Areas where people live on the water fascinate me. Other than some general research, I didn't really know what to expect from Inle Lake. I knew that we would have to hire a tour guide for the day to take us around, and they have specific spots where they take tourists. Myanmar is in this stage where these destinations are becoming more touristy, but it's still a very raw and for the most part, untouched. There aren't an people trying to sell selfie sticks, there aren't any kiosks selling trinkets or hot dog food stands. It's a UNESCO site, but tour companies haven't taken over yet. Reservations aren't a thing yet, so In the early morning, we showed up at the dock, found a guy to be our guide, paid him $20 cash and he took us around for the day.

I knew I wanted to do short little interviews with the people we visited along the way since we had our translator with us for this trip. I was genuinely interested in knowing if these people liked the tourists (like me) and weather it was benefiting their lives. I love to travel, see new places and see how different people live. But I always feel a little bit of guilt, like I'm kind of a visual burden for the locals and maybe disrupting their quality of life. I felt like this was the perfect context to ask these questions and make a video about it.

I was in awe of this place and the community this culture built on stilts. I was amazed to see electrical poles, post office, construction, etc. It's definitely a hidden gem of the world, and I highly recommend visiting.