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"If it isn't hard to get to, it isn't
worth going"
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The open waters of Tonle Sap Lake
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A Floating Mechanic Shop
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Just around the corner was the open lake, which is far larger than one would imagine.
The opposite shore is well beyond the horizon. Despite its size, the giant lake ranges
from only 3m to 10m at its deepest point. We cut across the western end and found our
way back into the tree tops and weeds and onto what roughly resembled a river. The rest
of the trip we navigated our way through the lush growth, past dozens of floating
villages and hundreds of smiling faces. After a couple of hours, the thick endless
growth and floating villages gave way to stilt homes and marsh and then to actual
fields. We knew we were nearing our destination only when we noticed our first
motorbike. Motorbikes mean paths, paths mean roads, and roads eventually lead to
cities. Up until that point the only means of access and transportation was on the
water. There is absolutely no other way to see this unique place and its people, and
this was without a doubt the best boat trip have taken.
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Floating Village on the way to Battambang
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The morning started at about 5am when our "bus" (we were crammed into the back of a
pickup truck with 12 other westerners, their packs and even some bikes) picked us up
and transported us to the boat dock on Tonle Sap Lake. The ride was to take us 6 hrs
and transport us across Tonle Sap lake and up a tributary to the town of Battambang.
So many people depend on this lake for their way of
life. Unfortunately, like many other places, the lake
will likely be altered greatly over the next couple of
decades as dams are being built upstream on the Mekong
to satisfy China and SE Asia's ever growing appetite
for electricity. Only time will tell how Tonle Sap and
its people will be effected.
After a relaxing day on the boat, we decided to make a
run for the Thai border and try and be on the beach
within 24 hours...now, we have mentioned before that
the roads in Cambodia are not exactly up to American
standards but this part of the country, up until
recently, had the "honor" of being a stronghold of the
Tonle Sap Lake is a rather unique ecosystem connected
to the Mekong River via the Tonle Sap River. The Lake
acts as a giant storage device for the waters of the
swollen Mekong during rainy season. Twice a year the
Tonle Sap reverses its flow with the change of
seasons. During the wet season the river flows into
the lake causing it to swell to four times the dry
season size to prevent flooding downstream. Then, as
the rains end and the flow of the Mekong slows, the
Tonle Sap drains itself and continues to provide a
steady flow of water to the downstream regions of the
Mekong.
As mentioned our journey began with a ride to the
lake in an over crowded pickup. We arrived at waters
edge on time but were delayed in departing slightly
by a few other passengers. We eventually headed out
and began to navigate our way through the congested
waters and tree tops of the flooded land toward the
open lake. As with other adventures in
transportation, this one was not complete without a
breakdown. As the captain began to push the throttle
down, the exhaust pipe blew off the manifold and we
were all deafened by the roar of the engine. No
problem: with a quick cell phone call, we found our
way over to the local neighborhood floating mechanic
and were patched up a 1/2 hr later.
Khmer Rouge until the bitter end. As a result, it has only been about two years since
the route between Battambang and Pailin has been secure enough that the drivers are not
risking their lives to take you to the border. And road renovation has not really been
on the high list of priorities of the cambodian government, though ironically enough,
it seems that building a fancy casino, in an effort to lure Thais over the border to
relieve themselves of cash and who knows what else, is...
anyway, when i say this road was bad, i mean it in a way that defies imagination and
possibility...like a ragdoll in a washing machine, we were tossed about for hours and
spent most of the time laughing at how we had never gotten a "cambodian massage" and
how this was the best we were going to get before we left the country. our driver, with
hands the size of tennis racquets (it takes strength to hold that wheel straight!),
seemed to have an uncanny ability to maneuver around meteor-sized craters, tractors,
and herds of cows, and in the end, he only intensified our respect for the toyota
camry. who knew they were such ballsy little cars?! when we reached the casino, we said
goodbye to our driver and fellow traveling companions, and walked to thailand under the
stars...
what an adventure of a day!
eric and katrina
