Lonton by boat.

The motive power was the usual sort of Chinese-made single-cylinder diesel engine developing around 25 horse power which required hand-cranking to start. Whatever exhaust system has once been provided, it was long gone, and the engine block discharged directly upwards producing a noise that was, to say the least, raucous.

At about 9.00 a.m. we left Lonton, which is fairly near the southern end of Lake Indawgyi on the west shore. We headed slightly east of north at a good speed. I expected us to call at the Shwe Myitzu Pagoda, shimmering in the sun but we kept going and July explained that our destination was to be a series of pagodas at Shwe Taung built on Golden Mountain. This is near the northern end of the lake towards the east, where the Indawgyi River discharges into the lake.

So it was around 10.00 a.m. when we arrived at the foot of Golden Mountain where a steep, sandy hillside sloped into the water near a painted Buddha image next to a building housing a shrine. A herd of mountain buffalo were ambling across the hillside, apparently making for the water. There seemed to be no facilities for landing – the boatman simply pointed the prow at the bank and cut the engine. Scrambling ashore was easier than expected, but the buffalo were still on the track leading to the Buddha image.


Indawgyi Lake (part 1): Mountain buffalo at Golden Mountain).

Buffalo are very watchful creatures and their apparently intelligent eyes hold you in their gaze. Despite their size and strength, they are easily spooked by any sudden movement. Even when they are almost completely submerged in water, their eyes remain focused on you. I was reminded of the similar behaviour of hippopotamus I’d seen in Africa (mantioned in the post Savuti (2)).

From near the Buddha image, a way led up the hill to the first pagoda. I say ‘way’: it was more a trench cut by water now (mostly) dry, rather than a track, probably very suitable for mountain buffalo but not ideal for wobbly elderly foreigners. I set off well enough but on a tricky bend I lost my balance and fell on my backside. I only suffered minor abrasions on one arm and loss of what little dignity remains but I’d found a spot that was still a little muddy. You would have hoped I’d have learnt my lesson on Nightingale Island (for more details see my post Nightingale and Inaccessible Islands). July was horrified but, of course, I elected to carry on, with welcome help from July on subsequent tricky corners. But by the time we reached the first pagoda, the heat and the exertion had 'winded' me. Near the pagoda was a building with a shrine and a single young monk in residence. He was quite happy for me to sit in the shade of his building whilst July checked out an alternative route.


Indawgyi Lake (part 1): The young monk on Golden Mountain.

I must have happily rested there for three quarters of an hour and meanwhile July reported that carrying on uphill through woodland to the monastery would offer an alternative, perhaps easier, way down. Well, I agreed but the rest didn't seem to have restored me much and, even with July's willing help, I was stopping frequently for a 'breather', although the track through the woods appeared not that hard. I was quite pleased when our boatman joined us and, with the combined help of July and the boatman, I completed the climb to the monastery. We sat on seats overlooking the lake and I was surprised at our elevation. Later, July presented me with a bowl of apple slices which I slowly ate and enjoyed. Then we went into the monastery where the head monk said foreigners often sleep there and, offering a blanket and pillow,invited me to sleep. There were two cats nearby, also resting, so I followed their example and lay, perfectly content, for almost an hour. Although my visit didn't work out quite as planned, I'd had a really special time on Golden Mountain.


Indawgyi Lake (part 1): With our boatman and July, relaxing in the monastery on Golden Mountain.

We'd had the offer from the monk of a motor bike ride for me downhill to the alternative landing place and I was all in favour but July wouldn't countenance it until she'd done it herself to assess risk which involved her going down and back to rejoin me. Even then, it was only reluctantly that she let the young driver bring me down. The track was certainly steep and with some tricky spots but I enjoyed the run and we were soon back on our boat and underway for the short transit to Nyaung Bin.

Related posts on other websites

There's a useful description of the Indawgyi Lake area on the Go-Myanmar site here.

Related posts on this website

This is one of a series of posts describing my 12th visit to Myanmar. The post Starting out is the first post in the series.

Clicking on the 'Next report' link displays the post describing the next events. In this way, you may read about the trip in sequence.
Next report on this trip.


Alternately, clicking on the 'All my Burma-2017(2) reports' link displays all the posts on this trip in reverse date-of-posting order.
All my Burma-2017(2) reports.

My photograph albums

Where necessary, clicking on an image above will display an 'uncropped' view or, alternately, pictures may be selected, viewed or downloaded, in various sizes, from the albums listed:-

Indawgyi Lake (part 1).

[Link to pictures added, 16-Oct-2017: Pictures added 4-Jan-2018]

By Road to Indawgyi Lake

Events of Friday 6th October 2017

I started the day at the Palm Spring Resort Hotel in Myitkyina with a walk around the well-tended gardens fronting on the river then took breakfast in the large dining room. They opened at seven and clearly concentrated on providing for the Myanmar guests first – there was a range of Myanmar dishes, coffee and chilled water already laid out. Orange juice arrived a little later and a toaster for the white sliced bread much later. Despite the language problems, I managed to get two fried eggs, 'sunny side'.


Palm Springs Resort, Myitkyina.

