There's a hot spring about 4km south of Nyaung Shwe on the western side of Inle Lake. Our hotel rented us some bikes, we were handed a laminated hand-drawn map with an 'x' marking 'Inle Spa,' and off we went. The strip down the middle of the country road was paved but pot-holed, and anytime a car or ox-cart passed, it felt prudent to take to the sandy berm. That made going a little slower, as did any slight incline, which pretty much killed whatever momentum I'd built up on the gearless bike. Kudos (awe, really) to the tri-shaw drivers who carted us up and down the hills of Twante 2 weeks ago on bikes just like these!
After about 1/2hr and numerous turn-offs with signs only in Burmese, we came upon a low building set back from the road with a wall in front and some motor-cycle drivers hanging about outside, and guessed it to be the spa. We were shown to the mixed bathing area, which is only for foreigners, and given towels and soap.
There were three man-made pools -- hardly a bubbling hot spring where water gushes straight from the rock -- but we learned the spring water is a scalding 70C degrees, so must be allowed to cool before it's fit for bathing.
Over the wall, farmers toiled in the fields.
We hung out for a couple hours, and were joined by an English couple, a German couple; a solo American, Dutchman and Japanese; and two Japanese friends.
We left around lunch-time, and biked further south to the nearest village to find somewhere to eat. The village was in the business of producing dried snacks and confections that are sold at markets and road-side stalls. We sampled some but they weren't 'ready' and the farmer-merchant-drier tending to his goods must have thought us soft in the head.
On our way home we stopped and watched as a herd of oxen took their evening bath, the owner-herdsman sitting proudly by our side and gesturing that there were still more to come. Mesmerizing; I could sit and watch these powerful animals rippling beneath the thick water for hours, their horns and eyes and flared nostrils grasping the air.
In the evening we cut back from the main road and happened upon a venue we'd passed yesterday afternoon when music was pumping from it and it looked like there was a party going on. It was again packed, though tonight looked to be Soap Opera night rather than MTV night. We were immediately brought plates of samosas and spring rolls and other fried foods, snacks to go with the coffee or tea we were expected to order.
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