Day Four: Sunset at Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia

Sorry for the delay in posting...we're still alive...the internet was really slow in Bali.  It took about 3 days to upload the pictures in this one post!


To recap, on Day 4, we started out at Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom.  After resting up at the hotel, we were off to the Tonle Sap lake for a sunset boat ride.  Tonle Sap is actually a very large lake, on which you can travel by boat all the way to Phnom Pehn!  (Click here for a refresher on Cambodian geography.)

Although the sunset was beautiful, the most interesting part was visiting a floating fishing village of Vietnamese immigrants (marked Vietnamese Floating Village on the map.)  The village was quite busy--lots of fishermen coming in with their daily catch, women congregating, and children playing.  The daily lives of these children is one thing from this trip that really tugged at my heartstrings.  Kids who live on tiny boats and appear to have virtually nothing by way of material goods or opportunity, but appear (at least to an outsider) to have fun and play with their friends just like children in our part of the world.  Below are some scenes from the fishing village.


Boats ready to take tourists out on the lake...

Small homes across from the pier...

Homes in the fishing village...

Here, many have come from the village to receive food and other support from the government.  It was interesting to compare this village (of Vietnamese living in Cambodia) with the floating fishing village (of Vietnamese living in Vietnam) we would later visit in Halong Bay.

Notice the two kids in the wash bins below?  They were having a blast!  Returning to the pier, we passed them again, and they were spinning so fast I couldn't get a clear picture.  Did I mention that the lake is infested with crocodiles?

Some fishermen...

On top of a floating restaurant on the lake...

Beautiful sunset from the boat...

A few more scenes as we headed back to the pier...

Blurry picture (I'm still figuring out my new camera!) of our boat...

We finished the long day with a trip to the Siem Reap night markets.  See the big sign with the lady on it?  Yep, you read that right...1 hour back massage for $5; 1 hour foot massage for $4!  Cheap massages were nearly everywhere in SE Asia.  (I'm sad to say I didn't ever take advantage of the offers, as we were always too tired or too busy!  But we heard rave reviews from many people who tried them out!)

More massage ladies...and that little pond may well have been full of fish for a fish pedicure--as in the fish literally eat the rough skin off of your feet (pretty gross, right?)!  I must admit to having had such a pedicure once already in Virginia; although I'm not 100% sure, I heard the practice has subsequently been banned in the area (as it has been in several US states).  But the flesh-eating fishies are alive and well in Cambodia!  Here's an old article about the place in VA.

Fruit stand at the night market...

One more post left to come on Cambodia, then it's off to Vietnam!