Eye in the Sky: mekong river

Showing posts with label mekong river. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Floating Village - Tonkinese River and Tonle Sap

This village is a good 1-hour ride from Siem Reap, taking the roads directly opposite the ones going to the temples. For just an additional $2 (from our agreed temple excursion, which is good for a whole day), my good natured driver offered this sidetrip. I felt generous and offered him a tip that was otherwise "imposed" by the boatman and his assistant! He was deserved more than those scabrous, opportunist pigs!

I didn't realize it was far, and by that time, all the tension of continuous travel started to catch up on me - on my 2nd day of visiting the temples. My driver did tell me that it was 25km from Siem Reap, so I thought it was on the way back to town. Of course not! We had to go back to Siem Reap and take the opposite route from there. Before reaching the wharf, he dropped me off a make-shift station where I had to purchase a ticket for the sunset cruise. $20! Was it worth it? I'm just glad to get it over with! We came from Banteay Srey which was 37km from SR, plus the 25km to the floating village - that was a long journey! On my way back to my hotel, I took my shoes off, raised my feet up my seat, and enjoyed the mild afternoon wind. Tuktuk is the best option for viewing the temples and Siem Reap..

The floating village is populated by Vietnamese immigrants. Like Puerto Prinsesa's Vietville, these immigrants sought asylum to escaped the socialist rule and found their home here. By November, the rivers would have subsided by more than 60-70%, as the waters drain back to the Mekong River. Many seaside areas will turn into drylands again until around March. By April, the waters start to rise up, once again submerging these villages, thus its name "floating village".
.
From my boat, I could see people doing their daily chores: laundry inside their huts, cooking, sleeping, chatting.

Floating Village at the Tonkinese River. There's a grade school, a high school, restaurants (an on-going wedding reception at one of them), a Catholic Church, seafood market (of course)...

Tonkinese River near the tributary leading to the Tonle Sap (Great Lake). Hydrofoil boats take this route from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap - a 5-6 hour ride (and allegedly not very comfortable).

Tonle Sap. Your chartered boat stays here for a bit before taking you to an area where you can feed a school of fish (much like Thailand's Chao Phraya River). Several floating vendors would offer you pho (yes, the population of the floating river is 99% Vietnamese). My boatman and his assistant had their snack, while I patiently waited. The cruise takes a little more than an hour, as you wait for your sunset. I didn't want to, so off we went. My tuktuk was waited at the wharf, and was surprised to see me back so early.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Monday, October 29, 2007

Cambodian Countryside

A roadside market in Prasot. Notice the hundreds of antenna jutting out from the roof.

Comparing the countryside of Vietnam and Cambodia, it is obvious that Vietnam has succeeded in outpacing its neighbor by leaps and bounds, but taking into consideration the catastrophic history of Cambodia, I am amazed with the steady pace of slow-but-sure development in the country. The resilience of the people is nothing to scoff at, and economic gains are catching up. This is more obvious in Siem Reap.

In the early 70's, after a 5-year struggle, the Communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh (PP), and by 1975, ordered the mass evacuation of all towns and cities. PP became a virtual ghost town and thousands were massacred (thus "the killing fields"). The Khmer Rouge was a devastating power, leaving no infrastructure. By 1978, institutions like education, money, social facilities, any form of commerce and industry were non existent! BUT the subsequent Vietnamese invasion drove the khmer rouge to the countryside, and the country had to start from nothing!