Tonle Sap

Tonle Sap lake is a curiosity. It's Cambodia's largest but the size and water flow changes seasonally. As the Himalaya melt waters make their way down the Mekong they saturate the delta region and start to back up effectively reversing the flow of water into Tonle Sap. The water depth change can be dramatically depending on how rainy the rainy season was. As the water recede as they are now the newest growth is on the lowest part of the previously submerged vegetation.

Fishing and floating are big on the lake. A number of floating and/or stilt house villages dot the shores, fishing is the way of life. Today's outing was to visit Prek Toal floating village and take a swing through the protected bird sanctuary adjacent. Again I was solo on the trip so I was joined by  the manager and a guide from Osmose. A company I chose because they are big on community based tourism and have set up several initiatives to help the villagers help themselves. They also discourage giving gifts to the villagers preferring instead to train and hire cook staff for the restaurant,have villagers paddle visitors around on the lake or make and sell crafts all on a rotation basis.

Pick-up was at 7:30a followed by a 45 minute air con car drive to the port. Quite unexpectedly, as I was heading down to the boat landing a shirtless little boy ran up to me, whipped out a small digital camera and took my picture! I had been reading about an annual photo contest in town where underprivileged kids are given some lessons and the loan of cameras to participate. I made the young hopeful wait before running off to his next shoot so I could take *his* picture.

Then it was off on a long river boat - another gorgeous clear sunny day with fluffy clouds. At the village we transfer to a smaller boat to navigate through the receding waters of the lake into the bird sanctuary accompanied by a poacher-turned-park-warden. There are tons of water birds here, pelicans, cranes, ibis, kingfishers and on and on. Best part was getting out a tree and climbing up 30' to a rickety bamboo platform to have a look through a high powered telescope.

Lunch was back at the floating restaurant - rice + veg + fish tasty as usual. One of the local ladies paddled me and my guide around to have a look see. Stopped at a crocodile farm, (crock's go for about $900 USD per;) catfish cage, (catfish go for about $2/kg;) and floating garden (which they eat themselves.) The floating gardens have really caught on here. People are even growing papaya and mango trees on them. The most innovative version was a floating pig pen strategically positioned over a catfish cage. And thus, I have given up on eating that lowly bottom feeder.

As we were leaving the boat landing a German bus tour pulled in and was unloading. In an instance a group of young photographers were in everyone’s faces taking pics much to the horror of more than a few of  tourists. It sure feels a different on the receiving end of that attention.

Hot, burnt and sleepy after this most enlightening outing.