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A hasty visit to Tonle Sap was arranged through a tour company as the road to it was in such a bad state to get there on our own was not a sensible option. The road to it is the one we travel along to Grace House and we know the devastation the floods have caused, and unfortunately all the tour buses have caused much of the damage it is suffering from and the consequences for the locals is immense. However, my camera clicked away as we struggled along the road, at times queuing for the only bit of paved road left, the potholes were deep and must have caused severe damage to axles and tyres alike. I must admit that I hope the damage to the tour buses is going to cost the owners a considerable amount of money, as they have not shown one bit of concern for the local inhabitants and I'm sure they will not have contributed to the support that so many of the villagers need. I fervently believe that the government should have stopped the buses last August when the flooding began. The photographs will make people in the west tut and comment on how awful life must be for the poor people, I feel ashamed that I took them, but they do look appealing and so my moral dilemma continues.
The lake has expanded more than has been recorded or known for the last 50 years, and it now extends as far as Kor kranh village, its water pushes up into the Siem Reap river and meets the water coming downstream from the north. Most years at its extreme it measures a depth of 1 to 2 metres at its edges, but his year it is in excess of 14 metres. The locals who live on the usual edge can just lift their palm built home and move, sometimes many times, but this year the waters beat them and some were more or less submerged. We travelled for a long way before we saw the signs that told us that that area was usually a road, the homes built on stilts loooked as though they were just sitting on the water, instead of their usual position of many feet up into the air. In the distance we could see a mobile phone transmitter, yes that technology has arrived here!, and a virtually submerged pagoda, both normally on dry ground. The fisher folk who normally live in the floating villages must be in their element, as fish have been in great abundance this year, the variety available in the markets has been amazing and makes me wish that our choice of fish was so wide, most of the fresh ones I have seen look absolutely delicious. As we past the small basic boat like things the people call home we could see them thrashing the nets with things resembling tennis racquets to release the fish from the them, this was replicated at many of the homes we past and the smell of fish was strong. The floating homes were surrounded by water hyacinth, which is harvested regularly, dried and then used by locals to weave into baskets etc to sell to the tourist market. This is what the ladies at GH use to weave. Apparently all of the plant is used - for food - animals and people and the weaving.
Before long we arrived at the tourist bit, and were escourted off our boat onto the floating shop, surprise, surprise everything on sale was exactly the same as we have seen everywhere else we have been. Consequently no purchases were made! But as we were looking around two children miraculously appeared paddling their metal bowls, but instead of trying to sell something they had cobras draped around their neck, and of course their aim was for the tourist to want to touch them and then have their photo taken with one around their neck too. All for a dollar! A few people were interested, but I tried to take pictures of them secretly. However, Geoff was soon seduced and one cobra around his neck and the other being held, he thought that the creatures were drugged. The necessary pictures were taken and the compulsory dollar handed over! As we were walking off that boat onto ours we spotted the croc farm beneath it - severely overcrowded, and the creatures with their mouths wide open ready to devour the next careless, unsuspecting visitor who fell through the fence. I wonder how many haver escaped due to the flood water?? We then sailed a short distance to the travel companies lunch boat where we were able to choose one main meal and a drink as part of our tour package. The food was fine, but the conditions for the family who lived on the boat and presumably did the cooking was not so good.
It was great to see young children paddling their canoe home from school, each one had a small backpack and had just finished their Sat morning lessons - again would have been provided by an NGO, rather than the state. The same was true as we passed the floating university, but I can't remember who the provider is. There were two rooms each full of students attending a lecture. I still am not sure what the standard of university education is - possibly our A level, but this may be a trifle unfair. Also there is an NGO setting up a clean water project for the people of the floating homes. It is a very sad reflection of this country's government that the majority (all) of what its people need is supplied through foreign charitable organisations. Within every area ofhomes there was a floating playground area where the children can meet to play and socialise rather than spending most of their free time working. Some boats are able to run a basic tv service through tractor batteries which they have to have recharged each week. Yet another business!
As we returned to dry(drier) ground we had to pass through yet another shopping area selling the exactly the same as in the rest of Cambodia.
After our trip had ended Mati and I stayed in town for her to spend the afternoon in the 'Old Market' buying all the things she knew she couldn't do without! Geoff opted to return to Globalteer to have a rest before we joined the others to celebrate Halloween in Pub Street.
Although I felt guilty travelling out to the lake it was an enjoyable tour, but sadly like so many times in Cambodia the local people will not benefit from the tourism that is taking place, the tour companies boats and buses are Korean and I suspect all the money goes back there!
Sorry this is a week late, but with going back to school I have been busier than of late and somewhat more tied.
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