2/21/06 Day 3: Siem Reap to Battambang via the Tonle Sap

We got up bright and early to embark on our journey. We started with a great deal of anticipation, thinking that we're about to go on a scenic boat ride that is going to be the highlight of our trip. The bus ride to the Tonle Sap seems interesting enough and the floating village is charming to behold. The first four hour of the journey was done on a decent sized boat, rather comfortable other than the fact that we were sitting near the engine and was going deaf.





Cambodian lady rowing a boat full of vegetables. We also saw little children in school uniforms rowing to school, floating school, chickens in floating coops and even pigs in floating stys.

Contraptions used for fishing. Quite a number of these were spotted during the boat ride.

CK reading her Lonely Planet on the boat ride. She lost her first copy of Lonely Planet, but we managed to get another copy for only USD4, which I reckon is a mighty fine bargain.

The second half of the boat ride, about five and a half hours, was done on a much smaller boat. We had to switch boats as the river wasn't deep enough for the larger boats to go through during the dry seasons.

The conclusion is that, going up the Tonle Sap during the dry season is as masochistic as anyone could get. A nine and a half hour boat ride seems so much longer when you're packed like sardines, it is hot as hell and your bladder is full. We made it to Battambang in the late noon and immediately proceed to find a place to crash for the night and to empty our bladders. After which, we went out for food and drinks, and make arrangements for our ride the next day to Poipet, where we'll cross the border into Thailand.