was treated to a visit to another side of the real Cambodia yesterday, well away from the known tourist areas and out to a very poor but wonderfully serene part of the countryside. We boarded a motorboat at the village of Kompong Khleang, some fifty kilometres from the centre of Siem Reap, and travelled out to Tonle Sap Lake, southeast Asias largest freshwater lake. It is the largest source of freshwater fish in the world, spanning over 4,000 square kilometres in the dry season and up to 10,000 square kilometres in the peak of the rainy season. As you can probably tell, the villagers of Kompong Khleang put food on the table, both figuratively and literally, from the lakes vast supply of fish. Although they are not entirely without money, they will often take their fish to the local market to barter for other things they might wish for. Most of the boats were not out on the water when we got there, as the best time for fishing is apparently late at night. We were given an extensive water-borne tour of the village and the lake and spoiled with an exquisite picnic lunch on the water before returning to our hotel for the afternoon. During the evening we were privileged to be in attendance of a performance of Sokha by Phare, the Cambodian Circus. Situated in Battambang province, Phare is a school that specialises in teaching the arts, including drawing, painting, music and circus arts among others, and helping to improve the quality of life for Cambodias youth. The particular performance piece we witnessed was based on the real-life experiences of one of the directors of the school and their struggle to find their identity and battle their demons after the Khmer Rouge. These kids are the genuine article, and would be welcomed with open arms into any international circus in the world. Any contortionist who can fire an arrow at a target using only their feet while doing a handstand, and any gymnast who can nail a backward somersault onto the shoulders of someone who is already standing on someone elses shoulders, have got to be world-class. We were thoroughly exhilarated by the spectacle, and all of the performers thoroughly deserved their standing ovation at the end. If you find yourself at a loose end in Siem Reap, these guys are a must-see. After a brief stop at Siem Reaps Old Markets this morning to buy some souvenirs and practice our price haggling, we bade farewell to our tour guide after he made us promise to come back in the future (as if there was ever any doubt) and boarded our next flight. We have now touched down safe and sound in Sihanoukville, and are now heading for Victory Beach, where we will spend three nights at a remote hideaway on Koh Rong Island indulging ourselves in the sun and the sea as much as possible. I doubt we will have reception or Internet access out there, but that just means we will just have to bombard you all with beach photos when we get back to the mainland! Take care, everyone, see you in a few days. #bigexcitingadventure
Posted on: Tue, 06 Jan 2015 05:16:04 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015