Life on water

Monday 11

We enjoyed Vanna’s guidance so much yesterday that we are back for more.  Today its an early start for Asia’s largest inland lake, Tonle Sap.  Now, during dry season, its home to 2,500 sq kms of water.  In the wet this grows to over 12,000 square kms.  Its another world.  A floating village with schools, a floating Catholic Church (courtesy of  an NGO with missionary zeal), peak hour traffic with boats, even a floating basketball court (another NGO project).  It is a different as you can possibly imagine.  The villagers earn a living from fishing, but we also see some scavenging for recyclable rubbish and timber, and lots of cute kids floating in buckets charging $1 for a photo. 

Tonle Sap lake panorama

Not cute - sad.  They should be at school not being "sold" for photos

It’s desperately poor and I can’t imagine how you’d live like this.  Sanitation is once again top of mind for me – a few floating houses have an outhouse stuck on the side – the waste goes straight into the lake and with a bit of luck doesn’t float straight into the fish farm.  Most people just hang over the side.  One little boy looks like a contortionist displaying exceptional agility as he pokes his bum over the side of his boat to do his business.  Much as I can’t contemplate living like this everyone is getting about their daily routine.  Mums drop kids off at school by boat, and the girls at school are having great fun with a skipping rope. 

Typical floating houses

Floating school

It feels a bit awkward cruising through their village watching the locals  - it is their home after all – not a tourist display.  I’m somewhat comforted by the fact that the boat drivers are all local, and the $15 per person fee for the boat ride ( way expensive by Cambodian standards), contributes to a development fund for the village.  On the way back to Siem Reap we walk through a boundless lotus field – its beautiful.  And the lotus seeds are quite tasty too – I can see why the Khmers like to snack on these.  During the after noon we have our own watery experience in “a Residence’s pool and I indulge in a lovely massage.  Craving a change from Asian food, dinner is at a French restaurant in town.  After a day like today you can’t help but contemplate the lottery of life, and I count my blessings that I wasn’t born to fishermen in a floating village in Siem Reap province.

Lotus field