We had finished seeing Angkor Wat and Choy asked us if we wanted to see the floating village so of course we said “yes”
The cost was the entry to the village (at $20 US each). So off we went in the tuk-tuk passing through the edge of Siem Reap and then heading east of the city. We went through some fairly 3rd world type villages (with LOTS of garbage everywhere). We passed some beautiful green crops which, upon questioning Choy, we were informed it was rice.
We arrived at the town about a hour later. It is a working fishing village with obvious MUCH higher water levels than what we had today. It looks like tourism is an important part of their economic future.
Part of the entry fee included a trip in a long boat down the river, through the town and then a stop at a location where we had the opportunity to get in a tiny rowboat and go somewhere else (it was an $11 US charge). We declined and went back into our longboat, out to the huge lake where the fishing is done and then turning around and heading back to our spot we originally started from. We saw many fishers removing fingerling size fish from their nets. They have a machine that helps knock the fish off the netting as the netting is being taken off the fishing oat and being stored on land until needed again.
Once back in the tuk-tuk we headed back to Siem Reap. On the way Choy would pull over to the far left and essentially be driving on the shoulder on the wrong side of the road. We figured out it was because of the dust being created by oncoming traffic. The wind the blowing left to right so when Choy saw a vehicle coming he would pull far to the left so the dust wouldn’t impact us as we were “upstream” of it. Nice!
We got to the intersection with the main highway which we had to turn left onto. The police were at the intersection stopping all traffic. The traffic coming on the highway from the right was being directed off the highway into an area where they could safely stop, After a few minutes we heard a police car. The car SCREAMED by followed closely by a dozen other vehicles right behind it.HMMMM. Turned out to be the king of Cambodia!
Upon returning to our hotel we bought tickets for our six hour road trip to Phnom Penh tomorrow morning (a mini van which will pick us up about seven AM-we had hoped for eight AM but no luck)
A final meal at the restaurant across the street and later on a pickup by Choy for a 45 minute tuc-tuk drive around the city looking at all the night markets (of which there are many) and the nice lights of nighttime Siem Reap.
Now sure if I want this beer because they tell you it tastes like “Krud” LOL.
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