Floating Market and Floating Gardens

We set off a bit early (but not as early as we hoped) with our boatman taking us to the Floating Market - which rotates every 5 days - and we were inundated with so many trinkets and handicrafts.

We had a delightful day on the water - getting a chance to see the floating gardens - where the gardens actually get the dirt packed down, but since it is on the lake, can float - and entire rows can slowly be towed to new locations.  It is like a world never before witnessed - entire communities living on the lake.

The routine is to see a workshop, observe how silver / umbrella hats / lotus flower robes / weavings / pottery, etc are made with each village specializing in a specific skill.  Absolutely mesmerizing seeing life on the lake.  A truly magical and unbelievable experience.

One of the hilarious tidbits was going to the jumping cat monastery.  A few years ago, the monks trained the cats to jump through hoops.  Now, the idea of tourists gawking at cats doing tricks did not seem the objective of a Buddhist monastery.  Hence, the monks put the kabosh on the whole jumping cat enterprise.  We did find one kitten - which was pretty cute.  But the more hilarious tidbit was a whole line of local school girls insisting on having their pictures taken with Gabi & Rania.  Celebrities!  The majority of women in Myanmar put the thanaka paste made from tree bark - from the thanaka tree - somewhat similar to  sandalwood.  You can see  the celebrities posing for one of many, many pictures which they took!

 A day on the lake was truly amazing.