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288221
Thu, 06/06/2013 - 10:19
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Life Literally Floats on Cambodia's Tonle Sap

By RAVICHANDRAN D.J PAUL SIEM REAP (Cambodia), June 6 (Bernama) -- The half an hour boat ride along the canal leading to Tonle Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Asia, was enjoyable despite the sweltering heat. To the left and right, there appeared secondary jungles on the banks of the canal. The monotonous view along the way was punctuated by the sight of a kindergarten, a boat workshop, and a basketball court all set on floats. And the tranquil surroundings were only disrupted by the noise of tourist boats passing at every few minutes interval. A LIVING WATER BODY Locals who literally make a living on the water distracted the passengers with their antics. Halfway through our journey, a speed boat caught up and a young girl selling drinks jumped on board. Then another powered boat carrying a family of beggars accosted the passengers. While the passengers chose to ignore them, a young boy from the boat lifted a python with his hands to seek the attention of the petrified passengers! They can be a nuisance, but my guide, who went by one name, Vireak, comforted me and informed us that the number of peddlers and beggars in the vicinity have dwindled significantly due to the efforts undertaken by the Cambodian government to clean up the river bank and develop the jetty area. Vireak also pointed at the concrete poles placed on regular intervals on the banks to show how far the water rises during the monsoon, which is easily the height of a three-storey building in Malaysia. LIFE THAT FOLLOWS THE RHYTHM OF THE LAKE Upon reaching the mouth of the canal, the Chong Khneas floating village came into view. Life here is closely intertwined with the waters of the Tonle Sap, which means large freshwater river in Khmer. People here have adapted their lives to the lake's annual rhythms, that flows into the Mekong river and evaporates in the dry season from November to May and during the monsoon season, the flow of the water is reversed, leading to the swelling of the lake. Though the visit was during the tail end of the dry season, it was amazing to see how vast the lake was, it appeared like an open sea with no sign of land at the horizon. During the dry season the lake covers about 3,000 square kilometres and is about one metre deep but in the wet season, it is about 16,000 square kilometres and the water can reach up to nine metres deep. The water in Tonle Sap originates from the Himalayas in the Indian subcontinent and the lake cuts across four provinces within Cambodia - Siem Reap, Battambang, Kampong Tom and Pursat. During the monsoon season, one can travel to Phnom Penh from Tonle Sap lake, since the Tonle Sap river merges with the Mekong river in Phnom Penh. COMFORTABLE LIFE ON TONLE SAP As the tour boat circled the village, more floating buildings appeared, including a church, the community market, sundry shops, dwellings and a school with the red roof that stood out from the rest due to its sheer size. Unlike a water village where houses stand on stilts and are connected with wooden passageways, here every building is afloat and are not connected. Vireak told me that in other floating villages there were even pig sties and floating crocodile farms! With the help of floats, these buildings can go up when the water level rises and come down with the receding water, so there is no need to worry over flooding. If buildings stood up on stilts, they would have to be exceptionally high as the water here rises very high. During our tour, we witnessed a house moving on the water, with its backyard garden on tow. Vireak told me that people here would change their location whenever they liked. He also pointed out that during the monsoon season, with the rising water level, the whole village would move away by several miles. LIFE IS SIMPLE HERE A girl in school uniform was seen rowing a boat, probably on her way back home from school. A pet cat coolly walked along the ridge of a dwelling. A man was loading sundry goods from a floating shop and children as young as three to four years of age jumped onto giant pans and headed towards the tourists to ask for money. It is just another day for the people in Tonle Sap. They move about so easily on water using anything that could float. They depend on one another and are part of a cohesive community. Nonetheless, it is nice to see them having high regards for their environment. There is hardly any floating debris here, including plastic bottles and waste discarded from the dwellings. As the people here depend on the lake for a living, they have great respect for the water body. There is ample fish here, which makes up about 75 per cent of Cambodia's annual catch and that helps people earn a decent income. Many of the dwellers here have taken advantage of Cambodia's booming tourism industry; and therefore have opened souvenir shops and eateries for visitors. In fact, there is a ship on the lake that has been converted into a restaurant. My guide, Vireak, took me to a floating merchandise outlet, which also has a observation deck for visitors to enjoy the sunset. TONLE SAP THE SAVIOUR More than one million people live on the greater Tonle Sap. Originally, the inhabitants were of Vietnamese origin who have been leading a floating life for generations. Nevertheless, in the 1970s, during the brutal regime of Pol Pot many members of the Cham communities took refuge in Tonle Sap and have been living there since. Apart from the breathtaking view, for a visitor, Tonle Sap provides a different perspective in living, a life not anchored on terra firma. -- BERNAMA

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