After our visit to the temples yesterday we agreed to go on an excursion to the floating villages on the largest lake in South East Asia, Tonle Sap. We left the hotel at 8.00 as it is much better to get going early in the morning whilst it is still cool.
We had the same guide as yesterday, Mr Arun, but a different driver, Mr Bot. Again it was only the two of us in the car, and again we felt very special. We drove through the chaos that is traffic in Siem Reap out onto highway number 6 heading south for about an hour to the lake. The number of motorbikes is truly something to behold.
It was clear to us that vast numbers of Cambodians live in poverty, particularly after we left the Main Road.
We arrived at a very basic dock and were put onto a boat which clearly had seen better days. Our captain was about 15 but seemed to know what he was doing. We went down a canal through a flooded forest and our guide told us that in the dry season the water was not where it was today. At the moment the water is about 5 metres deep but in the dry season all that remains is a muddy plain.
We passed through the town of Kompong Pluk where all the houses are on stilts at least 5 metres high.we found it quite humbling to see such houses, no mains electricity, no clean water and often only bamboo roofs. Obviously all of this is photogenic but there were no other tourists around and after a while I felt I didn't want to take any more photographs.
In the town we had to visit a floating garage where the diesel was pumped by hand into a plastic jerry can, straight from a fifty gallon oil drum. The lads doing all of this were no more than sixteen, we were really glad that no one was smoking.
After the town we went through a floating village and saw one house being moved from one location to another , or if you like to be moored in a different place.Apparently it is the Vietnamese who live in floating villages rather than in houses on stilts.
After the village we moved out into the lake itself which is huge, we only just ventured into it before our guide asked for the engine to be cut so that he could talk to us about the economy of the area, it was all really interesting and very thought provoking. Restarting the engine involved holding a bare wire to a solenoid, something you wouldn't get away with in the UK.
Sandwiches for lunch were part of the deal , and it is slightly incongruous to have ham and cheese on brown bread, whilst you are in Cambodia. Let alone to follow it up with a slice of gingerbread.
After lunch we relaxed and went for a swim in the hotel pool before going out for our last meal in the Khmer Kitchen. We have become firm regulars there and are welcomed with open arms. The place was buzzing and whilst we were there several grips of people were turned away.
All in all a really interesting day and a whole load of memories.
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