One of the hotspots of Myanmar is Inle Lake; an astonishing freshwater lake with floating villages and various ethnic groups surrounded by a beautiful mountain range. It is the second largest lake of Myanmar (116 km2) and even though it is not extremely large, it is still large enough to avoid huge groups of tourists and silently enjoy the surroundings when exploring the area by boat. Travelers will stay at the Nyaung Shwe Township and organize boat tours from there. These tours are usually done with the larger boats that carry diesel engines. Most transportation, however, is still done with the smaller traditional boats, which includes a fair share of rowing. On this photo you see an elderly woman using one of those tiny boats with a traditional floating house in the background.
In Myanmar it is not uncommon to see women engaging in physically demanding activities and displaying their strength and perseverance. Having tried to carry these wooden sticks myself I can assure you that it looks a lot easier than it actually is.