On the previous day, I'd carefully explained to July my interest in railways so our first destination was the railway station. To my surprise, there was a train waiting to depart - the 8.00 a.m. to Mandalay headed by a sparkling reconditioned YDM4 "with fuel-efficient engine" only recently arrived in Myanmar. I took pictures as the crowded train left then studied other features of the track and signalling equipment before locating the Station Master. The Station Master's Office usually has a track diagram of the station and, once July explained my interest, he was happy to let me take pictures.


MR: Myitkyina: DF 1363 ready to depart for Mandalay.

Having discovered that there was a State Museum in Myitkyina, I was keen to visit it (although it was not on my pre-arranged programme). We agreed to see if it was open although that seemed unlikely since the day was what they call a 'Gazetted Holiday' (presumably a legacy of British Rule). The main gates were closed but July walked in through a side gate to make enquiries and before long returned to beckon the car in. By the time we'd driven round the building to the parking area, the front door of the modern building was being opened so I was able to spend a pleasant hour in the well-presented museum.


Kachin State Museum, Myitkyina: Display of ethnic costumes.

At a level crossing leaving the city, I spotted a nice example of a lattice post outer home signal so we stopped for pictures. The signal was 'off' and a couple of minutes later a long passenger train rumbled past, at the end of its journey to Myitkyina.

We then continued south with a slight delay at the roadside immigration desk when the officer couldn't find the entry stamp in my passport. July sorted it out and we carried on to Mogaung where we stopped for lunch at a Chinese-style restaurant, served by a young boy waiter about ten years old (but going on 28). The meal was accompanied by a xylophone and drum band in a three-wheel motor cycle taxi parked outside the restaurant, apparently connected with celebrations at a monastery along the side street. Their music didn't seem terribly good and was punctuated by celebratory firecrackers. These were periodically set off by a young lad in the taxi who each time, having lit and tossed the firework, covered both ears with his hands.

Before leaving Mogaung, we paid a brief visit to the station where, again, the Station master let me take pictures. He was clearly amused that I understood the principles of trapped key interlocking as he followed my simplified explanations to July.


MR: Mogaung: Trapped Key locking box.

We carried on to Hopin and here we made a pleasant visit to July's sister's and her three children.


Hopin: July with her Sister and Children.

Leaving Hopin, our route took us high into the mountains on a winding, difficult road across Nantmoon Mountain. When we stopped at a viewpoint to look back at the plain we'd left, just where we'd parked there was a large patch of the fascinating Sensitive Plant whose fern-like leaves fold up in self-defence when touched. There's more about this plant on Wikipedia here.

A little further on we came to the summit, this time with a viewpoint showing the hair-raising descent we were about to undertake leading us down to the plain on the Indawgyi Lake side of the Nantmoon Mountain. A crowd of happy Myanmar tourists were taking pictures around the large sign, in Myanmar language and English, reading 'Indawgyi Biosphere Reserve'.


Myitkyina - Lonton by road: A photocall at the sign for Indawgyi Biosphere Reserve.

The ground fell away from the viewpoint quite steeply but a small herd of mountain buffalo traversed the steep hillside with remarkable assurance for their size. Our 4x4 descended safely around the twists and turns to the plain but it was best not to look too closely at just how deep the drop was at the side of the road.

Passing through Nawn Ting Village on the plain, we came across what was clearly important football match between two village teams - Natgyikhone and Latpansayt. There were hundreds of motor cycles parked, some passenger-carrying pick-up trucks and a good selection of traders selling food. What the players lacked in talent was more than compensated for by their enthusiasm and the spectators whooped and jumped up and down at every pass. We watched the last ten minutes of the game as I found the atmosphere infectious. The local mothers all seemed to carry their young babies on their backs in a simple cloth 'sling'. One woman spectator was so excited, jumping up and down and shouting, I was sure her baby would be ejected from the sling! At the final whistle, the result was a win for Latpansayt 2-1 , the pitch was invaded by spectators, and some players took off their shirts and threw them high into the air. After this entertainment, we continued our journey together with large numbers of motor cycles taking spectators home.


Myitkyina - Lonton by road: Natgyikhone playing Latpansayt.

Finally, we arrived at the lakeside village of Lonton and our Guest House for the night. The description I'd been given of 'Very Basic' was accurate but, after a cold shower in the shared-use wooden bathroom provided with a western-style water closet, I slept soundly.

I first published a brief trip report once I'd arrived back in Mandalay, but I'm afraid putting my pictures on 'Flickr' had to await a better internet connection back in Yangon. I didn't catch up with 'embedding' a few pictures until January, 2018.

Related posts on this website

This is one of a series of posts describing my 12th visit to Myanmar. The post Starting out is the first post in the series.

Clicking on the 'Next report' link displays the post describing the next events. In this way, you may read about the trip in sequence.
Next report on this trip.


Alternately, clicking on the 'All my Burma-2017(2) reports' link displays all the posts on this trip in reverse date-of-posting order.
All my Burma-2017(2) reports.

My photograph albums

Where necessary, clicking on an image above will display an 'uncropped' view or, alternately, pictures may be selected, viewed or downloaded, in various sizes, from the albums listed:-

Palm Springs Resort, Myitkyina.
Kachin State Museum, Myitkyina.
Myitkyina - Lonton by road.
MR: Myitkyina.
MR: Mogaung.


[Minor changes and links to pictures added 16-Oct-2017: Pictures added 4-Jan-2018]