The Inle Lake is a favourite destination among tourists visiting Mynamar, otherwise known as Burma. On the lake lives a tribe of fishermen, the Inthas, who employ a special rowing technique. They stand at one end of their boats and paddle using one leg wrapped around an oar. This allows them to have both hands free to handle their fishing nets and search shallow waters for fish. Every morning the lake is woken by this graceful choreography. The rowing technique symbolizes the Inthas' way of life; they live in stilt houses on the water and they grow fruit and vegetables on floating gardens anchored to the lake with bamboo sticks. This way of life is under threat: Fish are becoming rarer; the depth of lake is decreasing and its waters increasingly polluted.

 

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