Mektila

To avoid another 10 hour bus ride between and Kalaw (where the treks to Inle Lake start), we decided to stop at Mektila for a night. After getting off the bus around lunch time and shopping around for a place to stay (tip: staying in a room with a shared bathroom cuts the prices in half) we walked around town aimlessly. During our day of wandering, we met some Israelis (the only other tourists we encountered), got lost, played a game similar to caroms or pool with some toothless (for lack of good dental health, not age) men, and otherwise just enjoyed the atmosphere of the town.

Closer to sunset, Roi was taking a nap while I headed to the Internet cafe to upload pictures and email people when I spotted some guys in their 20s playing Chen-Lo, a game like hacky-sack with a woven bamboo ball. After a moment of hesitation, I asked if I could join. The next 45 minutes or so were spend alternatively playing terribly or impressing them (and my self) with some acrobatic kicks.

That night we sat down for dinner at a tea house where an Indian man was frying malawach (by a different name of course). We ate 5, dipping pieces in lentils, chutney, or just sugar. But more interestingly, an 82 year old man joined us. He drank and ate with us, all the while having a mostly pantomimed conversation with us (while the rest of the staff stood around our table, watching and finding excuses to move dishes around the table, thereby justifying their staring at us). After dinner, he walked us back to our guesthouse and we said our goodbyes.