The Floating Village

This morning, Jonny and Jenny met us at our hotel. Once again we breakfasted on chocolate croissants, omelets, and fresh tropical fruits. We then jumped in Lies car and headed to the floating village of Chong Kneas. For an absolutely authentic cultural experience, we floated down a small river on which an entire village resides, living on small boats. We hopped on a small wooden boat with folding teak chairs and a Cambodian captain. He chugged us past the village school, with tiny Cambodians in blue and white uniforms, with no shoes. On top of the drifting school was the playground, where children were being supervised playing ball. A family drifted by who was moving their entire house to a new location up stream. Their bright blue wooden house boat was pulling a floating garden, with herbs and many different unidentified plants. Attached to the garden was a small raft filled with wooden tools and attached to that was a simple wooden boat. Through the windows on the house boats, we spotted Cambodian children resting in hammocks. We passed another home bobbing in the river with a woman washing out her pots and pans in the river. I asked our guide if they cook with the water as well. They do. The river also serves as their swimming and plumbing water. We made our way out to the Tonle Sap Lake, the largest lake in Asia. Our boat stopped and the captain asked us if we would like to jump in and swim. We all declined. We agreed that this one last outing was perhaps our favorite excursion in Cambodia. We headed to the airport with a slight feeling of regret that we didn't have more time to soak in the culture. However, Jonny pointed out that we visited the top four sites in Cambodia in just a day and a half. At the airport Steve and I enjoyed a much needed $10 foot massage and then boarded a propeller plane for Bangkok and then on to Phuket.

New Tidbits Learned:

1. During the six month monsoon season, villagers on the lake embalm and "bury" their dead high in the trees while they wait for dry wood for a proper cremation. 

2. Cambodia lacks a high population of skilled and educated workers because during the Khmer Rouge, these people were targeted and killed, along with artists. 

3. Since 2000, with the end of the civil war, Cambodia's tourism industry has boomed. Huge hotels are being built and the area looks to have a bright future.