Picture of the day - July 26, 2008

The floating gardens of Inle Lake

Photo courtesy of Vladimir Fofanov. The troubled country of Burma (which has been renamed Myanmar by those in power) is home to much beautiful scenery and at least one rather interesting oddity: the floating gardens of Inle Lake. These floating gardens are man-made via the very labor-intensive process of gathering lake-bottom weeds and fastening them together, then using bamboo poles to hold them in place on the surface of the water. Although tending the gardens by boat is serious business and hard work for the local farmers, the farmers themselves - along with the lake and the gardens they tend -  are a highly popular tourist attraction that supports a number of nearby hotels and shops. I'm constantly amazed at some of the odd and interesting things that can be found around the globe, and Inle's floating gardens are among the most intriguing of them all.   Click here to comment on this picture.   Visit the POTD Archives for previous "Pictures Of The Day"!     Submit a photo of your own!                                 Place the "Picture of the Day" on your website, for free! Why I publish the "Picture of the Day"