Cambodia was the coolest place that I visited on my country-hopping adventure. I loved it, everything about it. It was calm and exciting, set apart from the rest of the world. It was bustling, but not crowded. The people were so kind, the weather was lovely, and the food was fantastic. It reminded me a lot of Cairo, which I have been missing a lot in the past couple years.
On the Sunday that I was there, I went to church and then I headed out to see two small temples. As we were heading from the last temple, Bunny asked me if I wanted to go see the lake and take a boat ride on the river. I figured since I had the time and I was loving everything that I saw in Cambodia up to the point, what the heck! Let's go on the adventure. It was the best way to spend the Sunday afternoon. Here are some of the pictures of my afternoon:
This is the church building that I went to in Siem Reap. There was another expat member there and some American missionaries that were able to interpret the meeting from Khmer into English. Lovely people, those Cambodians. There was also a bunch of geckos running all over the place.
The is what a rice paddy looks like when there's no rice. It is the dry season and the people are getting ready to plant the new fields.
This is a ton of rice that the people were collecting by the side of the river. The river is really low right now, so Bunny had to drive the tuk-tuk a lot further down the river in order for us to get a boat. There were loads of people working the fields, surrounded by sad-looking emaciated cows.
It was soooooo dusty! There were cars and tuk-tuk coming from the opposite direction and I had forgotten my sunglasses, so Bunny let me his for awhile. Don't I look fabulous?
This is our longboat! I was too tall for it, so I had to scrunch down every time I wanted to stand or move. What is interesting is when we got the boat. I gave Bunny the money because he said that if I went to pay for it, they would charge more because I was a foreigner. I wasn't surprised at that, happens all the time. Bunny is an honest man, so I let him handle that situation.
The water was rank! It was so dirty and full of trash. The people that live in the floating village on the river drink and use this water for everything. Truly, we get mad when the wi-fi goes out and these people use this water. Definitely puts things in perspective.
This sweet little boy gave me a massage for a solid 30 minutes. Talented kid, too. I loved it.
Had to take a selfie (as much as I despise using that word) with Bunny! We laugh that even though I was getting tanner, I look so white next to him.
I love this picture because it captures so much of what the floating village is like. As you see, it is currently not floating because it is dry season, but when it is the rainy season, the river rises to the bottoms of the houses. During dry season, the people need to repair their boats and replace any of the wood that props up their houses that has become moldy. The work is never ending for these sweet souls that live their entire lives on the river.
We ate at a small B&B which was more like a living room in a shack. This is the bridge that connects to the house next door that they use when it is the rainy season.
Let me tell you, this is the best food ever!!! It might not look like much but it was delicious. It was rice, pork, and leafy greens with this amazing spice stuff.
What are these? Shrimp! Tiny shrimp that the people catch in the river and then dry in the sun before they take them to the markets to sell.
I love this picture. I love that you see the river, the trees, the man fixing his fishing net, the houses. Just perfect for showing what their lives are like there.
This forest gets flooded to the tree tops during the rainy season as well. I guess that they do canoe rides through it, which sounds awesome. It is illegal to chop down these trees because there are medicinal properties in the leaves and bark that the locals use.
This is Tolne Sap Lake. It is the largest lake in Cambodia. In the distance is the floating boat market.
It was an awesome afternoon. These are fantastic people, people that know the virtue of hard work and sacrifice. They can't just take a break or a day off like we can because they live off the fruits of their labors in a way that someone like me, someone that does not have to worry about planting food or getting clean water has to. If you find yourself in Cambodia, take a moment and visit the river and the lake. Spread a little of your tourist money to these people, they need it. Besides, you won't regret the time spent here, it is time well spent.
PS - Bring lip balm with sunscreen in it. This is the day that I sunburned my lips something fierce and it was rather unpleasant for the next two weeks. Blistex is a solid choice!
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