Day 3: On the Lake

Today we stopped looking at temples and went out to Tonle Sap lake instead. Tonle Sap lake is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. Its size varies considerably, from about 2,500 sq km at the smallest to 12,000 sq km at its largest. Why the huge difference? The Siem Reap tourist guide says that in the dry season, the lake drains into the Tonle Sap river which then runs into the Mekong. But in the wet season, the Mekong becomes so large that it overflows, and fills Tonle Sap instead. So in the dry season, farmers get to cover the Tonle Sap valley with rice fields. In the wet season, they retreat to their tall houses and go fishing instead.


Our visit to Tonle Sap was really to look at the floating village at Chong Khneas. Our guide told us that the families on the lake included both ethnic Cambodians, as well as Vietnamese. These fishermen/farmers do not exactly lead the normal life of most Cambodians (most do not, after all, live in boats), but it is definitely more typical of Cambodia than the tourist-oriented world of Siem Reap. Although, there is a tourist stop in the village which allows the visitor to look at the sea life which used to populate the lake - various species of fish, eels, and crocodiles. Whilst there are still fish in the lake, many species have been fished out and there are only a few specimens left. As for the crocs, only the ones in the pen for visitor viewing are around. I don't think they are exactly missed.


There are various facilities on the lake- not just homes. I saw a school, a children's playing area and a Catholic church. And lake village life is active. Boats selling provisions or vegetables ply their way from boathouse to boathouse. We saw the fishermen clearing their nets of fish, to be sold in the market later in the day. Children swim in the water (nearest the tourist stop) or paddle around in gigantic basins.

It is a tough life, and a simple one.

Ironically, directly after this visit to Tonle Sap lake, we had a very nice Khmer lunch at a top restaurant (Chao Praya) in Siem Reap. One thing about visiting a rice-producing country - the rice here has always been very good! Large, fragrant grains. So good you can eat it on its own or with only a little bit of curry gravy. Fortunately for us, we had far more things to eat it with. But for the villagers living on the lakeside, this would probably not be anywhere near their normal fare.