The iconic sight of the Inle Lake in Myanmar is the leg-rowing Intha fishermen. Most traffic on the lake consists of long, flat-bottomed boats. These days many generally use diesel motors for their boats but with the traditional fishermen, they still use the leg-rowing technique.
They stand at the stern and wrap one leg round an oar while gripping the hull of the boat with the other foot. The upright position has an advantage – they are able to see across the lake to spot the dense hyacinth weeds that are scattered just below the surface of the lake.
Our guest is often fascinated with this almost acrobatic rowing style.