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Excursion on the Tonle Sap Lake: Passed the Tonle Sap River on a motorbike taxi, which was flowing nicely through Siem Reap, and later past stretches of river, lake, and paddy field landscapes right up to the floating village (about 30 minutes). It is quite late in the year, the Lake is full, and areas that had been dry six months before were flooded to the tops of bushes and trees. Later, when the water slowly starts flowing back into the Mekong, the people will move on – on the lake, respectively to its fresh banks. The people there are not rich but very friendly, and seem to be content. Everywhere where one goes, one is smiled at….
At the moment there is something to celebrate, one is obviously getting ready for some sort of procession or something similar. There is also a small fair, which pleased the kids. I had to purchase my ticket halfway there (twenty US dollars), entrance fee so to say. Apart from that, the ticket covers the boat trip out onto the lake, it’s very interesting. We moored directly at the village, I had a boat for myself together with my driver and boatman (luckily the boat had a roof, the sun was shining down on us fiercely).
An unusual sight right in front of our eyes: Everything happens down at and on the water – The church is a boat, the school and sports hall as well. The houses are on stilts or barrels. The crocodiles are presented by one of the tourism staff. Actually there are floating restaurants with souvenirs for sale. It is well worth stopping here, and the view from the second floor really has something to offer. We visit my motorbike taxi driver’s family whilst making the return journey, he is a nice young lad who comes from here, his father is a fisherman who greets me very friendly.
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