The floor is hard. Both R & L and Debbie and I double up our floor mats and sleep on ½ the area thinking this will help protect our hips from the pine floor. I am not sure how hard the floor would be without 2 layers but even with them my hip bones find their way to the floor and every time I turn over I have to adjust my contact spot by mm’s to find an area that does not hurt. The blankets are plenty warm though and all in all I had a good sleep.
Debbie on the other hand has managed to eat something that has given her a bad stomach. She did not eat last night and this morning is wearing a path to the colloquial toilet (squat type outhouse). Not feeling good and not eating is going to make for a lousy hike but there is no choice, we are leaving and the car will be waiting for us. Staying is a poorer option.
The hike is much the same as yesterday. I find this disappointing as I think this would be an excellent trip given better walking conditions. I think I could even put up with the rain if I wasn’t ankle deep in mud. Our journey included one more creek crossing, ankle plus deep but an easy ford. All four of us are a bit concerned as each of us only has one pair of shoes and they are now completely soaked through. We are headed to a hotel room that is suspended over the water and things are not likely to dry easily. It may mean we wear flip flops for the rest of the trip, you know ‘when in Rome’.
Two of the hikers
We arrive at the car meeting place as soaked as we were yesterday at the monastery with a two hour car ride, and 45 min boat ride on the agenda. I do not think this is going to do any of us any good in the staying healthy department but there is little we can do. Debbie is feeling better but not 100%, I think I am on the verge of getting a cold and L is just trying to shake the one she has.
By the time we get to the village of Inle Lake it is past noon and we stop for lunch. This is Wai Yan’s home town and he knows the ins and outs so we end up a good local type restaurant. We have paid for today and tomorrow in the original trip fees so since we decided to change the agenda we expect to have to suck up the cost already paid and to pay for the next two days as well. To our surprise Wai Yan pays for lunch san beverages. When we question him he said he did so on orders from his head office.
The day passes without any major events. Wai Yan wants to do the guide thing and show us what this place has to offer but all we really want to do is clean up, dry out and get warm, which means going straight to the hotel.
On Inle Lake
We do eventually arrive at the hotel and it is an upscale place, definitely above our 3 star standard. The rooms are individual cabins suspended above water each with a good view. The interior is large with enough room to lay out all our gear, dry two umbrellas, hang our laundry and still move around AND there are 4 beds.
Our hotel on the water
Since we arrive late we decide to chill tomorrow and then continue the next day with our itinerary as planned. Even though it was only one night on a wooden floor I’m looking forward to sleeping in a bed.